Message from Lewis to British Swimming

Photo (Lewis at 10 yrs old, 12 years ago) Dear British Swimming I Started swimming at 8 years old at Killerwhales swimming club. I grew up on a council estate in Romford. Swimming has been my everything for as long as I can remember I have never had anything else to fall back on, as I left school early for my swimming. My Dad kept me in the sport waking me up everyday for training at 5 for the past 12 years. When I broke Mark Foster's Essex records last year and got a bronze in British Champs last year. I saved enough money to move to Italy to train with the ADN swim project. I sold my car, my watch everything I owned to get here. Have been training for this moment for as long as I can remember and am finally at the level where my dreams could come true and make the GB team for Rio 2016 Olympics. Due to miscommunication between my clubs and me this has been taken away from me because of this rule. My club has always put me in for all my competitions but my coach, who has been with me since the start, has sorted all the this out for me in the past but she has moved on and I have been away training. My entry, I found out, was not submitted when I went to check the draft programme as soon as it was released the next morning. I was excited to see who my competitors were, not seeing my name on the list made me panic. I then realised something was wrong. I proceeded to try and enter within 10 hours of the deadline time but at this point it was too late. I emailed British Swimming and called them the whole day trying too get my entry in only to be told it was not possible sorry. I broke down in tears as it started too sink in that I would not be able to fulfil my dream and have a chance to compete at the Olympic Trials. Throughout the day people on my behalf began to contact them to try and get the matter resolved. Then being told by (Sophie Turner) they would look at my case as there are a few other swimmers who didn't get their entries in but the only ones who have a chance of being entered are the ones who we can see who tried to enter.. Which I do not understand; a mistake has been made but I've got my time and I am willing to pay a fine for being late as this means everything to me. I just ask you please to let me race at the Trials. Lewis #letlewisswim