View Full Version : Nick Gillingham comes to....
Natasha
02-03-2005, 08:41 PM
....my school! I found out in assembly this morning. Our deputy head said that 'you may not know of this man because he was a little before your time' and then they flashed his picture on the screen...and I gasped! I couldn't believe that my school were finally taking an interest in swimming!
He's coming to my school next Thursday, and they've asked me to show him around. As if missing IT wasn't good enough! I can't exactly say no to showing and Olympic Medallist round!!
Top10ranking
02-03-2005, 08:50 PM
....my school! I found out in assembly this morning. Our deputy head said that 'you may not know of this man because he was a little before your time' and then they flashed his picture on the screen...and I gasped! I couldn't believe that my school were finally taking an interest in swimming!
He's coming to my school next Thursday, and they've asked me to show him around. As if missing IT wasn't good enough! I can't exactly say no to showing and Olympic Medallist round!!
i haven't heard of him
Natasha
02-03-2005, 09:42 PM
He's an Olympic medallist in breaststroke. I guess he's more known around this area because he's from Staffordshire.
OMG! I thought every swimmer had heard of him. He won bronze at Barcelona i think. I vaguely remember him racing, and that was way before I started taking an interest in swimming.
glen_75
03-03-2005, 12:14 AM
I remember him clearly. He was an elite breastroker in the late 80s, early 90s. He was consistent and got results when it counted. He had to battle some game Hungarians and swimmers like Barrowman. He was really the pre-eminent UK swimmer on the international scene in the very early 90s. UK swimming was at a nadir at that time. I remember he was vocal about getting more support and raising awareness for the sport at home. I think some of you need to brush up on the sport's history in your country. Barcelona was just yesterday wasn't it? I mean he was actually a contemporary of Popov!!
Have you also not heard of Graeme Smith and Paul Palmer? Too ancient for you? Yeah, they go way back. :D :rolleyes:
ruthcp
03-03-2005, 07:23 AM
i haven't heard of him
You're a backstroker (and a young one at that!) so it's not that surprising!
Nick Gillingham did a demonstration at our club once, so a lot of the kids there are aware of him. :)
Chris
03-03-2005, 08:35 AM
i haven't heard of him
You what?!?!?!?!
No excuses for not recognising the name of one of the most successful British swimmers in the last ten years or so .....
rubber ducky
03-03-2005, 09:21 AM
I used to have a poster of Nick Gillingham on my wall!!!!!
FlyingBean
03-03-2005, 09:57 AM
Nick (now aged 37) ocassionally swims at masters meets. He is still awesome to watch. I've watched him at the Nationals ocassionally, in 2004 he was still the fastest at the 200, only 2 people beat him in the 50:
Nick Gillingham 29.37
Nick Polkinghorne (33) 29.00
Chris Tidey (22) 28.14
And only beaten by 1 person in the 100:
Nick Gillingham 1:02.62
Chris Tidey 1:02.54
Awesome, and his stroke count is still amazing
lane4
03-03-2005, 11:33 AM
No excuses for not recognising the name of one of the most successful British swimmers in the last ten years or so .....
Indeed, almost as bad as one of my swimmers who didn't know who Steve Redgrave was!
Top10ranking
03-03-2005, 11:35 AM
*blushes* sorry
e-fitz
03-03-2005, 12:24 PM
i haven't heard of him
never mind, its an age thing.... Way way back in 2000 Nick Gillingham accompanied the GB Masters team to the FINA world masters competition in Munich, something to do with sponsorship of the Team GB sports kit. Another well known swimmer turned up at that meet and mingled with the swimmers on the poolside and at an evening social do. Mark Spitz (ever heard of him, Matt??) signed various T shirts and programmes and a whole bunch of postcards for me which I sent to various friends, family and colleagues. The recipients fell into 2 distinct groups - those who knew who he was, and didn't believe that he signed my postcards, and those who had never heard of arguably the most succesful swimming Olympian ever. He took 7 golds in that pool at the '72 Olympics and was the man who launched speedos...
he came to my club a couple of years ago and did a session with us which was really good he also brought his olympic medal to show us. got a signed poster thing of him on my bedroom wall
lozswimmer
03-03-2005, 05:16 PM
He's an Olympic medallist in breaststroke. I guess he's more known around this area because he's from Staffordshire.
