Swimmers from Grammar School at Leeds bring home the silverware while past pupils are remembered at Christmas

The team of Darcy Blacker, Hollie Wilson, Isobel Newman and Eliza Jones won their medals in the junior girls 4x50m freestyle relay against a competitive national field.

The students, who are in Years 7 and 8, all achieved personal best times in the final.

Alexandra Mehta, head of swimming at GSAL, says: "The team only started swimming together one month before the qualifiers. They've shown a lot of dedication. We are so proud that they represented Yorkshire on the podium of a prestigious national competition."

The secondary schools team relay championship is the longest-running competition organised by the ESSA. It is open to secondary school aged swimmers from across England, and teams compete in 4x50m freestyle and medley relays.

The national finals were held on Saturday 20 November 2021, at the London Aquatics Centre.

Country-wide qualifying rounds determined the 20 teams in each section. Only a handful of teams from the Yorkshire and North East region made the finals, with only the GSAL team winning a medal.

The girls' squad complemented their freestyle success by also finishing in the top five for the medley relay. The GSAL's junior and intermediate boys teams also represented Yorkshire at the event.

Simon Knowles, head of geography and a swimming coach at GSAL, says: “So much of swimming is about the individual, so to see our swimmers come together as a team and perform so well at a national level was joyous.”

The swimmers are juggling schoolwork with early morning and after school training sessions but say they are delighted that their hard work is showing results, especially after so many Covid-related disruptions.

Isobel said: "It's been hard work, but it was an amazing experience to compete on such a big stage."

Meanwhile, the primary pupils at The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) have written Christmas cards to over a thousand of the school’s eldest alumni.

Every pupil aged three to 11 took part in the project by drawing seasonal pictures and writing personalised messages in the cards.

The wintery scene front of the card was designed by Year 10 GCSE art student, Erin Fabbroni.

Gabrielle Solti, Vice-Principal and Head of Primary said “The children thoroughly enjoyed writing personal messages and drawing pictures in the cards. We sent cards last year too as we thought they would cheer up our eldest alumni especially after lockdown.

“The cards were so well received that we are delighted to continue this seasonal tradition which brings the youngest and oldest members of our community together.”

The recipients, all aged 70 or over, attended one of GSAL’s two founding schools, Leeds Grammar School or Leeds Girls’ High School.

Most of the cards didn’t have to travel too far as over 600 of the school’s eldest alumni still reside or have retired to Yorkshire.

Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest on Leeds United. With a digital subscription, you see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.