WHAT could be more Island appropriate than a team of Isle of Wight swimmers heading to the Island Games 2023 in Guernsey?

The inter-Island competition returns, for the first time since Covid-19, between July 8 and 14.

Over the next few weeks, the County Press will be introducing you to the athletes representing our Island.

Pictured here are: Front row, from left, Mia Stillwell, 17, Nell O'Brien and Isobel Muncaster, both 15, Lucy Isaacson, 19, Abi Lacey and Grace Poynter, both 20. Back, coach Val Guard, Joe Carter, 18, Rossen Martin, 17, Harry Poynter and William Davidson, both 18, Benjamin Van der Helstraete, 17, and George Hayward, 16 and Justine Stewart.

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Although the Isle of Man and Jersey are expected to be Team Isle of Wight's main rivals in the pool, they are feeling excited and confident of bringing back a haul of medals. 

Team manager Justine Stewart and vastly experienced coach, Val Gard, have had to rebuild her squad of hopefuls after the pandemic, and whittle the talent down to a team of 12 they feel can make some impact in Guernsey.

"It's been really tough coming back from Covid, but we've rebuilt the engine and, credit to the swimmers, we've got a nice, young team competing in the Island Games this year," she said.

Isle of Wight County Press: Team Isle of Wight swimming coach, Val Gard.Team Isle of Wight swimming coach, Val Gard. (Image: Jon Moreno)

"Three have Island Games experience, the rest are all new. I had to make some tough decisions on selection, but for the future, we've got so many knocking on the door, which is really exciting.

"I'm going to Guernsey, but I'm looking at the Island Games in 2025 and 2027."

Abi Lacey, from the West Wight, is an Island Games bronze medal winner at 4x100m medley in Gibraltar, while Joe Carter and Grace Poynter will be aiming to translate their previous Games experience and good form into gongs.

Isobel Muncaster, who follows her father into the Games, who coincidentally competed in Guernsey in 2003, and Grace's brother, Harry, both make their debut in them.

Mia Stillwell impressed Val the way she came back to form after finding Covid lockdowns incredibly difficult.

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"She really fought back after finding the 18 months out of the pool really hard. Everyone was picking up, but she wasn't," Val explained.

"But I told her to bear with it — and she came through amazingly, with grit and resilience.

"She wasn't fast enough to qualify for the last Games, but she went out to watch, and that spurred her on to make it this time."

Rossen Martin will hope for a dream 18th birthday on the penultimate day of the competition by winning a medal.

Former Seaclose Club swimmer, George Hayward, the son of former Westridge pro-golfer Simon, now lives in Plymouth and trains with Plymouth Leander Swimming Club.

"He travels backward and forward for training on the Island. I coached him when he was little and he's really good," said Val.

Benjamin Van der Helstraete comes into the team with a successful background in triathlon.

"I poached Ben from triathlon. He had swimming lessons with us, but incredibly didn't start being competitive until March last year," adds Val.

"He does everything I ask of him. He digs in, he works hard, he listens, he adapts. He is absolutely amazing."

Val said preparations for the Games are going well and the team has gelled, which is what she had hoped for.

"All the hard has been done, so they know what they've got to do when they get out there. But they need to be a team to be a success — best friends outside and watching each other's backs," Val explains.

"In all the training sessions we've done with them over the past 18 months, I've told them it's not all going to be fun and to cope with it.

"Lots of the things the swimmers will face has been drip-fed in, so when they've gone to open meets, they know the standard I expect, in and out of the pool, and knowing how to get them to work.

"They will be there to compete, not to socialise."

Val has taken a lot of talented swimmers to the Games over the years and loves the experience of it.

"Champion international swimmer from the Island, Darren Mew, came back years ago and said of all the events he's been to, the Island Games atmosphere was the best.

"He came back to do the Isle of Wight to finish the Island Games with me in 2011.

"It was such an honour to have him in the team. It's an island and you're proud to represent the Island."