Two golds and bronzes at the European Swimming Championships in the summer and being called a “sensation”. Freya Anderson could be forgiven for getting too big for her boots.
There’s not a chance of it, thanks to Alan Bircher – director and coach at Ellesmere College Titans who has carefully nurtured the 17-year-old Sky Sports Scholar since 2014.
“We have a fantastic group of swimmers who wouldn’t let each other be anything but grounded,” says Bircher.
“They support each other like family and let each other know if they’ve grown an ego!”
Why is Freya so good and how is she being developed to be the best in the world? A very proud Bircher opens up…
What are your earliest memories of Freya?
“She was a very tall, insecure teenage girl who didn’t know who she was and wasn’t comfortable with who she was then.
“Once she dived into the pool she had her comfort blanket wrapped round her and she had her own identity.
“I can’t describe to you how much this young lady has grown and become comfortable with herself over the last four years.”
Describe Freya’s progression
“Freya and I have some funny conversations which are on an adult level and also a teenager level which is what makes us work so well together.
“The partnership has grown year-on-year, especially as Freya’s become more comfortable with who she is and how well she fits in, which I’m not sure she’s ever really had.
“I normally set a target which Freya doesn’t think is possible and then we go after it and achieve it. The higher the target, the more Freya wants it.
“Ahead of the 2020 Olympics, we set a target and I still believe we’re firmly on track to achieve it.”
What makes Freya so good – in and out of the pool?
“Genetically she’s fantastic for swimming – large hands/feet, great shoulders and trim. But the key ingredient is that Freya doesn’t love winning, she just hates losing with a passion!
“An important area which I had some early input on was helping her to understand that swimming nine sessions and three being good wasn’t what was needed to be the best in the world.
“She needed to focus on consistency in everything.”
Have you been surprised by her progression?
“No! She has an amazing ability to touch the wall first and she really just needed to be exposed to a higher level while making her feel comfortable in the arena she was entering.
“Freya would always raise her own personal bar to those around her.”
How did you rate Freya’s European Championships?
“For a swimmer to have an issue with her back injury like Freya has and to deal with it with such maturity has made me really proud.
“It’s the way she’s dealt with adversity and producing the swims she did at the Europeans was a real bonus. It was a breakthrough senior meet for Freya.”
Are you being careful in nurturing a swimmer so young?
“One hundred per cent. We have to be with all our athletes at Ellesmere College. We need to remember that we are here to progress athletes in the best way possible for each individual to have success at the highest level.
“We’re fortunate as I’ve had the time to set up the program how I’d like it to run and we now have psychology, nutrition, strength and conditioning, athlete screening and video analysis.
“The coaching team has everything they need to support the work they do with the athletes in the pool.”
What are your hopes, tactics and targets for Tokyo?
“We always challenge ourselves from year to year and swimming myself has made me understand what Freya is thinking and feeling.
“We need to remember that we’re working with a generation who need and want instant results and gratification. The focus for coaches is to be able to highlight the constant improvement – be that personal or results driven.
“Our next two years heading to Japan, the main areas of focus will be skill and strength driven as they’ve been the areas which have been sacrificed more due to her back issues.”
How has being a Sky Scholar helped Freya?
“It’s an amazing investment which means nothing in her training or preparation leading into Tokyo needs to be sacrificed.
“If anything, we can now look deeper in helping Freya gain those small margins over her opposition and bring success at the major meets.”
