Diss Otters Swimming Club held their inaugural Springboard Development Gala at Diss Leisure Centre on Saturday 9th March.Being a development gala means that the event is aimed at the less experienced swimmers in the Junior squads, and it gives them the chance to get races and times under their belts away from the bigger Open Galas which in the future they will progress to.
Over 60 swimmers took part in the gala with swimmers from Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft & Oulton Broad joining the team from Diss.
Races in all strokes over 25m and 50m together with a 100m Medley race made up the programme and the Otters had a terrific evening. Out of 146 individual swims saw a medal return of 29 golds, 31 silvers and 23 bronzes.
Many parents and older swimmers gave up their time to volunteer with various tasks, in addition to the ever supportive band of race officials, which saw the gala run smoothly and it was so well received that planning is underway for another similar event in the summer.
Thanks must also go to the events main sponsor which was Dipple and Conway Opticians.
The Diss Otters squad members were David Cosgrove, Forbes Irvine, Toby Townsend, Henry Cripps, Jon Barber, Blossom Day, Faye Wilson, Ella Townsend, Heidi Noakes, Phoebe Tovell, Molly Wilson, Elizabeth Looker, Emma Neve, Freya Button, Molly Kershaw, Evan Tovell, Donald Perrin, Reuben Looker, Edward Hoy, Gabriel Thompson, Jacob Shadbolt, Kyla Dalliston, Amber Daly, Eleanor Godbold, Portia Bloomfield, Abi Chisman, Laurie Shearer, Ella Goodswen, Mya Sidwell, Tiggy Miller, Lucas Blair, Alex Jackson and Harrison Fall.