Swim England proud to be involved with ‘fun and inclusive’ IGLA Championships

Swim England is proud to have been involved with the recent IGLA London 2023 International LGBTQ+ Masters Aquatics Championships and what was described as a ‘fun and inclusive’ event.

The championships saw thousands of participants head to the London Aquatics Centre between Sunday 25 and Friday 30 June to compete across six disciplines.

Those were masters swimming, open water, artistic swimming, water polo, diving, and the Pink Flamingo – the latter of which is a fusion of performance, skits, drag and dance both in and out of the water.

The event as a whole, which was hosted and delivered by IGLA London 2023 and Out To Swim aquatics club, is a celebration of inclusion in sport and focuses on creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone to enjoy aquatic sports.

Swim England supported the championships and had a number of teams from across the organisation involved with the event.

Some of those involved included the Swim England volunteering team and Swim England officials.

Incredibly positive event

The volunteering team were sharing and shouting about the volunteering opportunities that are available.

They also engaged with overseas competitors about the role that Swim England plays as the national governing body.

On the contribution and support from officials, Swim England’s officials development co-ordinator, Helen Akers, explained that she received ‘nothing but positive feedback’ from both the athletes and event organisers.

Mike Hawkes, Swim England head of diversity and inclusion, said: “It was an amazing experience to attend and be involved with the IGLA Championships.

“The whole event was great fun and had inclusion at its very heart.

“Everyone involved – whether it be as a competitor, volunteer, coach or official – should be proud of their contribution to what was an incredibly positive event.

Journey in aquatics

“As Swim England, it was encouraging to see clubs embodying the inclusive spirit we want to see across all of our sports.

“IGLA London 2023 and Out To Swim should be commended for the monumental effort they put into delivering the championships.”

Lisa Whyte, Swim England volunteering manager, added: “It was great to chat with participants about the different volunteering roles available at Swim England and also find out about their journey in aquatics so far.

“Events like the IGLA Championships allow us to connect with different community groups and talk openly to participants about changes they would like to see in aquatics.

“Their feedback allows us to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment.”

To view the results from the IGLA London 2023 International LGBTQ+ Masters Aquatics Championships, click here.