Wimborne Wagtails
Swimming Club for the Disabled
Wagtails Fun Gala - February 2024
What a wonderful afternoon we had at Canford School on 17th February 2024. 24 swimmers took part in 11 races followed by refreshments and presentations. Over 50 in total enjoyed the day.
Sherborne - September 2019
Another fine performance by the wagtails team, only missing out on the team trophy by 7 points.
Well done Robbie who had no time to prepare and was swimming his first race as soon as he got poolside .
Everyone won two or more medals so it was a real team effort. Well done to Sarah, Hayley, Robbie, Laura, Amy, Sam, Jack, Jemma and Lucy.
Our next gala is in March next year and will be at Canford school again. More news about that in due course.
It was a fine team effort!
Julian
Plymouth - July 2019
The super six travelled to Plymouth at the end of July.
We had a small team compared to the other clubs but were not far behind them in points scored. Steve D was star of the day. He was at work from 7-9am before joining us at 9.30 when we set off. He then won 4 gold medals ! Jack and Sam each won 3 golds and a silver
The women (Hayley, Sarah and Amy) were not quite as successful but all won medals and swam well. They had some bad luck with a race changed as a result of a mix up.
It was a fine team effort.
Julian
Street - May 2019
A team of 10 swimmers from Wagtails went to the Gala at Street in May. They did very well coming a close second to Mendip Mallards. Steve and Sarah were swimming in their first Galas and did well. The rest of the team Laura, Lucy, Amy, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Robbie and Greg put in a fine performance. They won medals mostly gold and silver - a fantastic achievement.
Julian
Wagtails Inter-Club Gala - March 2019
Our first Inter Club Gala held yesterday at Canford Sports Centre was a fantastic success with nearly 80 swimmers, carers, family, friends and helpers attending. It was a great competition between Yeovil Apollo, Mendip Mallards, Plymouth Pisces and Wimborne Wagtails with 10 swimmers from Wagtails and Mallards, 8 from Apollo and 5 from Pisces.
All Clubs thoroughly enjoyed the day with the main comment being the cold water temperature which was out of our control.
The individual top swimmer was a tie between 4 swimmers - Robbie from Wagtails, Rebecca from Pisces, Mark from Apollo and Steven from Mallards each winning 2 golds and a silver medal. It was agreed to share the shield and pass on to the next team at the next competing Gala.
The Elsie Stone Endeavour Award was won by Eve from Pisces and presented by Elsie.
The Champion team was won by Mendip Mallards with 93 points, with Wagtails second (89), Apollo third (77) and Pisces with (49). So well done to everyone. Our team swimmers were Jemma, Isabella, Lucy, Laura, Lisa, Amy, Robbie, Greg, Jack W and Sam.
Congratulations to all the swimmers who took part and many thanks to all the helpers and organisers and Canford Sports Centre for the catering and excellent pool facilities. £85 was raised from the raffle with the top prize of the Morissions hamper won by our Di G.
Please see feedback below and use the arrows to click through the photo gallery. Huge thanks to photographer David Faulder.
An excellent day. Well organised. Great facility in great setting. Keenly fought, but, as always, in good spirit. For The Wagtails a fine first hosting of a disability swimming gala. Thanks to Canford School Swimming Pool/Leisure Centre for providing such a great venue. Roll on the next gala. It made me proud to be a Wagtail. Well done to all those who helped in the club to provide such a great day for the club's first disability swimming gala. Hopefully the first gala of many hosted by The Wagtails.
Was a lovely event enjoyable and fun,well done!
As for the gala and the food and presentation it was very good indeed - Mallards
We all enjoyed the Wagtails first Gala and thought it was a great sucess - Pisces
We thought you did very well and we really enjoyed ourselves - Apollo
Well done for the organisers for getting it right.
We've been to many galas with our son over the years, and it was lovely to see Wagtails being able to host their own event after so long.Thanks to everyone for making it happen, we really enjoyed it
Wagtails Fun Gala - October 2018
Our first Fun Gala held at Canford School Sports Centre pool and funded by Big Lottery, was a fantastic success!
Over 50 swimmers, their families and friends came to take part or watch the events.
There were 12 official races followed by the fun races, including feet first, frog race and woggle race. Everyone won at least one medal and all swimmers received a Wagtails t-shirt.
After tea, sandwiches and cake, the medals were presented by Dame Annette Brooke. This was followed by the raffle which raised £98 for the Club.
Huge thanks and very well done go to Julian, Brenda, Liz and Alex for all their hard work in organising this event. Thanks also to all our helpers, with special thanks going to our photographer David for capturing the atmosphere perfectly
with some super images.
Please click below and use right or left arrows to view.
