On Saturday 23rd January, Jo Jackson Olympic Bronze medallist in the Women’s 400m freestyle and current British Record holder for the distance was guest of honour at the official re-opening of the centre. The Mayor and Mayoress of Charnwood Councillor Roy and Mrs Brenda Brown, Leader of the Charnwood Borough Council Councillor Mike Preston, Chairman of Syston Town Council Councillor Howard Midgely along with other councillors, representatives from the construction company G. F. Tomlinson and the public gathered in the foyer of the new leisure centre for the unveiling of the plaque. Councillor Preston gave a short speech thanking everyone who had been involved in the £3.1million development which commenced last year on the 19th January and was completed on time and within budget. He paid tribute to G.F. Tomlinson for their dedicated hard work and the various sub contractors, architects and consultants, some of whom were present at the event, along with the centre staff and the wider Leisure Services project team. The result is an absolutely fantastic facility for anyone wanting to use the swimming pool, gym or dance studio.
He went on to introduce Jo Jackson, who trains locally at Loughborough University along with other members of the British swimming team. She won her Bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 400 metre freestyle and won Silver at the 2009 World Swimming Championships in Rome in both the 400 and 800 freestyle events, along with a Bronze medal in the 200 metre freestyle relay team. Jo thanked everyone for coming and said it was a pleasure to be asked to be part of this official re-opening and then unveiled the plaque. Jo also went on to say that she thought the facility was fantastic and hoped it would inspire young swimmers to use the facility and perhaps develop future Olympic champions in the future. She said that if she had not had a small swimming pool where she grew up in Yorkshire, she would not have learnt to swim and so never achieved what she has done now. She was pleased to open the facility as it provides a range of activities for all ages, not just swimming but the gym and dance studio and she hoped that residents of Syston and the local area would enjoy the use of the facility in keeping or getting fit. She is very passionate about people being fit and healthy in order to get the best from life, whatever their age.
From the volume of people at the facility when this story was covered it is going to be well used for some time to come. Mrs Walker, from Queniborough whose daughter Bethany attends swimming lessons said that they were pleased to meet an Olympic champion and Bethany was lucky enough to get Jo’s autograph. Also Sam from Birstall, along with his younger brother and sister attend swimming lessons every week and have done since the new Leisure centre re-opened, said that it was a great place to come and swim at, but when asked if he aspired to win a medal at the Olympics like Jo he said he did it just for fun.
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