Coach who trained Olympic medalist reflects on career after being awarded British Empire Medal
Watch as Eleanor Walsh received a British Empire Medal.
A west Cumbrian swimming coach has spoken of her pride for her services to her sport after receiving a British Empire Medal (BEM) last month.
Eleanor Walsh received the BEM last month for services to swimming after more than four decades of coaching in Cockermouth.
That included coaching a former Olympic medalist Luke Greenbank.
Eleanor said: "One of my best moments was watching Luke break the junior world record.
"Luke's a grand lad and he's never forgotten where he's come from. And he's gone on to achieve but he started his swimming here as a kid and he learned, if you like, the tools of the trade here."
She also helped open Cockermouth Swimming Club in 1979. Receiving the British Empire Medal though was something she was not expecting.
She said: "I was amazed, I couldn't believe it. It just shows you you don't have to have the best facilities to produce the best swimmers.
"I mean we've just got one four lane 25 metre pool but yet we've produced more county champions than any other club in the county."
Eleanor has loved swimming her full life and it is a passion that she will have forever. She said: "I just love swimming. I've been in swimming all my life.
"I swam as a kid myself in Carlisle and I coached in Carlisle and then when I came here I couldn't believe we didn't have a swimming pool. We had to get a swimming pool.
“Well some of them had been saying until they carry me out in a coffin."
Graham Williams is part of the team at Cockermouth Swimming Pool and has known Eleanor since he was a child.
He said: "I've known her since about four years old coming into the swimming club. This swimming pool, this gym, this everything would not be here without Eleanor's help to build this pool."
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