Yeah hes from Staffordshire i think hes still got a few of the county records, and hes a life member of Walsall where my mate swims!
Top10ranking
03-03-2005, 05:21 PM
I remember him clearly. He was an elite breastroker in the late 80s, early 90s. He was consistent and got results when it counted. He had to battle some game Hungarians and swimmers like Barrowman. He was really the pre-eminent UK swimmer on the international scene in the very early 90s. UK swimming was at a nadir at that time. I remember he was vocal about getting more support and raising awareness for the sport at home. I think some of you need to brush up on the sport's history in your country. Barcelona was just yesterday wasn't it? I mean he was actually a contemporary of Popov!!
Have you also not heard of Graeme Smith and Paul Palmer? Too ancient for you? Yeah, they go way back. :D :rolleyes:
paul palmer rings a bell
Big Nev
03-03-2005, 07:30 PM
Nick (now aged 37) ocassionally swims at masters meets. He is still awesome to watch. I've watched him at the Nationals ocassionally, in 2004 he was still the fastest at the 200, only 2 people beat him in the 50:
Nick Gillingham 29.37
Nick Polkinghorne (33) 29.00
Chris Tidey (22) 28.14
And only beaten by 1 person in the 100:
Nick Gillingham 1:02.62
Chris Tidey 1:02.54
Awesome, and his stroke count is still amazing
I saw him at Masters' Nationals as well. Awesome..as abreaststroker a bit older than him it was brilliant to watch the young pretenders race him.
Natasha
03-03-2005, 08:52 PM
he came to my club a couple of years ago and did a session with us which was really good he also brought his olympic medal to show us. got a signed poster thing of him on my bedroom wall
It seems like he's around quite a few clubs. Apparently he came to Wellington a while ago, one of the masters swimmers here still has a crush on him! But he came to my county's development day last year as well. I've held his medal :p I think he can be really motivational.
crawler
04-03-2005, 12:36 AM
paul palmer rings a bell
ahh I had been wondering what he had been doing in his retirement (shameless way to increase flagging post count I know....) :)
Chris
04-03-2005, 08:17 AM
ahh I had been wondering what he had been doing in his retirement (shameless way to increase flagging post count I know....) :)
Pathetic :p
lane4
06-03-2005, 10:37 PM
Nick has been doing his demos and giving his chat to at least two private schools I know of in Edinburgh in the past few months.
wendy
06-03-2005, 11:06 PM
He has a bit of a spread in Swimming too... looks like he is raising his profile to get more work in the media. Good luck to him
londoner62
12-03-2005, 04:45 PM
He's coming to my school next Thursday, and they've asked me to show him around.
So how was it? Did he come? Any pearls of wisdom? Highlight of the day? The only thing I remember about the day I met Brian Brinkley for the first time was my inability to talk! Hard to belive I know :shocking:
Natasha
12-03-2005, 09:01 PM
So how was it? Did he come? Any pearls of wisdom? Highlight of the day?
Yes he did come, though he managed to get lost before he found us! Well firstly a group of five swimmers from the school met him and had some photos taken. And then we talked for about twenty minutes or so, about swimming in general and his medal.
Then he gave a talk to a larger group about how important it is to be active in life, about being motivated and organised. We also got to see his final in the 200m breaststroke when he won the European Championships in Sheffield. Which was a very exciting race! I went to talk to him at the end and I got to see his log book and he told me about how he used train. But then my PE teacher seemed to be getting a little annoyed so I sensed that I should leave soon. But it was a great experience and he has motivated me for my race next week. He told me that he would be commentating for Radio 5 while the Trials are on.
The only thing I remember about the day I met Brian Brinkley for the first time was my inability to talk! Hard to belive I know :shocking:
I LOVE BRIAN! He's an old swimming friend of my parents and I get to see him a few times a year...I think he's great, always makes me laugh!
sounds like it was really good
swim247
17-08-2005, 03:54 PM
Yeah hes from Staffordshire i think hes still got a few of the county records, and hes a life member of Walsall where my mate swims!
yes he is i swim for walsall as well who is your friend :angel:
vBulletin® v3.7.4, Copyright ©2000-2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.