Neston High School pupil Tobey Ryland is making waves in the world of swimming.
The 13-year-old took victory in the 50m freestyle at the English Swimming Championships – a remarkable achievement given that, when younger, Tobey needed life-saving surgery for a rare form of cancer.
The illness kept the now super-fit 6ft teenager out of the pool for almost six months.
Thankfully he made a full recovery, and now the episode is only a distant memory – although, periodically, he still attends Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool which monitors his progress.
From those dark times his progress as a swimmer has been swift.
Today he is rated either first or second – it’s a competitive sport and it varies each month – in the national age group rankings for butterfly.
He has also showed his versatility by qualifying for the British championships for 50m and 100m butterfly and the 50m and 100m backstroke.
Performances of this standard have attracted the attention of the selectors and he is a member of the English Talent Camp.
The teenager, who lives in Bebington, was also picked to go with 120 other elite youngsters, to the Atlantic Towers Hotel to have three days with England talent scout Fred Furness.
Speaking to the Pioneer’s sister paper the Liverpool Echo, Tobey reviewed his development as a swimmer over the past year with some satisfaction.
“I’ve been really pleased with my progress this year,” he said.
“I never thought things would happen so quickly.
England talent programme
“It has been fantastic getting on the England talent programme and especially on to phase two. I am the youngest swimmer to be selected on it for 2016.
“I won’t be able to advance on to phase three because I’m not old enough.
“I will continue to work hard and I would also love to win more medals at the English and British National Championships.
“My favourite stroke is the butterfly, but I feel I’m capable enough at backstroke and freestyle, and I feel could medal in any of those strokes.
“My long-term dream is to become an Olympian!”
Tobey isn’t the only member of his family with excellent swimming credentials.
His older brother Ethan, 14, is an equally talented performer, who reached the national finals in the 100m freestyle in 2014.
