I really enjoyed myself it was lovely spending time with Geri Halliwell, Sir John and Henry Beckwith and meeting Bluebell, Geri’s daughter. As part of my VIP duties I was asked if I could present medals and visit as much of the Olympic Park as possible, which I did.

The Athletic Stadium is superb and presenting medals to the champions was great, The Aquatic Centre, which I had already seen a few weeks ago when I competed at the ASA Swimming Championships/ London 2012 Trials, is amazing.

Whilst at the Athletic Stadium I was introduced to a partially sighted young girl called Ketty, from Uganda, she said in her country babies with disabilities (like me & her) are taken to the forest and left there to die. Ketty was brought to England as part of The British Councils International Inspiration Programme.

She was overwhelmed to meet me, she cried with joy and said I was the first disabled person she had met that inspired her to live. She said it was amazing to meet a National Swimmer/Sports Person that started from nothing like herself, who comes to places like the Sainsburys games to speak to people like her. I am so glad I could help and inspire her, and as one athlete to another I wish her every success in the future.

There were performances by Spellbound and Cover Drive at the closing ceremony which was held in the Basketball Arena, this area was equally awesome.

All the venues I visited seemed to be ready for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Lets just hope the sun will come out to play at the games as well  

Swimming is my life, in or out of the water, I just love it, and if I can inspire and motivate others on the way it makes it even more enjoyable. And I certainly love being a VIP (now, now, don’t laugh), my next public appearance is on the 4^th June, I have been asked if I could officially open The Hockley & Hawkwell Diamond Jubilee Celebrations.

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Awards :

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Qualifications :

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International Disability Swimming Championships/London Paralympic Trials  (50m) 2012

MD (Multi Disability) events up against all disabilities 

 50m Freestyle S9  20^th

100m Freestyle S9 16^th

100m Backstroke S9 19^th

100m Breaststroke SB8 4^th

200m Individual Medley SM9 12^th

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International Disabilitiy Swimming Championships / London Paralympic Trials, held at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield between the 6-8 April 2012.

This was the United Kingdoms 2nd Paralympic Trials for London 2012. There were over 45 different countries competing at this event, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Macaw, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Wales.

I was amongst hundreds of the worlds best athletes all of whom were trying to qualify for London 2012, the events were all multi disability (MD) which means I was up against all types of disabled swimmers throughout the world, swimmers with lower classifications like dwarfs and the more severe disabilities and the s14 learning disability usually came first on points, never the less every classifications have got there own individual qualifying standards to make the GB Team. My swimming classifaction is S9 SB8 SM9. GB qualifying times have been set really high, not even the British athletes that broke British and European records made the qualifying standards for Team GB.  Some of the other countries athletes only have to compete and be in the top 10 of their particular country to make their countries qualifying standards for London 2012 Paralympics. My swimming classifaction is S9 SB8 SM9

Sadly I did not qualify for London 2012 Paralympics.

Don’t worry I will not be giving up for a long while. I will still be training for the Nationals, Internationals, Europeans, Worlds there is also the Commonwealth Games and people say the weather in Rio de Janeiro is fantastic Olympic & Paralympics will be held there in 2016 after all I am only 18 and I am still ranked 3^rd in the UK and 10^th in the World for 100m SB8 Breaststroke but sadly this is not good enough for Team GB. 

♥

29^th MD  Heat 50m Freestyle  S9 13^th   

 29^th MD  Heats 100m Freestyle  S9 13^th  

23^rd MD  Heats 200m Individual Medley  S9 9^th  

18^th MD  Heat 100m Breaststroke SB8 3^rd 

MD (Multi Disability) events up against all disabilities 

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The British Gas Long Course Championships is the highest National Event in the UK swimming calendar and almost every swimmer in the UK tries to reach the high qualifying standards just to make it to the Nationals.  The event was even more exciting this year because it included the Olympic & Paralympic Selection trials for London 2012.  

This was predominantly an able-bodied event with some multi disability events mixed in. I qualified for 4 events in my disability classification, which is S9 SB8 SM9 they were all MD (multi disability) events, which meant I was up against swimmers of all ages, and all disabilities, which is not always good, because it normally means the lower classifications win. The competition was over 8 days at the London Aquatic Centre in Stratford. 

