Peter swims to Australia without leaving Derbyshire

A SWIMMER has bid farewell to the pool in which he learned to swim after notching up 620,000 lengths – the equivalent of travelling from Britain to Australia.

Peter Price was just 13 and a pupil at John Port School when Etwall Leisure Centre opened in 1973 and he has since visited the pool an average of three times a week.

The 48-year-old estimates he has swum 15½ million metres in the pool over the last 35 years.

Mr Price has now been chosen as a guest of honour for the official opening of Etwall's new £6.7m leisure centre on Friday, July 17.

And he has been presented with a certificate by South Derbyshire District Council to mark his achievement.

Mr Price, of Longlands Lane, Findern, said: "I can still remember the first time I came to the pool. It was absolutely packed – there must have been 120 people at least.

"I couldn't swim at the time but kept going and even became a lifeguard when I was 16.

"I've never swum competitively, it's just something I enjoy and it's a fun and easy way to keep fit."

Mr Price began keeping count of the lengths he was swimming at the age of 18 when he took up the challenge of swimming one million metres.

That took him two years to complete and he has kept counting ever since.

He usually fits in a couple of 45-minute sessions during his lunch breaks as well as a Saturday swim – notching up about 100 lengths of the 25m pool each time.

He said: "When I first started swimming, doing lengths was quite unusual. People would just go for a splash around.

"Over the years it's become more popular, I think because it's something anyone can do regardless of your level of fitness."

Mr Price visited the old pool for the last time this week, along with centre manager Steve Wright and Councillor John Lemmon, chairman of Etwall Leisure Centre joint management committee.

Mr Lemmon said: "Peter's swim is a great achievement and shows how much people in South Derbyshire appreciate opportunities for leisure."

The new leisure centre, which will be a joint operation between John Port School, South Derbyshire District Council and Derbyshire County Council, will open to the public on Friday, July 24.

As well as a six-lane swimming pool, it will feature a gym, badminton courts, meeting rooms and a cafe.

Nine jobs have been created at the new centre and staff are now in the process of learning to use the centre's modern IT and booking systems.

Anyone under the age of 18 and in education or over the age of 60 will be able to swim for free at the new pool during public sessions.

Mr Price said: "I can't wait to use the new pool. I'm definitely going to keep clocking up the lengths – I need to swim the distance back to Britain now."

Call Etwall Leisure Centre on 01283 733348.