Swimming star Joseph Deighan has big shoes to fill as he aims to follow in a long line of Olympians from Millfield School in Street.

The 18-year-old, who specialises in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle, attends the independent school that has had 24 Olympians in its history and had a swimmer appear at every Olympic Games since 1968.

That list includes Olympic and world champions such as Duncan Goodhew, Mark Foster and James Guy – and Deighan wants to one day add his name to it.

He is already on his way on that journey, having progressed from club sides Trafford Metro and Stockport Metro to Millfield where he has since earned international recognition at junior level.

Deighan, who is currently on the Swim England National Junior Squad for the 2020-21 season, made his biggest step so far in 2019 when appearing at the European Olympic Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan – but he now has far loftier aspirations as he transitions up to senior level competition.

"Going to the European Youth Olympic Festival in 2019, that was my biggest achievement," said Deighan.

"I got big PBs there, it was really good. It wasn't just swimmers, there were different athletes there from all different sports and backgrounds.

"It was great to mix with them and see how they prepare for their competitions, and then there were also opening and closing ceremonies and an athlete's village where we all got to mix.

"It was quite exciting, that was my first experience of racing against people outside the UK so it was good to see how I compared.

"My short-term goal now is to do well at the European Junior Championships that start today (July 6) but, long term, it's all about the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics."

Support from a baroness

Deighan's career in the pool is fuelled by a partnership between Entain – owner of Ladbrokes and Coral – and SportsAid which provides vital funding for training, travel, equipment and access to mentoring – while the investment is also supported by Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson.

Of course, his career hasn't all been plain sailing though – and Covid, like with so many other athletes, put his rapid incline in the sport on hold.

However, between spending time with his mum Hayley and dad Steve, Deighan put the sporting shutdown to good use – resetting his mind while also working on improving his strength.

"It was frustrating to put things on hold but it gave me time to work on stuff outside of the pool such as strength work," Deighan said.

"It gave me time to allow my body to rest and to reset and to set a few more goals for the short and long term."

Entain, owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, is proud to be championing the next generation of British sporting heroes by providing talented young athletes with financial support and personal development opportunities in partnership with SportsAid. Visit entaingroup.com to find out more.