TWO brothers who graduated from Active Stirling’s Learn to Swim programme will now be going on to compete at championship level.

Alex Tinch, 14, joined the programme in 2016 and has since went on to secure a placer on the Development Squad at Stirling Swim Club.

Despite Covid closing the pools shortly after, Alex pushed on and now trains with the Junior Performance Squad six times a week.

Throughout 2022, Alex took part in various swim competitions, the highlight being the Scottish National Age Group Championships and the Scottish Swimming Summer Meet.

Alex picked up a bronze medal in the 14 year old 50m free style with time of 26.96s at the West District Age Group Short Course Meet.

He picked up another bronze medal in the 100m free style at the West District January Pentaqua with a time of 59.94s.

Alex said: “Working through the Learn to Swim programme gave me the skills I needed to take my swimming journey to the next level.”

His younger brother Nicky Tinch, 10, also completed the Learn to Swim programme and is in the development squad at Stirling Swimming Club.

He recently was awarded Best Overall U10 Boy Swimmer at the Central Swimming Championships and picked up medals in all races.

Their mother, Susan Tinch, said: “Both Alex and Nicky recognise the positive impact the solid teaching they received through the Learn to Swim programme has had on their recent successes.

“As a parent, I would thoroughly recommend the programme to others as an excellent grounding into the competitive swimming arena.

The Learn to Swim programme follows Scottish Swimming’s National Framework for swimming in Scotland and teaches children as young as 6 months skills such as breathing, submerging and moving in the water.

Visit www.activestirling.org.uk for more information on the Learn to Swim programme.