A team of swimmers with a combined age of 240 set a new world record during a national competition.

The City of Sheffield team clocked 1:52:06 in the 4x50m medley relay at the GoCardless Swim England Masters National Championships on Friday.

The time, set at the city’s Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, smashed last year’s record for their age category – also set by a team from Sheffield – by six seconds.

“All we could say to each other was ‘wow,'” said team member Jonathon Saunders, 58, who confessed it was his plan to break the record.

Over the weekend, the Sheffield city swimming team – which includes 47 swimmers aged between 18 and 75 – broke five British records.

The overall competition featured over 400 competitors from clubs across the UK.

Two of Sheffield’s world record-breaking team, Dawn Kissack, 61, and Lindsey Gaywood, 63, had been swimming together at the club since they were 13 years old.

“We swam to Sheffield at the old Park baths, then Dawn went to Scotland,” said Mrs Gaywood.

Ms Kissack, who traveled from Scotland for the competition, said it was “worth the trip” to swim with the team.

Andrew Moore, 58, the newest member of the team, has been competing for a year.

Mr Moore had been a swimmer since the age of eight but “retired many times in between”.

He said the win was due to team coach Abbie Whiting, who joined the team in 2021.

“She was behind us the whole time,” he said.

“She’s really good at bringing out the best in us.”

Mrs Whiting said: “Sheffield has great facilities and the club is making good investment in grassroots swimming but we are lucky to have the facilities we have.”

While the team enjoyed competing, Ms Kissack said it was also about “friendship and staying healthy”.

Mr Saunders added: “It’s not just the four of us, the team is a big family – it’s a friendly and welcoming community.”

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