Katie Crowhurst

Katie Crowhurst (born 8 April 2004 and Cox Green Secondary School in Maidenhead and went on to study A-Levels at The Henley College Oxon.

Swimming career

Crowhurst's mother took her to the pool as a baby. She loved the water and was always very confident in it. When she was a toddler she attended learn to swim lessons at her local pool.

At the age of 9, Crowhurst had her first taste of para-swimming when her parents took her to a regional disability swimming 'have a go' event. Crowhurst was the youngest swimmer there and she got disqualified in two of her 4 events and she didn't win any medals. and in March 2015 aged 10 She attended her first British Para Swimming International meet held in Glasgow. she would then go on to break the record another 4 times over the next 5 years.

In March 2016 at the British Para International meet Crowhurst made it through to 4 finals with her best result being in the Women's MC 100m back in 11th place overall. Crowhurst was able to bring this event on further by taking the bronze medal in the Women's MC 100m backstroke at the ASA English National Summer Championships 2016 held at Ponds Forge Sheffield, England - aged just 12 years old. Crowhurst retained her Women's MC 100m backstroke bronze medal position the following summer at the 2017 Swim England National Summer Meet alongside a second bronze medal in the Women's MC 200m IM.

On 14 January 2018 at the Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire County Swimming Championships Crowhurst broke the long-standing British Long Course record for the Women's SM13 400m Individual Medley. The previous record had been set 31 years before in Moscow. Crowhurst would then go on two months later to break the record again by joust over 5 seconds at the WDSC Long Course Premier Open Meet. At the Swim England National Summer Meet 2018 at 14 years old Crowhurst put on an outstanding performance to claim a Women's MC medal on every night of the 5 day competition. 100m free gold, 50m free silver, 400m free bronze, 100m fly bronze, and for a third year running 100m backstroke bronze

Crowhurst's performances of 2018 gained her selection on British Para Swimming's World Class Programmes podium Potential Squad for the 2018/2019 season. Crowhurst would remain on British Para Swimmings World Class Podium Potential Squad for a further two seasons until December 2021 where She chose to switch focus to Paratriathlon. On 27 January 2019 Crowhurst set the Women's S13 Long Course 1500m freestyle British record At the Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire County Swimming Championships. At the British Para Swimming International meet/World Series event held in Glasgow from the 25th to 28 April 2019 Crowhurst claimed Gold Medals as Top British Junior performance in both 400m freestyle and 100m backstroke. here Crowhurst won an international silver medal in the Women's Youth 50m backstroke.

Unfortunately due to the global COVID-19 pandemic the world para swimming European championships did not take place in 2020 as planned and instead in England most swimming pools closed and for periods of time throughout 2020 and 2021 people were asked to stay at home. Crowhurst had to find alternative ways to maintain her fitness during this period and she took to open water swimming, cycling and running. It was during this time that Crowhurst discovered a love for the sport of Paratriathlon.

From January 2021 to April 2021 Crowhurst moved to Manchester to train at the National Performance centre under 'stage two' of the DCMS elite sport return to training guidance. Under stage 3 of the 'elite and professional sport' DCMS guidance. Crowhurst competed in the Manchester International Swim Meet (12 to 14 February 2021), the Manchester Invitation Meet (12 to 14 March 2021) and the British Para Swimming International meet (8th to 11 April 2021) which were the first domestic swimming competitions hosted in Great Britain since the first national lockdown in March 2020.

At the British Para Swimming international Meet held at Ponds Forge Sheffield 8th to 11 April 2021 Crowhurst took 6th in the Women's MC 200m Individual Medley World Series Final, 7th in the Women's MC 100m backstroke World Series Final, 8th in the Women's MC 400m free World Series final and 5th in the Women's MC 100m Butterfly final.

Unfortunately Crowhurst was not part of the new reformed team.

Paratriathlon career

During the Global Coronavirus Pandemic Crowhurst had found her access to swimming pools restricted and had to find alternative ways to maintain training. This led to a mix of running, static cycling and open water swimming. Which then whetted her appetite for the sport of triathlon.

On 17 July 2021 Crowhurst raced her first ever paratriathlon at the British Paratriathlon Championships held at Eton Dorney. Crowhurst's Sighted Guide was Laura Siddall and the pair met for the first time in person on race day. The pair used a race tandem borrowed from British Triathlon, a big step up from the bike Crowhurst had used in training with Evolution Triathlon Club. Patterson and Crowhurst were the first Female athletes across the finish line.

On 11 September 2021 Crowhurst raced the British Super Sprint Championships at Mallory Park with Grace France as her Guide; the pair finished 1st in the Women's PTVI category. On 30 October 2021 Crowhurst competed for Great Britain at the World Triathlon Para Cup Alhandra with guide Grace France. The pair took silver in a time of 1:11.01 despite the torrential weather conditions. A few days later Crowhurst and France flew out to Abu Dhabi for the World Para Triathlon Championships on 5 November 2021. It is the first time PTVI has been included at a Commonwealth Games with Crowhurst and her teammates making history on 31 July 2022 at Sutton Park.

At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Crowhurst and her guide Jessica Fullagar became Commonwealth Champions taking the gold medal in a time of 1:10.32 just over 4 minutes ahead of the Silver medal position. Canadian Jessica Tuomela with her guide Emma Skaug started the race first with a 3 minutes 19 seconds head start as the sole B1 athlete.

Just 6 days after the Commonwealth Games on 6 August 2022 Crowhurst competed at the World Triathlon Para Series event in Swansea guided by Grace France (Hawthorne).

Awards

On Thursday 19 November 2015, Crowhurst attended the star-studded OCS Young Sports Person Awards ceremony at City Hall in London. hosted by BBC Sport commentator and former international gymnast Gabby Logan. Crowhurst received the London and the South East Young Star Award for her achievements in swimming.

In February 2016, Crowhurst won the Berkshire Get Active Junior Sports Personality of the year award alongside Jeanette Chippington who won the overall Sports Personality of the Year award.

In November 2021, Crowhurst was awarded the Swim England South East Inspirational Athlete Award for her achievements in swimming

On 12 August 2022 a 'Golden Gateway' plaque was installed above the entrance to the swimming pool changing rooms at Wycombe leisure centre highlighting the significance the venue played in Crowhurst's sporting journey.