Highbridge swimmer Chloe Edrich has qualified for the Olympic trials in Glasgow in April next year for the 200m breaststroke and is seeking sponsors to help fund her sport.
Chloe stormed to victory in the 200m breaststroike in the open age group at the South West Championships at Millfield earlier this month where she also set several qualifying times for the National Championships, winning three medals.
Chloe has also recently qualified for the Olympic trials in Glasgow in April 2016 in the 200m breaststroke and is also hoping to qualify for the 100m breast and 400m Individual Medley too.
“We are hoping to get her name noticed with local businesses to get her some sponsorship,” says proud mum Kelly Harvey-Edrich.
“It costs thousands each national competition, let alone travel to and from training, race suits, and food etc.”
“Chloe has also qualified for the Olympic trials in Glasgow in April next year for the 200m breaststroke and is hoping to get the 100m breast and 400m Individual Medley too.”
“That’s another large amount of money. At the moment my family are struggling to pay for it all but they can’t do that forever. Unfortunately in this country one doesn’t get money from National Lottery or other types of funding like that until they are at the top.”
Chloe has recently moved from Taunton Swimming Club to Street so she could go to Weston college.
“It’s done her the world of good, ” says Kelly. “Since September she has represented South of England at the prestigious Sainsburys School Games in Manchester, where she swam 100m and 200m breaststroke and also in the Medley Relay.”
“The first weekend of October she swam for the South West at English School Swimming Association in Leeds and got two medals for that.”
“She’s also swam for Street Club in the Arena National Swimming League the following weekend, doing the 200 IM, 100 breast, 100 fly and 2 relays. She beat everyone in her individual races.”
“Then the following weekend she swam for Somerset in the National Inter-County competition. She had a weekend off comps but not training the following week before swimming at an open meet and knocking five seconds off her Personal Best 200 breaststroke time to qualify for National Winter meet in Sheffield next month. She had already qualified for the 50 & 100 breast and the 400IM. She also gained a qualifying time in the 100 IM too.”
“The South West regional championship she has raced in last weekend she knocked more time off her 200 breast to beat everyone over the age of 15 in the South West.”
“This is along with doing A-Levels at college and helping out with cooking and food shopping because my husband and I are both disabled and just getting her to training six days a week is hard work. I can only do it twice a week as its too much for me.”
