A resurgent Lucy Ellis, the Dalgety Bay swimmer who had to sit out the last two months of last season with a back injury, has been rewarded for an excellent 2008 season by being named the Scottish Junior Swimmer of the Year.
 
It had been the best season for Lucy but it had the worst possible ending
 
In the British & Olympic trials at Sheffield she was the fastest 100m freestyle swimmer with a 1992/93 birth date.  At the same event she broke the 100m long course age group and junior records with a time of 57.85 seconds. 
 
In the summer at the European Junior Championships in Serbia she reached the 100 metres freestyle final after setting a new Scottish junior and age group record of 57.11 seconds.
 
Then in October she was part of a select group of swimmers competing for Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India where, in spite of hurting her back, she finalled in all of her events,
 
Injuries kept her out of training for two months which she found really frustrating.
 
“When I started  back this year I couldn’t see myself getting back to full fitness because I felt awful in the water and I couldn’t do anything near to what I used to do.
 
“But after a month of training I began to feel better in the water.  There’s a lot of support at the ITC (British Swimming Intensive Training Centre at Stirling University) where I began to train at the start  of this year. They have helped to build me up with physio and Strength & Conditioning training. 
 
I have also had a lot of support from the East of Scotland Institute of sport.
 
“Lucy admits her training regime is far harder under her new coach, Rob Greenwood.

“It’s a lot tougher but it’s really good,” she said.  “They are good at supporting me, especially when you are finding it tough in training. They help motivate you to want to do it and I feel like I try a lot harder than I ever have before.  I’m at Stirling twice a day five days a week. I get two mornings off and we get the whole of Sunday off.”
 
Lucy is a member of British Swimming’s 2012 Target Squad and is currently on the World Class Development Programme.
 
Now almost back to full fitness she is just a fortnight away from the British trials in Sheffield. “That is the selection event for the European Juniors Championships,” she said.  “That’s the main aim for this year.  I’ll be focussing on the 200 metres freestyle this year. Since I’ve got back I’ve done a lot of distance work to get my endurance back.”
 
And with injuries hopefully behind her, Scottish Swimming’s Junior Swimmer of the Year award is a fitting acknowledgement of her steely resolve.

“I was quite surprised because there are lots of juniors in Scottish swimming that did really well last year,” she said.  “But it’s great to win.”
 
Lucy Ellis – main achievements

July 2007: Bronze medallist at European Youth Olympics, Belgrade; part of the 100m relay team which won silver
July 2008: Finalist in European Junior Championships (for 15-16 year olds).  Her time of 57.11 secs in the 100m freestyle was a Scottish Junior record
October 2008:  Represented Scotland in the Commonwealth Youth Games, India, to compete in 50m and 100m freestyle and 50m and 100m butterfly. Lucy finalled in all selected swims despite back injury. She finished 5th, 6th and 8th and achieved a Scottish Junior record in 50m fly.
Current Scottish junior records held:
Long course 
100m freestyle achieved twice:  57.11 (30.7.08) 57.98 (31.3.08) 
100m butterfly 1.02.26  
50m butterfly  27.07     
Short course
100m freestyle 56.72           
200m freestyle 2.02.24        
50m butterfly 28.86      
 
Current Scottish age group records (age 15):
Long course 
100m freestyle 57.11
100 butterfly 1.02.26
Short course
100m freestyle 57.45

British Rankings (age 15)
1st    100m freestyle, 50m fly and 100m fly
2nd     50m freestyle
4th    200m freestyle