Swimming against the tide

TALENTED swimmer Becky Turner is being tipped for Olympic glory in 2016 — providing she can get the financial support needed to unlock her full potential.

The talented athlete is aiming to make a splash at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships and next year's Commonwealth Games in the run-in to the Games at Brazil in 2016.

Coach Russ Barber is confident she can challenge for a medal in Rio but their planning is being clouded by a lack of funding.

Twice a European junior gold medallist as well as a British number 1 in the women's 200m freestyle, former Wickersley School pupil Becky tested herself against the best in the world at the London 2012 Games.

Still only 20, the next step is to move up from top-class competitor to serious challenger and Barber is desperate her ability is fully realised on the international stage.

He said: “It is a travesty that we have athletes of this calibre in the region who are struggling to make ends meet and may have to compromise their training in order to put food on the table.

“Over the past 25 years of coaching, it is getting increasingly hard to find swimmers that have the talent, motivation, long-term vision and time to commit to the sport, enough to reach the top. In Becky we have somebody with all of these attributes — in spades.”

Becky receives backing from UK Sport and Sheffield Hallam but it is limited. Extra sponsorship would enable her to use more advanced specialist services and coaching.

Anyone who can help Becky with sponsorship in any way is asked to contact her via [email protected]