Published at 16:35, Monday, 17 September 2012

AN Olympic athlete visited a Barrow residential home to talk about his work with the disabled.

Brian Barnes, 78, of West Kirby near Liverpool, swam at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki.

The swimming coach has been working with people with disabilities for many years and carried the Paralympic flame through London on August 29.

On Friday, he gave a talk on his experiences to the residents of Risedale Residential Home, in Abbey Road, Barrow.

He said: “In 1949, aged 15 years, I was training for the 1952 Olympic Games. I swam every day at lunchtime, the only others in the pool were four disabled children from the special school in Preston.

“I soon realised that for them to achieve the slightest improvement was equal to my swimming and winning a county championship. So I donated my county and northern counties medals so that they all received a medal. They inspired me and I think I helped them.

“I became Preston’s school swimming instructor and later a leisure manager. In all my employment, I have created or encouraged disabled sports clubs. I have been involved ever since, 62 years, and still teach sailing to the disabled at the club I started in 1982.”

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