Williamson acts as role model

RACHAEL Williamson's success in 2009 is motivating her training partners at Kingston upon Hull Swimming Club to strive for the top.

Williamson, 14, has been named the 2009 HotShot of the Year following her bronze medal winning exploits in the 800m freestyle at the European Youth Olympics Festival in Finland.

The Anlaby resident, who ended the season as the number one ranked 400m and 800m freestyle swimmer for her age in the UK, is part of a 14-strong elite national training squad at Kingston.

Wolfreton School pupil Williamson was surprised with the award following another tough training session with her squad mates at Ennerdale Leisure Centre.

Trained by Peter Richardson, the elite swimming squad trains upwards of six times a week for two hours to try and reach the top level both nationally and internationally.

Amy Thirkettle, 14, of South Hunsley School, has been swimming alongside Williamson for the past four years with Kingston.

Thirkettle is ranked sixth in the country at the 100m backstroke and admits seeing her friend achieve such glory has spurred her on to achieve more.

She said: "This year was my first year at the British Championships.

"Rachael has motivated me to want to get all my times to qualify for the British Championships again this year and hopefully that will get me a higher ranking like she did.

"After Finland she just told us never to give up on what you want to do and to keep going in training when it gets really hard, that it's all worth it in the end to get to where she got to.

"If she can do it then we can all do it and if we pull together as a team, then she can motivate us all to get to where she did.

"She's got a real nice personality, she's a little shy but always happy and is a very hard worker in training.

"She's been motivated ever since she was little to get to where she is now and I'm really happy for to get the success she has."

Fellow training Natasha Bellamy is also hoping to follow in Williamson's footsteps.

The 14-year-old Longcroft School pupil is close to making the Great Britain set up herself after ending the season as the third ranked swimmer for her age in the UK at the 400m individual medley, in which her best time is 5min 00.98sec.

"Rachael's a really good swimmer and she trains hard and deserves what she has got," Bellamy told the Mail.

"We're proud of what she's done and we want to achieve what she's achieved, so we're more determined to do well.

"When she came back from Finland she just told us that training hard really does pay off.

"I'm third in the country for the 400m medley and I've been to the British Championships for two years and the National Championships three times.

"I'm close to a GB spot myself and I've got times I need to be targeting and I'm just getting a step closer each time so hopefully I can do what she did."