Dear Supporters

We are incredibly saddened and disappointed that despite Leo having achieved 12 world championship qualifying times, he has not been selected to represent GB DS team in Canada later this year. The team have stated that he has not been selected due to his limited experience. Leo regularly competes in mainstream and disability competitions all around the country in a wide variety of strokes and distances. You can only imagine everyone who has been involved in his coaching and development frustration and deep disappointment. We are determined to remain positive and continue to aid Leo on his swimming pathway. He is a very talented young man, and at only 15 years old he has many more competitions ahead of him. We would like to thank everyone for your support it means a great deal to us all. With your permission, we will use the money raised to continue funding his training, kit and future competitions.

St Ives Bay Swim Club member Leo Pellow is a 15 year old dedicated hard working swimmer. He recently entered the North Cornwall Dragons Open Meet at Bodmin hoping to achieve qualifying times to secure selection for the Down Syndrome GB Team. The team will be travelling to the Down Syndrome World Championships in Nova Scotia, Canada in July 2018. Leo's main aim was to take advantage of the rare opportunity for boys to compete in an 800 Freestyle event, gain a qualifying time and hopefully set a Junior (Under 17 on the day) World Record along the way.

The ‘A’ class qualifying time set for the Worlds is 15:28.68 however, fresh from winning the European Championships in Paris recently, Team GB Selectors were looking for faster times than those specified for entering the Championships and Leo needed to go below 14:30.00. Maintaining a near constant pace throughout, he touched the wall in a fantastic 13:20.65!

With all the paperwork signed off, his time will now be sent to the GB Team Managers and then the Down Syndrome International Swimming Organisation for ratification. Hopefully, within a couple of weeks Leo will receive a certificate confirming him as the official Junior Short Course World Record Holder. He is now looking for a long course competition offering boys an opportunity to swim the 800 Freestyle so he can challenge for that record as well (currently 23.08.40 and held by an American swimmer).

Leo is currently seeking financial support to aid his ambition to compete at the world championships in Canada where he is aiming to enter 8 events and hopefully break a few more world records on the way. The money raised will help pay for equipment, coaching, pool time and the fees needed to send Leo to Canada next year.

Leo is pictured here proudly wearing his newly acquired, personalised GB kit.

If you would like to donate and help make this boy's dreams come true, please support us with as little or as much as you can. Thank you.