07 Feb 2026

Eastleigh Swim Club Masters had an outstanding weekend at the Isle of Wight Masters Open Meet, coming joint second top scoring overall with 65 points. For the club’s first Masters event of this kind, it is a brilliant result and a real showcase of what our Masters community is building.

The day was a huge success not just on the scoreboard, but in confidence and experience too. Several swimmers were competing for the very first time, and for some it was their first competitive event since learning to swim later in life. Turning up, racing under pressure, avoiding disqualifications (especially in relays), and enjoying the atmosphere of a busy meet is an achievement in itself.

Across the team, we delivered an incredible medal haul:

• 23 Gold
• 5 Silver
• 12 Bronze
• 40 medals in total

Celebrating every swimmer on the day

A huge well done to everyone who represented Eastleigh Swim Club: Helen, Laura W, Tracy, Laura S, Mandy, Miki and Graeme. The best bit of the day was that every single swimmer came home with at least two medals, with some collecting a full set across multiple events.

For our first-timers, Helen, Laura W, Miki and Tracy, it was a massive milestone. They threw themselves into the experience, handled the nerves, and delivered confident swims across the day, including relays which can feel especially daunting at a first meet.

It was also brilliant to have Mandy, one of our coaches, racing alongside the team. She not only supported everyone on poolside, but also competed herself and came away with a great set of results, despite not having raced in some time.

Team spirit on poolside

What really stood out was the support between races. The more experience competitors helped make sure everyone was calm, in the right place at the right time, and ready to race, with Mandy also on hand with advice and encouragement throughout.

One moment that summed up the spirit of the day was Graeme helping swimmers up to the dauntingly high blocks, even straight after a hard 100m freestyle while he was still catching his breath. Miki also stepped in after races to check in on people and help keep everyone feeling supported and confident.

Masters meets are special

There were plenty of smiles between races, lots of cheering, and plenty of familiar faces spotted on poolside too. It really is a small world in the Masters community, and it was lovely to see both new and old connections at the meet.

A huge congratulations to everyone involved. Joint second overall, 63 points, and 40 medals is an incredible outcome, but the real highlight was the atmosphere: supportive, upbeat, and proudly Eastleigh. We cannot wait for the next one.

Read more about the IoW Marlins Meet here on their webpage.

Read more about the Masters Community here.

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masters, competition, isle of wight, marlins, eastleigh, squads, medals, gold, silver, bronze