Twelve swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders Swimming Club travelled to the Lisnasharragh Leisure Centre in Belfast to compete in Swim Ulster's Aspiring Champions Meet, the first gala of the season for swimmers aged 13 and over.

Held over the weekend of October 19 and 20, this event allows coaches across Ulster to evaluate and monitor the swimmers' skills, setting the foundation for future success in the season ahead.

The hard work on technique and skills paid off, as the Enniskillen Lakelanders brought home a flurry of medals, personal bests (PBs), and numerous top-10 finishes.

Darragh Collins (13) had a standout gala, achieving five strong PBs and securing four bronze medals in the 100m and 200m Backstroke as well as the 50m and 100m Freestyle. He was particularly thrilled to shave 18 seconds off his PB in the 200m Backstroke.

Ellie Dunlop (15) powered her way to a gold medal in the 100m Breaststroke and finished as the second-fastest 15-year-old in a thrilling 100m Individual Medley race.

Myleene Leonard (13) took 3.6 seconds off her 100m Freestyle PB to claim a bronze medal and went on to earn new PBs in the 50m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke, securing a silver medal in the process.

Hannah Lynch (15) delivered new PBs in the 400m Freestyle, 200m Freestyle, and 100m Backstroke, winning two gold medals and one silver.

Martha McCreesh (13) competed in four events, picking up a silver medal in the 100m Freestyle. She also earned three bronze medals in the 200m Individual Medley, 100m Freestyle, and 100m Backstroke, along with a PB in the 100m Freestyle.

Kate McDade (16) started the season with an impressive performance, achieving PBs in all her events and bringing home five gold medals. She finished first in the 100m and 200m Breaststroke, 100m and 200m Individual Medley, and the 100m Freestyle.

Kate is now focused on the Ulster Short Course Championships and has qualified for the National Short Course Finals in December.

Russell Mikiewicz Lumayad (14) had a strong meet, cutting 17 seconds off his 200m Individual Medley PB and 9 seconds off his 100m Freestyle, also earning a PB in the 50m Freestyle.

Ryan Mongan (14) dropped an impressive 8.8 seconds from his PB in the 200m Freestyle, securing a bronze medal, and followed up with another PB in the 100m Breaststroke.

Competing in her first Aspiring Champions Gala, Maeve Rolston-McAuliffe (13) impressed with new PBs in all her swims. She claimed bronze in both the 100m and 200m Freestyle and a silver in the 50m Freestyle.

Maeve also cut nearly 12 seconds off her 200m Individual Medley time, just missing out on another medal.

Erin Salcedo (14) captured gold in the 200m Freestyle along with a new PB. She also clocked new PBs in the 100m Butterfly and 50m Breaststroke, placing in the top 10 in the latter.

Emma Speer (13) had a successful weekend, thrilled with her PBs in the 100m and 200m Breaststroke, 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, and 200m Individual Medley. She secured five medals—four silvers and one bronze.

Conal Walker (16) competed in seven events, achieving PBs across the board. He won silver medals in the 100m Breaststroke, 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle, and 200m Freestyle, and a bronze in the 200m Breaststroke.

Head Coach Ben Wiffen expressed his delight at the swimmers' dedication to training, which translated into a fantastic start to the competitive season.

The swimmers benefited greatly from his guidance on race strategy throughout the two-day gala.

Team Manager Sinead Lynch praised the club volunteers for their support over the weekend and commended the swimmers for their maturity in approaching the new season, saying: "The 12 Lakelanders here this weekend have made their club proud with some outstanding individual performances. Their team spirit was remarkable and a great example for our younger swimmers back home."

The club now looks forward to the Junior Gala on Sunday, November 10th, where junior swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders will compete against other clubs.

Senior swimmers will play a vital role in volunteering to ensure a successful event and to help raise funds for Enniskillen Lakelanders ASC.