THE stock of a young athlete continues to rise after he was crowned champion at an open water swimming competition.

Pennington teenager Tom Robinson returned triumphant to Cumbria from the Scottish National Open Water Championships this weekend.

Taking to the icy waters of Loch Venechar, north west of Stirling, 17-year-old Tom won his own 17-24 age category – but astoundingly also won the overall men’s championship.

Reflecting on his double win, Tom said: “It was good, the water was a bit choppy but it was a good swim. It’s always a good competition up in Scotland.

“When I got in the water I felt quite strong and led from the front. Towards the end I felt a sprint finish was achievable.”

A serious swimmer since the age of nine, Tom dedicates around 16 to 18 hours a week to training. This year he made a strange decision for a young man, opting to forego a summer break from practicing to stay in training.

“I decided this year to train through the summer. That helped a lot, I had the back-end speed,” he said.

Tom won his latest championships over a two day spell. Every year the championships draw dozens of swimmers to test their mettle in Scotland’s chilly waters.

This year the loch’s temperature was a chilly 16 degrees, with competitors taking part in a range of events from a 10km swim, to a 4x500m relay.

Behind Tom’s success is a proud family who have supported him since day one. Mum and dad Helen and Phil Robinson, older brother Callum and grandparents Pat and Colin Morrison have always been there to cheer him on.

Mrs Robinson was ‘over the moon’ at yet another win.

She said: “He just works so hard. A lot of athletes work hard, but that is what it boils down to. It all comes from him. He is so committed doing all of this and studying for A Levels. He is a very determined young man. He’s taken us to places we would never have gone.”

Tom’s next event is the Coniston Chill Swim on Saturday.