Swimmer of the Year: 2008

Daniel Sliwinski 

  The 2008 Lancashire Swimmer of the Year 2008 Daniel Sliwinski certainly had a year that will take some beating! 

Daniel was selected to represent England in the Schools Championships (W.I.S.E.) where he broke the 100m and 200m Breaststroke records and also the 200 Individual Medley record. 

A few weeks after this he competed at the British Trials in Sheffield where he became the Brtish Junior Champion in the 50m, 100m and 200m Breaststroke breaking both the 100m and 200m records to add to the 50m record he already held.  Daniel was 17 whilst competing at the trials but his time in the 100m Breaststroke took him to the top of the world rankings for 18 years and under and third in the world rankings for the 200m Breaststroke. 

He was selected to represent Great Britain at the FINA World Youth Games in Mexico and the LEN European Junior Championships in Belgrade.  Whilst in Mexico Daniel broke the British record for the 50m Breaststroke in the heats and again in the final and also set a new World Youth Championship record.  Not satisfied with taking gold in the 50m Daniel also took another gold medal for Great Britain in the 100m Breaststroke where once again he broke the British record and set a new World Youth Championship record.  He was also a member of the winning Medley Relay team in Mexico and aslo at the Junior European Championships in Belgrade.  The Medley Relay team also set a new World Youth record in Mexico and broke the European Junior record in Belgrade.  The Medley Relay team also had two other Lancahsire County swimmers Rob Bale and James Doolan.  

After his outstanding performances Daniel was selected onto the British Swimming Podium Squad to join the country's leading senior swimmers.  He was invited to the Olympic Handover party at Buckingham Palace in August and gave a radio interview for Radio Five Live alongside Michael Phelps.

During this hectic year Daniel also managed to sit 'A' levels in Maths, Physics and Russian from which he was awarded a full scholarship at Indiana University in the United States following in the  footsteps of the great Mark Spitz.  Daniel was the only person to be awarded a full swimming scholarship since Mark Spitz.

Daniel's home club is Preston where he assists with the teaching programme.  He has been training with Gallica Squad since February 2007.  He has broken eight British records in 18 months with the first being at the Lancashire Championships in 2007 which was also the first British record to be broken in the Championships history.       

Congratulations Daniel on all your achievements and may you continue to build on them in the future. Hopefully we will see you representing your country in London 2012.