Tamryn's talent for sport was apparent at a young age - she excelled in hockey, tennis, gymnastics and running though it was not until she was ten that she realised her passion for swimming above all else and started 'zoning in' on the sport - she 'never sat down and said, but just knew'. Her dedication and drive certainly paid off in the summer of 2019, at last accomplishing her goal of swimming for Great Britain in the girls aged 14-15 category at the European Youth Olympic Festival, leaving Azerbaijan triumphantly with one gold and three silver medals to her name. However, like many other young people in the UK with big dreams of making it big in the world of sports, her many achievements are not without her many sacrifices. 

Tamryn's daily schedule is long and intensive and involves her training for 2-3 hours every day, with the exception of Saturdays, leaving her with only an hour after school and Sundays free. This swimming-centric schedule leaves her with very little time for school and with GCSEs looming, time is much more of a commodity than the average student - homework and revision have to be squeezed in during study periods, lunchtimes and car journeys and procrastination is not an option. When asked about how she copes, Tamryn replies that she 'definitely feels the stress' but is 'forced to be strict' with herself, not just with academics but in regards to other aspects of life as well, such as her diet. Though balancing copious hours of training with school seems impossible, Tamryn is an example of what is achievable with enough drive and believes that the mentality she has gained through swimming has helped her with her academic life - 'having constant deadlines helps and will help in the future'.

While most would assume that swimming has taken a toll on her social life, Tamryn replies 'I don't feel like I'm missing out' as many of her friends are also swimmers. She explains that 'though swimming is an individual sport, so many aspects involve a team environment' and that one of the reasons behind her love swimming is the 'team environment you are exposed to every day', which keeps the sport enjoyable even when she is pushed to extremes. 

Adhithy Hari Baskar