Leo takes to swimming like a duck to water

You're never too young to start learning to swim, and one Swansea water baby is getting a head start.

Seven-week-old Leo Mark Jones has just taken the plunge at adult and baby swimming sessions at the Wales National Pool Swansea to make him the youngest ever swimmer to use the facilities there.

Mum Donna Collier from Dunvant said it was a magical moment when little Leo took to the water for the first time. And even though she's not a swimmer herself, she thought it was about time she started learning too.

Donna said: "I was a member of the ante-natal exercise sessions run jointly by the pool and midwives from the NHS Trust before Leo was born. So this seemed a natural thing for me and Leo to do now. All the other mums and babies are lovely."

The Wales National Pool Swansea is Swansea's Olympic-sized swimming venue, where Wales' international swimmers will be training for the Beijing games. The moveable floor, which is reputed to be the largest in Europe, uses cutting edge technology and puts the pool on a par with some of the best in the world.

Jane Draper, General Manager of the Wales National Pool, said: "While this is an elite swimming facility, it's a community resource too and it's great that little Leo has been able to get used to the water so young here.

"As well as our very popular adult and baby sessions we have a range of classes for non swimmers, beginners and improvers of all ages.

"If swimming lengths isn't your thing, there are Aquasize sessions and classes such as life-saving and water survival."

For more information about swimming or fitness classes at the Wales National Pool Swansea, log onto their website at www.walesnationalpoolswansea.co.uk