Page 26 - link magazine

Sport and Leisure

Jazz comes home to Tigersharks’ joy she was diagnosed with glandular
fever which had completely
disrupted her training.”
Mary said Jazz had her tonsils
removed in late 2012 and once
she returned to training her talent
emerged even more strongly with
British records being broken,
personal times improved, gold
and silver medals at the 2014
Commonwealth Games and the
European Championships, and
a bronze at the 2015 World
Championships in Russia.
“It was a huge knock not to be
Silver medallist Jazz Carlin sits with the Tigersharks during her triumphant homecoming able to be part of the London
Olympics, but Jazz showed great
Rio Olympic’s double medallist last 12 years, Lesley Jeffers, said: still trying to come to terms with character and determination to put
Jazz Carlin was given an ecstatic “It’s such a joy for Jazz to win Jazz’s success a month after the that behind her, to show what she
welcome home from 60 members medals at the world’s biggest competition. “We went to Rio to was capable of,” said Mary.
of her former swimming club event. She started with us in the cheer the team and urge Jazz on to Jazz said: “I enjoy returning to
Swindon Tigersharks at Link Centre learn to swim programme at the do her best in the heats and finals,” my home town where I learnt to
on 12 September. age of 5 and progressed from there. said Mary. “It was an incredible swim and my career began. I have
Wearing her silver medals won “And although Jazz is now based atmosphere, totally euphoric as so many people to be thankful for,
in the 400 and 800 freestyle, the with the elite GB squad at Bath the team won medals and Jazz my parents who have helped me
guard of honour formed by the University, she comes back to see improved her personal best times in every way possible, the coaches
youngsters aged 8 to 17 briefly us as often as her commitments and came through in her events, so in the club who have pushed me
reduced her to tears before allow. It’s great that she sometimes brilliant.” and all the volunteers who keep
composing herself to pass out the trains with our swimmers to Roger commented: “After the 400 Tigersharks going as a club. I really
medals, chat to club members and demonstrate how hard she works metres Jazz was saying she felt could not have achieved what I
pose for snaps. to achieve her success. What’s nice under the weather during the heats have without them.”
The homecoming complemented is that Jazz remains such a level of the 800 metres, but we knew Jazz, who celebrated her twenty-
the club send-off for Jazz in July headed nice person, an inspiration she would be doing her best. In our sixth birthday on 17 September,
before she set off for Brazil with to all of us, in the pool and outside. eyes getting to the Olympics was a begins preparations for the 2017
the other Team GB swimmers. Parents Mary and Roger Carlin, dream after her hopes were dashed World Championships at the end of
Tigersharks head coach for the from Grange Park, said they were before the London Olympics when September.

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