Harriet Dickens, a Year 12 student in the Girls’ Division of Bolton School, is this year’s Swim England’s ‘Breakthrough Athlete of the Year’. Harriet, who is the Girls’ Division’s water polo captain, was delighted, if a little surprised, to win the national award from Swim England.
Seventeen year-old Harriet was captain of the England team and top scorer at last summer’s EU Nations Cup and also represented her country at the European Championships.
At club level, Harriet was part of the City of Manchester team, which was crowned British Water Polo League champions in the 2021-22 season. She was also the top scorer and Most Valuable Player at the Swim England U19s Girls’ National Age Group Championships – and scored two goals in the final to help her team to the title. At Bolton School, she helps coach the younger girls’ teams.
On receiving the award, Harriet said: ‘I’m really pleased; when I got the email through I couldn’t believe it.
‘I always look forward to competitions and having a chance to compete in the higher age groups at national level just gives me more experience for when it’s my own age group. And then, hopefully, when it comes to my age group I can hopefully be one of the leaders in the team to help us place highly.
‘Throughout the next year, I’m hoping to train for the Europeans and keep improving and building the team. I’m looking forward to competing with the national league as well and I’m looking to continue doing well in that.
‘Water polo’s a really fun sport that not many people know about it and I love it. So, I hope that people think about taking up the sport and giving it a go.
‘I want to thank my coaches Izzy Howe, Theo and Andy. Andy’s been my coach at Bolton School since the very start whilst Theo and Izzy always help me so much at Manchester.’
