Kieran Bird: From The Local Leisure Centre To Paris 2024 As Swim England Launch #LoveSwimming Campaign
At around 830pm local time on 30 July 2024, James Guy dived into lane four to lead off the Great Britain men’s 4×200 freestyle relay in Paris.
Less than seven minutes later – 6mins 59.43secs to be precise – and the quartet of Guy, Tom Dean, Matt Richards and Duncan Scott retained their title with an historic victory at La Defense Arena.
Victory was not only about the four but also Kieran Bird (1:47.68) and Jack McMillan (1:45.68) who – along with Guy and Dean – steered the team to the top time of 7:05.11 in the prelims.
The pair enabled Scott – whose Paris schedule encompassed six races in the 200 free and 200IM and four relays – and Richards – with two individual events and three relays – to sit out the prelims.
4×2 prelims, Paris 2024: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
Bird told Swimming World: “For me to come in and help them rest up a bit for the final, it’s a privilege to me, it’s an honour, they make us feel really welcome. And Aquatics GB do a really good job of integrating the guys who aren’t potentially in the final squad into the team and making us feel like we are big members of the team.
“Me and Jack I think felt very happy that our role was pushed so heavily by the guys in the team and also in the senior leadership team.”
Bird was speaking at the launch of Swim England’s #LoveSwimming campaign which is highlighting the wider benefits of swimming lessons for children in terms of happiness, confidence and social skills.
Swim England’s research has shown that over two thirds of parents (68%) agree that swimming lessons have helped their child to make new friends.
- Nearly 7 in 10 parents whose children are currently having lessons agree that their child’s concentration levels improve after swimming lessons.
- Alongside the wider developmental benefits, swimming lessons make children happy – 91% of parents agree that their child enjoys their swimming lessons.
Two-time Olympian Bird was introduced to the water by his parents at a young age at the local leisure centre in Bicester, a market town in Oxfordshire, south-east England. Confident in the pool, Bird joined the local club Bicester Blue Fins.
He looked up to Craig Gibbons, who competed for Great Britain in the men’s 4×100 free at London 2012.
“He used to swim in my county, my area,” said Bird. “I remember seeing him when I was 10, 11, 12 – I thought he was some superhero. That inspired me to want to be that.
“So, if I can do that for other kids, I think that is me giving back to the community and that’s me making the world a bit of a better place.”
He added: “This is something I feel quite passionately about: it is being a role model and making kids think they can do anything they want. Whether it’s following myself and doing it in the pool or doing it in other aspects of life.”
Since taking those first steps at the local leisure centre, Bird has competed on the European and global stage.
Photo Courtesy: Swim England
He made his Olympic debut in Tokyo, where he contested the 400 and 800 free, before finishing 16th in the shorter distance in 3:47.54 in the French capital last month.
Then came his gold medal in the 4×2 following his prelims swim, something he dedicated to all those who have been there on every stage of the journey.
“It’s just nice to have something to bring back to show my family because it’s not just me, it’s everyone that has been part of this,” he said. “I didn’t just do it for myself, I did it for my community.”
For Swim England CEO Andy Salmon, Paris 2024 “sent a positive ripple throughout the sport” with the #LoveSwimming campaign focusing on the wider benefits.
He told Swimming World: “This campaign is very much about the benefits to children and the benefits to their parents as well. The research shows us really clearly that the benefits go way beyond the ability to swim and stay safe in the water: there are many developmental, sociological, benefits for those children.
“What parent wouldn’t want that for their children?”
