Indomitable spirit, total dedication and sheer hard work brought home the gold medal from Mosney for 11 year old John Egan of Carnmore in the U12 freestyle, beating off stiff opposition from Mayo who came second and Cavan who took bronze. Born on the 28th October 1989 to Frances and Liam Egan, John first learned how to swim in England at 6 years of age. On returning to Ireland in 1997, he resumed swimming in Leisureland, Galway. Under the experienced tutelage of experienced coaches in the Sharks Club, John quickly moved up through the ranks to competitive swimming training two mornings and two evenings a week, each session lasting 1½ hours.
During the summer John won all the All-Ireland age groups in Athlone, which was a great achievement. He also underwent an intensive training course in Dublin in a 50m pool coached exclusively by well known Mick O’Hare. From 8am–4pm for 5 days, John learned the technique of perfect strokes and body alignment in the water. This kind of training would phase the best of us but not so this nonchalant young lad who takes it all in his stride. His enthusiasm and obvious pride is infectious and he is a credit to his parents who have given him whole hearted support in the background.
With such obvious talent in one so young, success is clearly on the horizon. Could we have another Gary O’Toole in the making? Continued success and good luck from all his supporters and mentors in Carnmore/Claregalway.
Why it’s healthy to swim
When you swim, your heart works harder, which will improve your cardio-repiratory system, making it more efficient and offering greater protection against coronary heart disease. A 20 minute swim will burn off 500 calories! Swimming is weightless, which means joints such as the hips and knees are protected. This is important as you get older, but the improved flexibility swimming creates is a plus for swimmers of any age. So don’t be afraid, take the plunge!
