A century of champions: Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club prepares to mark 100 years and invites its lost family home to celebrate
Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club turns 100 next year and wants to celebrate that milestone with everyone associated with it, past and present!
When Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club was founded a century ago, no one could have imagined that it would one day be producing European gold medallists, breaking British Championship records, and welcoming swimmers at every level from complete beginners to international competitors.
But in 2027, that is exactly the club that will celebrate its 100th birthday.
The centenary celebrations are set for September 2027 at The Gaiety, Southsea, and the club is putting out a heartfelt invitation to anyone who has ever been part of its story — whether you trained with them in the 1960s, coached a generation of youngsters, or cheered from the poolside as a proud parent. Northsea wants you back.
‘This club belongs to everyone who has ever been part of it,’ said Aaron Rogers, Chair of Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club.
‘One hundred years is a milestone that deserves to be celebrated together, and we want to make sure no one who was ever a part of Northsea feels left out.’
The club's recent achievements make that 100-year story all the more remarkable. In 2025, two Northsea swimmers competed at the European Youth Olympic Festival — and both returned home as gold medallists.
Darcey Smith represented Great Britain, while Makar Yakhno proudly carried the flag for Ukraine. It is a remarkable reflection of the international talent that calls Northsea home, and a moment that put Portsmouth swimming firmly on the European map.
The momentum has not slowed. At the British Championships held in London in April 2026, the club delivered one of its finest performances in recent memory, with four club records broken across the competition.
Meanwhile, an impressive 39 swimmers qualified for the South East Regional Championships in 2026, and 20 swimmers qualified for the National Championships — a testament to the remarkable depth of talent coming through the club's ranks.
To cap a remarkable year, Northsea claimed the Hampshire County Championships title for the fourth consecutive year in 2026 — a dynasty of local dominance that few clubs in the region can match.
The club's international footprint stretches further still. In January 2026, Portsmouth Northsea was proudly represented at the 59th International Challenge de Genève, held at the Centre Sportif des Vernets in Geneva, Switzerland.
Four Northsea swimmers, Jack Booth Rudd, Smith, Yakhno, and Lucas Lovell, represented the South East Regional Team at the event, having earned their places through qualification at the Swim England South East Winter Regionals in November 2025.
The regional team comprised 24 swimmers and six staff, with Northsea contributing three of those staff members: coach Lee Baldwin, strength and conditioning coach Tom Company, and team manager Matt Swindells.
It was a remarkable show of strength from a single club, and a proud moment for everyone associated with Northsea.
Yet what makes Northsea truly special, those involved say, is not just the trophies. The club prides itself on welcoming swimmers at every stage of their journey — from children taking their very first strokes in the learn-to- swim programme, right through to county, national, and international competitors.
Crucially, that inclusive vision extends fully to para swimming. The club's para athletes compete and train alongside the wider squad, and their achievements are celebrated with equal pride. It is a philosophy that reflects the best of what community sport can be.
One para swimmer who embodies that spirit more than most is Tomas Navarro-Barber. At just 21 years old, the S9-classified swimmer lives with Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia — a degenerative neuromuscular condition that causes progressive spasticity, muscle weakness in the legs, and peripheral neuropathy which has caused a complete loss of feeling in his left leg below his knee.
He is also diagnosed with Autism. The challenges he faces every day would test the resolve of anyone. Yet, in the water, Tomas is formidable. Since bursting onto the national scene, he has claimed multiple gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Aquatics GB Championships in both 2024 and 2025, and currently holds the South East Regional S9 record in an extraordinary 13 events.
His international experience is equally impressive. Navarro-Barber has competed at the World Para Swimming Series in Sheffield, Berlin, Aberdeen, Paris, and most recently Berlin again in 2026, as well as the Scottish Open in 2024 and 2025, the European Championships in Madeira in 2024, and the International German Para Swimming Championships in Berlin in 2026.
His ambitions are clear and unwavering: to represent Great Britain at the LA 2028 Paralympic Games.
At Northsea, nobody doubts he has what it takes. ‘Tomas is an absolute asset to this club,’ said Matt Swindells, Vice Chair of
Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club.
‘What he achieves in the pool, given everything he contends with, is nothing short of extraordinary. But it is his attitude — his positivity, his
determination, his presence — that makes him such an inspiration to everyone around him. We are enormously proud of him.’
The club's thriving Masters section, with around 50 swimmers, is further proof of Northsea's reach across the generations.
For many Masters members, swimming is a lifelong passion that the club has nurtured for decades, and their energy and commitment remain an inspiration to younger members coming through.
Nor is this the first time Northsea has produced swimmers of the very highest calibre. The club's roll of honour reads like a who's who of British swimming.
Among its most celebrated alumni are Sharon Davies, the iconic Olympic silver medallist, Katy Sexton, world champion and Olympic competitor, Gemma Spofforth, who represented Great Britain at the Olympics, and Grant Robins, who proudly wore the England vest at the Commonwealth Games.
These are four names that helped put Portsmouth Northsea on the world stage and inspired generations of young swimmers who followed in their wake.
‘When you know that swimmers of that quality came through the same club, trained in the same pool, it gives every young swimmer here something to aspire to,’ said Rogers.
‘That legacy is something we carry with enormous pride.’
‘We are a club for everyone,’ he added. ‘That has always been our strength, and it is what we want to shout about as we head towards our centenary.’
Were you part of the Northsea story?
Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club is looking to reconnect with former swimmers, coaches, volunteers, and families ahead of its centenary celebrations in September 2027.
Whether you were part of the club for a season or a decade, they would love to hear from you.
Get in touch via the club's website or social media pages to register your interest in attending.
Meanwhile, whether you are looking to take your very first strokes or want to find out if competitive swimming is for you, Portsmouth Northsea Swimming Club would love to welcome you.
‘We offer trials for prospective competitive swimmers and Learn to Swim sessions for those just starting out.
If you or your child would like to come along and give it a try, please get in touch with the club via their website or social media pages - they would be delighted to hear from you.