Market Harborough Swimming Club

Ruth Cheema - the legend in our midst

Yes, we do have a double World champion at MHSC !



Many parents know Ruthie for her work supervising the Diddies until Katherine Cook took over at the end of last year. But in case you didn't know, she is also a serial swimmer, prolific medal hoarder and all around nice gal. Pfff.... some people have it all don't they!

In 2008, after she had won countless medals at regional, national and European levels, Ruthie headed to Perth for the 12th FINA World Masters Championships and promptly came back with 2 Gold medals and 1 Bronze medal won in the breaststroke events. You can read her blog about her journey here.



Well done Ruthie, we are all very proud of you.

Together with Nic, Kevin, Robin, Jo and Richard, Steve and Stephen, Ruthie is also one of the main forces behind our very successful Masters team, the Muttleys, who have made it a habbit to break records and bring back medals. Their tally was 13 medals at the Midlands Masters event in Leamington!


A session of Q&A with Ruthie

What's your earliest memory of swimming?

The earliest memories I have of swimming was when my Mum used to take me and two of my sisters swimming when we were very young. She would leave us all clinging onto the side and take us across the pool and back with her in turn. When I was five my Dad wanted us all to join a swimming club. First I was in a club called Leicester Leander and later we moved to Belgrave Swimming Club. At the first club I remember hating swimming. The water was cold and there were cockroaches in the changing rooms. I used to sit on the steps and wouldn't get in. Eventually I must have thought that the other children were having fun so I ventured in. The first gala I took part in was at a place called Connors Quay in North Wales. I remember feeling very sick on the coach as it was such a long journey.

How did you prepare for the World championship?

The two main things I had to do was raise sponsorship so that I could afford the trip and train hard. I crammed in as many training sessions into my working week during the six months leading up to the Worlds. During my training I tried not to waste a single moment. First in, last out was the way I worked! I had stroke analysis, regular sports massages and tried not to get injured. I pushed myself hard at training - most of my team mates are guys so just trying to keep up with them is hard work. I also had to get my head round going to such a big event. I spent lots of time looking at previous results to see who I might be up against and visualising my swims. I also began to write a blog www.swimjunkieinperth.blogspot.com to record the build up to and the actual trip itself.

Are you using one of those new wonder swimsuits?

I tried to get a suit out of Speedo, but to no avail! I now have a Speedo Fastskin Pro but have not got a the latest Speedo LZR. I'd love to try one though! I think they do make a difference, but the important thing is the swimmer in the suit not the suit on the swimmer.

What advice would you give a youngster who's starting to take his/her swimming seriously?

- Swim because you want to not because your Mum or Dad want you to. If your Mum or Dad want to swim tell them to get in the pool and be a Master. There is room in swimming for everyone. I was lucky that my Dad supported me in all of my swimming and took me to training and to meets all over the UK, but he never criticised me if a swim went badly and he never pushed me, just encouraged me.
- Have something to aim for. Do you want to improve your time? move up to the next lane? tackle a swim you have never tried before? go to the Olympics?
- There are no short cuts in swimming, Training is hard work. Miss training for just a week and your fitness will dip.
- Ian, our coach, is good for inspirational quotes like Don't wait for your ship to come in, swim out to it and In swimming you don't get what you wish for you get what you work for
- Listen and learn. If you want to improve your stroke or one of your swims ask someone for advice. Ask your coach. Ask someone who does that stroke well. They will happy to give you tips.
- Enjoy yourself. Think about how wonderful it feels to be able to move effortlessly through the water. Think about how lucky we are to have access to water not just for the essentials like drinking and washing but swimming too!

Growing up, did you have any swimming hero or heroine?

I remember watching Mark Spitz win all those gold medals, but mainly I admired British breaststrokers like Maggie Kelly, who still is amazingly quick.

What makes a good breaststroke action?

Timing or co-ordination is everything. If the timing is there then I think that is the basis for building a decent breaststroke. There are lots of things I need to work on to improve my stroke, but I have been blessed with some natural ability at breaststroke, which helps. They do say they there are two sorts of swimmers - breaststrokers and everyone else. So many swimmers can do all the other strokes but find breaststroke tough.

Is winning races just practice and hard work or do you have a special recipe?

It's lots of practice, hard work and most importantly having a positive mental attitude. I find I need the right blend between terrified and relaxed. At big events I have always veered towards the terrified. I remember swimming at the National Schools Finals on the Isle of Man and seeing Sharon Davies in a race before me. That made me so nervous couldn't think about my own race. For big events now I try to be really positive, use my i-Pod to tune my brain into something inspiring, and don't let anyone (especially me!) talk me down.

Any plan on crossing the Channel?

No! It seems such a long, cold way. When I saw the coverage of David Walliams I decided that swimming through sewage would not be my thing. Seriously, though I have had the thought of trying some shorter Open Water.swims sometime. It's a different discipline so I'm sure I would have a lot to learn.

Any anecdote for us?

At the Welsh Masters in Swansea this year I could not find my car keys on the final morning. I checked all the obvious places - bag, coat, bag, coat again. Then I started to turn my room upside down in an organised way that soon degenerated into a chaotic mess. I went under the bed, emptied my bags, re-packed them. Finally I went out to my car with the thought of doing one of those clever police finger-tip searches between hotel door and car. No luck. When I got to the car there were the keys still in the ignition. Low crime level in Swansea then.....thankfully.

Finally, you're a pharmacist, mother of three, wife and you train hard. Any tip for would-be "superwomen"?

When the children were little I dipped in and out of swimming but never really did much. Then on January 1st 2006 I made a New Year's Resolution that I wanted to stop saying 'I used to be a swimmer ' and instead say 'I am a swimmer' I set myself the target of one session a week and oh, it was tough it first. But from the start I was hooked. I gradually added in more sessions, my fitness and most importantly my stamina improved and now I do every session I can get my hands on! It's easy to fit my swimming around the children as they are swimmers too - so instead of sitting on the side watching I'm in the water with them. There is huge camaraderie in swimming. Getting through a tough session with friends is so much better than swimming alone. My swimming friends and I share the highs and the lows together and that is what makes this such a brilliant sport.

Thanks Ruthie.