The University of Florida is becoming a hotbed for Scottish swimmers looking to train in the United States.
The latest to addition to the list is Chelsea Lawson, who announced her commitment to Gregg Troy’s Gators today.
Lawson, who turns 18 in March, is a very good backstroker and the Scottish National Age Record holder for 17-year olds with a 2:15.38 in the 200 long course meter backstroke.
“The University of Florida has had great success with backstroke swimmers including British Athletes,” Lawson said. “Coach Troy and all of the other coaches made me feel so welcome. They were very positive and full of ideas about improving my swimming. The team as a whole made me feel very welcome and included me in activities as if I were already one of the team.”
“I want to improve and break through on the international scene and I cannot wait to work with a coaching team who produce top swimmers with such regularity.”
That, along with a 1:04.03 in the 100 back from last year’s National Youth Championships, are her two best races by a good margin. Those times convert to yards equivalents of a 56-mid in the 100 and a 1:59-high in the 200.
The backstrokes are one of the many things that Florida trains very well, with the likes of Gemma Spofforth, Elizabeth Beisel, and Sinead Russell being true world-class backstrokers who have come through the program in the last 5 years. They also have a wagon-full of other very high-level backstrokers too, like sophomore Ashley Linn.
She joins fellow 2014 commit Mark Szaranek and junior Dan Wallace as Scottish nationals on the Florida roster.
Lawson trains with the Carnegie Swim Club, and she is a Commonwealth Games prospect: according to the official website of the “Back a Rising Star” program, Lawson has received financial backing to support expenses related to her training for the 2014 Commonwealth Games hosted in Glasgow.