LOCKDOWN hasn’t bothered swimmer Ellie McCartney too much.
The talented Enniskillen swimmer has been concentrating on her training routine in novel ways.
Recently she has taken to Lough Erne to put in the hours needed to be an elite swimmer with Ireland.
Now she’s heading to Spain with her mother Mary for a short break and warm water training.
Her father Terry explained, “With the pools not being open yet her mother Mary and herself have decided to head to Spain a week early to get some pool training in. It means she will be in a proper sized pool and able to train twice a day. It’s really about getting the lengths under her belt.”
The Enniskillen Royal student hasn’t stopped training over the past three months, although the vast majority of it has been land training.
Terry says, “It has been good, but nothing beats getting into the pool. She has taken to swimming in Lough Erne periodically over the lockdown period . Obviously it has got a bit warmer so that has helped.
“Herself and a couple of friends have been going out on the lough. We’ve even bought an inflatable kayak so I have been going out along with them. She uses a luminus buoy so that people see her. “
“It’s just trying to keep her head in the right place. Obviously it is very different from the swimming pool. Initially it is getting used to the temperature and getting in but once you get in you just put your head down. She’s swimming well and enjoying it.
“As most coaches will tell you it is about feeling the water through your hands. We have had use of a smaller pool at times during lockdown, and she was using that with a bungi cord, but at least you can get in to the water in the lough and continually swim without turning.
With the elite swimmers in the south back training and swimming it’s a case of getting back to as much as she can in preparation for the Ulster Short Course event and the Irish Short Course events.