A bungee cord attached to the side of a pool is providing champion swimmer and Ripon Grammar School student Darcy Harper with an innovative way of keeping fit during the coronavirus lockdown.
The 14-year-old, who lives near Bedale, has competed in national championships with her school swimming team and has qualified for the Irish national championships and got the idea from one of her mother’s work colleagues.
Darcy, said:
“We bought a four-and-a-half metre pool, which was hard to get as they had almost sold out – we got the last one!”
Boarding student Darcy, who has achieved third and fourth placings in county and Ulster championships, has been swimming in her rigged-up pool most days of the week, initially in a wetsuit until she can buy a heater to warm up the water. She pointed out:
“It has been great for me to train in and help strengthen my ankle after a netball injury.”
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Swimming competitively from the age of nine, she has also been running and cycling to stay fit in lockdown and her ambition is to qualify for regional swimming championships and earning herself a Ripon Grammar School sports tie.
As well as being a member of the RGS swim team, Darcy plays hockey, rounders and is a member of the athletics club. Before lockdown, she did swimming training on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and on Friday and Sunday mornings.
She, added:
“I love the feeling of when you’ve built up so much adrenaline and you can let it all out in a race. I also just love being in water and for me swimming is a way to get rid of stress you may have gathered over the week and it’s a great community too. Even if I stop competing, I will never give up swimming.”
Harrogate street keeps spirits high with daily exercise classes
One Harrogate street has been keeping spirits high during the coronavirus lockdown by getting involved in a daily exercise class.
“Right. Now some squats,” Mel Milnes bellowed out at around 8.30am on Spring Grove to a group of around 20 eager participants.
The classes started out with just one side of the street a couple of weeks ago before the rest of the neighbours wanted to get involved.
From then it has become a daily ritual at the same time from Monday to Friday.
Mel is not pretending to be a fully qualified fitness instructor but, then again, this isn’t an intense fat burning class.
She told the Stray Ferret: “Each day we have been getting more and more people involved. It’s just meant to be a bit of fun, it’s just a bit of a laugh and the street has really enjoyed it. We are self-isolating but the street has gotten closer together. We are even organising a pub quiz later this week, which we’re all going to do from our gardens.”
Mel has led many of the classes but she has also got other people lined up for the microphone, with an eight-year-old girl trying it out tomorrow.
How has your street adapted to life on coronavirus lockdown? Get in touch with the news team on contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.
2nd April 2020
Fitness class on Spring Grove, Harrogate
2nd April 2020
Sue Riley leads the fitness class on Spring Grove, Harrogate
2nd April 2020
Fitness class on Spring Grove, Harrogate
2nd April 2020
Fitness class Spring grove