I did not make the Team GB qualifying standards for London 2012 even though I came 3^rd in the SB8 100m Breaststroke. During the trials one of the GB coaches spoke to me after my events and said that Rio 2016 would be a more realistic target for me and 2012 would only be a bonus, and not to give up, which I obviously won’t. 

The next Paralympic trials will be at the International Disability Championships in April at Ponds Forge in Sheffield, where I have qualified and entered 5 events.

 200m Freestyle S9 2^nd

50m Freestyle S9 1^st

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after my little speech I was asked if I would like to try my hand at Water Polo, it was my first time and

 I loved it. ♥

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I look forward to returning to Kings College School in 2012.

I would also like to thank The Friends of Kings College School for their generous donation towards my swimming career I hope I wont let them down.

Merry Christmas

and a very Happy New Year

♥

You will be pleased to hear that Jo-Jo received several awards that evening. But due to her training commitments at Loughborough, for London 2012, she was unable to attend the prestigious ceremony. Her father, Andrew, stepped in and collected the following awards on behalf of Jo-Jo.

Jo-Jo was named Rochford District Disability Sports Personaility of the Year 2011, she was also nominated with distinction for Sports Personality of the Year. 

Services to Sport went to Doug Drake (Head Coach)

Sports Personaility of the Year went to Phil Harper (Masters Swimmer)

The following report can also be found at Waters & Stanton >> blog <<

The 4th Annual Rochford District Sports Awards took place on Thursday 13th October at the Mill Arts & Events Centre, Rayleigh, and once again Waters & Stanton were proud to be sponsoring the ‘Disability Sports Personality of the Year Award’. Nearly 200 guests attended the event which was compered by BBC Essex Sports Journalist Ben Fryer.

Swimmer Jo-Jo Cranfield won the ‘Disability Sports Personality of the Year’ for the second year in a row. At the DSE Short Course Junior Nationals 2010 held in Sheffield in February she won Silver medals in 100m Freestyle, 200m Medley, 400m Team Medley & 100m Breaststroke. She also passed her A-Levels and earned a place at the prestigious Loughborough University studying  for a degree in Sports Coaching, she has also been offered a place in the Elite Loughborough University Swimming Team alongside World Championship swimmers such as Liam Tancock and Joanne Jackson. W&S would like to wish Jo-Jo the best in her campaign to compete in the 2012 Paralympic Games and congratulate her on her win at the Rochford Award Ceremony, you can find out more about Jo-Jo here on her website.

Pictured below is Jo-Jo collecting her award from Chairman of Rochford Council, Simon Smith and Jeff Stanton of Waters & Stanton.

Jo-Jo enrolled on her B.Sc Honors Degree in Sports Coaching at the world renowned University/College Loughborough on the 19^th September 2011

She is settling in well, and after only being there for one week she has already made an impression on her peers and consequently she has been voted in to be the female Sports Coaching – Course Representative

 Her swimming training is going well. She is now a member of the Elite Loughborough Swimming Squad http://www.loughboroughswimming.com/Loughborough-Swimming-Squads-2009-10.php 

Degree in Sports Coaching at Loughborough University/College.

Jo-Jo has also been offered a prestigious place as part of the Elite Loughborough University Swimming Team where she will be training with the likes of Liam Tancock and Joanne Jackson.

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If you would like to help

towards Jo-Jo’s paralympic 2012 or 2016 dream

you can by leaving a donation here

Or  Email - jojo@tajj.freeserve.co.uk

16^thMD  Heat 100m Breaststroke SB8 3^rd

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Jo-Jo is now a Qualified National Pool Lifeguard

To qualify as a lifeguard she had to attend a week long course, which covered a variety of life saving skills and at the end of the course PASS five individual exams, which were.

A Theory test, CPR exam, First Aid exam, Pool exam, and Spinal board exam all of which she did at the Virgin Active Leisure Centre, Clements Hall in Hawkwell/Rochford. The course run from the 25 to 29 July 2011.

Well done Jo-Jo!!!

An aerial view of Millfield sports ground and the world famous 50m Swimming Pool, in which I have the pleasure of training everyday, alongside the athletics track, where I do some of my land training. 

This fabulous view is only a very small part of what Millfield have to offer

Millfield Free Weights Room

and here is Millfield’s Cardio Suite