Perthshire’s Katherine Bailey feels well-placed to improve further after settling in well Stateside.
The Perth City Swim Club star jetted across the pond in the summer to continue the latest chapter of her academic and swimming journey at Queens University of Charlotte.
Katherine, who made the switch in August, has found the balance of studies and time in the pool to be beneficial and she is looking forward to continuing the hard work.
“I’ve really enjoyed it,” said the 18-year-old former Glenalmond student, who returned home for Christmas.
“It is very different and more about the team rather than the individual. The swimming has been going well.
“The times are different because it’s yards rather than metres and, at first, it was hard to work out if I was making improvements because it’s a different length of pool.
“But I hit my conversions at the mid-season meet, which is the only one where you actually wear a race suit.
“It is a new schedule, the coaching is very good and the food is very different but I’ve settled in well.
“I’m in the pool a lot more in America – and a lot more mornings. I train with distance swimmers now and each group has its own coach. So it has been nice to train alongside people who do the same events as I do.
“One of the members of our team was just at the world champs in Australia.”
Katherine, whose week consists of sessions in the pool and in the gym alongside studies, is expecting to be travelling more in 2023 for competition.
“I wanted academics and swimming, where I didn’t have to juggle them and they could intertwine together,” she said.
“I have managed to find that. It is a lot easier to work them together now, which I find has really helped.
“This year our swimming has mainly been at home but we’re going to Georgia in January and will then go to Indiana and Tennessee. We should be all over next year.”
Katherine will also be flying back to the UK in April for the high-profile British Championships.
Impressing at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield could open doors for later in the summer.
“I’ll be coming back for the British champs in April,” confirmed Katherine, who also hopes to get back for the Scottish Open later in the year.
“I will fly in a little earlier for the British so I don’t get hit by the jet-lag.
“There are a lot of meets I can qualify for in the summer, including the Youth Commonwealth Games in Trinidad and Tobago. There is a British under-23 meet which I hope to qualify for too.”
Having spent many years coming through the ranks at Perth City Swim Club, Katherine makes sure to touch base with experienced coach Ann Dickson.
Katherine said: “I’ve kept in touch with friends and with Ann too. I’ll check in every once in a while.”