Sherborne - September 2018
A team of 11 swimmers had a very successful day at Sherborne winning the Champions cup for the first time in Wagtails Gala history. All swimmers won medals most with gold and silver - a fantastic achievement.
A special mention goes to Isabella who was the only junior member in the Gala and bravely did all the races by herself which earned her the The Endeavour Award.
Street - May 2018
A Wagtails had a very successful gala at Street.
The team came second, just a few points behind Mallards, who had the advantage of being at home.
The men’s and women’s relay team won silver medals.
All the swimmers won at least one medal and some won a medal in every race they entered. Gemma and Jack P swam particularly well in their first gala. Isabella was our only junior member of the team and swam her relay with a junior member of another team.
They swam the race quicker than all the men’s teams, who were having their relay at the same time!
Julian
Sherborne - September 2017
A team of eight swimmers were entered for the Sherborne Gala on Sept. 3rd and a magnificent total of 21 medals were won by the Wagtails and 9 of those were gold.
Robbie, Laura, Lucy each won 1 gold. Lisa won 2 golds and Jack won golds in all his individual races and was also awarded the shield for the most successful swimmer of the day. The ladies relay team swam an excellent race in spite of being at the end of a tiring day and brought home the gold medal.
Wagtails finished second in the team championship with 128 points - 12 behind Mallards.
Congratulations to all the swimmers.
Liz
Plymouth - August 2017
The Wimborne Wagtails team consisted of Jack on his own as it proved too difficult to arrange a whole team for such a long distance.
Jack had a very successful day entering 3 individual races and winning a gold medal in each one!
When he was at the gala he was asked if he would like to enter the men’s relay with James of the Yeovil Apollo team as James was the only male swimmer in the Appollo team and , like jack, was not allowed to do the relay on his own. Jack agreed and they won the relay.
Jack was also presented with the endeavour award as a recognition for being prepared to represent Wagtails on his own and for doing so well in the gala.
Julian
Street - May 2017
A team of seven swimmers entered the Gala in Street on Saturday, May 6th. The team won 6 medals in the 100m races - 5 bronze and 1 gold for Jack. In the 2 length races the Wagtails won 1 bronze and 2 silvers. In the 1 length race a gold each won by Jack and Lisa, a silver for Greg with Lucy and Sam both winning bronze. This was Lucy's first Gala and she swam extremely well in a strange pool with longer lengths than she is used to. We also had a new junior swimmer join our team. Isabella, aged eight, did extremely well to win her first medal, a silver, in the 1 length race.
Finally, our relay teams won gold in both relays and the team came out finishing third in the medal table with 80 points.
Liz
Sherborne - September 2016
A happy band of swimmers and supporters left for Sherborne Sports Centre to take part in the Apollo Interclub Gala. There were only 4 clubs participating this year but there was still a programme of 26 races. The Wagtails team all swam their best and achieved some excellent results particularly the relay teams.
Some of the individual medal winners were:- Lisa won gold in the 25m and silver in the 50m. Robbie won gold in the 25m and silver in the 100m. Sam won gold in the 50m and bronze in the 100m. He also won the Endeavour Cup. The total medal count was 4 gold, 6 silver, 8 bronze. Well done to the whole team.
Liz
Street - May 2016
Eight swimmers enjoyed a day out competing in the Street Gala. As the length of the pool is 33 1/3 m this causes a problem with working out timings. The team did really well and returned with a total of 12 medals and every member won at least one medal. Jack won 2 golds. Don, Greg and Hayley won a gold each. Robbie, Lisa and Elsie won silvers and Peter and Don bronzes. The men’s team also won bronze in the relay.
Liz
Keynsham - March 2016
The team was 5 swimmers down by the time they set off for the Keynsham Gala. This depleted team did their best to fill the races of absentees. Although it was allowed to replace swimmers in races, times recorded could not be changed. The remaining swimmers (Sam, Jack, Hayley, Laura, Don and Elsie) did a wonderful job and managed to come home with 11 medals which was a credit to them. The highlights were – Jack won 2 gold and a bronze, Sam won 2 silvers and a bronze and Don 2 silvers. The men also won a bronze in the relay.
Liz
Sherborne - November 2015
Our trip to Sherborne for the Apollo Gala resulted in Wagtails winning the most medals in their competition history. In total we won 22 medals and came 2nd in the club championship only 11 points behind Apollo. Special mention should go to Sam, who won 2 golds and a silver plus gold in the men’s relay, Jack won a gold and 2 silvers, and another gold in the relay and Rhiannon who won 2 golds and a silver in the Ladies Relay. Don won a gold, a silver and the men’s Endeavour Award.
Congratulations to the whole team. Everyone came home with a medal
Galas 2014 2015
