RICH Hill, from Bridgwater Amateur Swimming Club, will be competing in the British Masters Championships this weekend (June 15-16).

Hill, who trains at the 1610-run Trinity Sports Centre in Bridgwater, will be travelling to the Welsh International Pool in Swansea to compete in the long course championships for the second time.

Having last competed at these championships in 2014, he looks to better his results from five years ago, when he earned a silver and bronze, as well as three more top 10 finishes.

Since 2014 Hill has taken time out, but he returned to competition in September last year, heading to Slovenia for the LEN European Masters Championships.

After a long week of competing and battling injury, he managed ninth place in the 100m breaststroke.

Hill said: "This was the first time I had ever competed at an international level, and was a great experience.

"I rolled my ankle during a land-based cool-down after the first morning of competition and could barley walk, so to get inside the top 10 in my final event was a huge result for me."

He has continued to keep his training schedule varied, with surprisingly low amounts of time in the pool.

"I spent a lot of time over the winter months in the gym improving my strength, power and conditioning, mixed with an increased amount of running," he explained.

"My pool training sessions are no longer than 45 minutes, and I spend a lot of time swimming slowly to refine technique and 'feel for the water'."

The 31-year-old, who worked as a personal trainer for 10 years, believes the key to continuing to be competitive is keeping training varied and surrounding yourself with like-minded people.

He said: "I am lucky enough to have trained through the winter with a great group of people both in and out the gym; without their ongoing support and encouragement I wouldn’t be able to keep focused and motivated!

"No matter what your fitness-based goals are, training with the right people around you will help you get there quicker, and makes it much more enjoyable."

1610 supports athletes such as Rich under the FANS scheme which rewards talented sportsmen and women who show potential in their sport with free access to facilities.

For more information about Bridgwater Amateur Swimming Club, you can visit the website here.