Somerset teenager Izzy Blackhurst taking on Olympic swimming trials at London Aquatic Centre

Izzy Blackhurst, from Taunton, will head to the London Aquatic Centre for the trials on Tuesday 2 April. 

She hopes to make it onto Team GB for the 200-metre freestyle race, ahead of the Paris Olympics this summer. 

Izzy has been swimming competitively since she was nine and will now go up against champions.

Currently Izzy is studying for her A levels at Taunton School Sixth Form.

She said: “It’s quite difficult to balance, my school is very supportive of everything because they know how much I’m training.

“I’m swimming seven or eight times a week normally at the moment, three gym sessions, and then spin on top of that.

“It’s quite hectic alongside all my lessons, But if I use my free periods well, then I have free time to relax after school.” 

Izzy heads to London on Saturday 30 March, trains on Monday, and then will race on Tuesday. 

Despite the excitement, Izzy isn’t letting things get on top of her. 

She said: “It’s unlikely that I will qualify this year, you never know. Because I am still quite young it’s going to be all the previous olympians there. 

“It's just going to be an amazing experience racing alongside previous olympians, previous olympic medalists.

"It's going to be amazing seeing them, and just racing alongside them to be honest. It's really exciting.” 

This isn’t the first time Izzy has qualified. When she was 13 she was selected for trials, but covid put a stop to that. 

She said: “It was disappointing at the time. They only took the top of the top at the time, but now we’re back here again ready for another go.” 

If she’s successful, more training will follow alongside school. 

Izzy said: “I’m taking it one step at a time to be honest. I am really looking forward to racing.

“When I got the news a few weeks ago, it was a bit 'this is a month away still, yeah this is good' but it hadn't fully sunk in yet. But now it's literally here. I'm getting really excited now. I'm feeling ready to race.” 

Head of Swimming at Taunton School, Beth Mottram, said: “Izzy’s achievement is outstanding and we as a school are extremely proud of her.

“Regardless of the outcome of her trials, the dedication, resilience, and determination in which Izzy has demonstrated are hugely admirable and beyond her years.

"I have never met a young person as tenacious and focused as Izzy. These qualities alone will be instrumental in her success.”