CREDITON and District Swimming Club now has a National champion amongst its ranks, thanks to Darren Beer.

With three other swimmers, from Crediton, Rob Brimacombe and Emma and Matt Power, Darren travelled to Sheffield for the British Gas ASA National Masters and Senior Age Group Championships at the end of October.

Each recorded season's bests in their speciality strokes and distances. One of the things they took away from the weekend is the support they had for each other; before, during and after racing and this was backed up by the Devon fraternity, including many from Exmouth and a few from Totnes and Tiverton who would watch and encourage each swim we swam.

By the end of day one Darren Beer won two bronze medals in the 200m butterfly (2.37.31) in a season's best and the 200m breaststroke (2.45.95), four seconds inside his personal best.

By the end of day two he had added gold after a slow start in the 100m butterfly in the morning, followed by a determined 50m freestyle (27.70) in a time not achieved for six years.

It was during the evening that Darren swam his swim of the nationals in the 400m individual medley.

With his nearest rival next to him going out and leading the first 200, he had to dig deep and came back and won by five seconds – his first ever gold at the nationals.

After some sleep they were back at the pool on the Sunday morning for day three and the 200m freestyle.

By now Darren's body was falling apart but spurred on by the win the previous day he swam another lifetime PB (2.14.24).

The last swim of the meet was the 200m IM, where he came fourth last year and knew another PB was required to win a medal, and a PB was recorded (2.28.43), which gave him a silver medal.

He finished the championships with five PBs and four medals – well done Darren.