Children and young people from Pembrokeshire showed off their swimming skills in a gala at the National Pool in Swansea last week. The Aquatic Challenge event was part of the Assembly Government's Free Swimming scheme, and the emphasis was firmly on fun. Cheering on the swimmers were Welsh Paralympic medallists David Roberts, Gareth Duke, Liz Johnson and Rhiannon Henry. Teams of young swimmers aged between eight and 16 competed in a mini relay designed to show a range of swimming skills. There was also be a mini water polo tournament and, finally, the Gold Challenge event in which teams of six swam for 20 minutes to raise money for Ty Hafan - the Children's Hospice in Wales. Sports minister Alun Pugh said: "The Free Swimming scheme has been a huge success and has proved to be a real incentive for young people to get active. "The kids competing are not long-term members of established swimming clubs - they have got involved through the scheme over the summer. It is clear that if we provide the opportunities to get active, people will take them. "While the main aim of the Free Swimming scheme is to help young people get into the habit of taking regular, healthy exercise, I certainly won't be complaining if we discover a few more Olympic and Paralympic stars of the future along the way." The Aquatic Challenge event was organised by the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association.
