Barber’s work ethic is a cut above - putting him in the fast lane
GEORGE Barber once swapped surfing for swimming - but he is still hellbent on riding the crest of a wave all the way to the Olympic Games. The Humberston swimmer currently competes for City of Sheffield Swim Squad during his time at Sheffield Hallam University, having attended Royal School, Wolverhampton, where he put in the hard yards to reach the top.
But it was boards, not breaststroke or butterfly, that first ignited his passion for the water and Barber says his unwavering work ethic has fuelled his ascent.
“I was about four or five and I wanted to surf with my dad - that was what I originally loved and wanted to do,” said the 19-year-old, who is financially supported by a three-year partnership between GVC Holdings and SportsAid as part of GVC’s Pitching In initiative. “But my dad said I couldn’t go out on my own until I learned how to swim, so he took me to swimming lessons, it took off from there and the rest is history!
“The hardest bit about swimming has been waking up at 4.30am and often not getting back to my room until nine o’clock when I was at Wolverhampton.
“But that’s really set me up for life with my work ethic now.”
Supported by Paralympian Baroness Grey-Thompson, GVC announced a three-year partnership with SportsAid in 2019 to promote grassroots sport and help young athletes reach their potential. The investment will provide funding for training, travel and equipment and allow athletes access to nutrition and sports psychology mentoring by Olympians and Paralympians.
Barber has thrived in open water swimming but is currently favouring life in the pool, where he specialises in the 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly.
His Olympic dream is alive and kicking but Barber, who reached the final of the 200m butterfly and set a personal best at the Swim Cup Amsterdam last year, just says giving it his all is his number one priority. “As long as I can finish the sport and say to myself that I’ve given it everything and the best chance I could then I’d be over the moon,” added Barber, who is aiming to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Adam Peaty MBE in reaching the Games.
“It would mean the world to represent Team GB on the Olympic stage - that’s my ultimate childhood dream and that would be absolutely amazing.”