Mark Stowe » Coach Profiles

Biographical Info

I learned to swim at age 8 and proved “a natural”, soon swimming competitively in Diddy League for Stratford-upon-Avon. I was pretty successful as a junior, winning County titles and achieving National qualifying times though I struggled a bit through my teenage years, balancing school work and training commitments.

Whilst I swam for three Counties (Warwickshire, Somerset and Wiltshire) my proudest achievements came when I was at the University of Bath where I earned a Full Blue for Swimming, and an Honorary Blue for Contribution to University Sport as the Athletic Union President. I was selected several times for British Universities and represented England students in the home nations gala against Scotland, Ireland & Wales…where incredibly I swam the 200m Butterfly, not my favourite event, I was much more of a 50/100m swimmer!

I quickly fell into coaching when I left University and enjoyed success as Head Coach at Melksham and then Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire either side of a spell at Worcester when I moved briefly to the area with work in the 1990s. I fell in love with the Club then, encouraged by the likes of Andy MacBeth and Malcolm Latta so it was natural that when I returned to Worcester in 2003, I would want to get involved, initially as a volunteer assistant coach and then in 2008, leaving my “proper” job with Lloyds TSB behind, as the Club’s first ever full time Head Coach

To my mind, we blend competitive success and a community / family oriented ethos brilliantly, and it is my absolute privilege to be Head Coach.  I have no desire to pursue a wider coaching career, I bleed Blue & Green, all I want is for each and every swimmer here to have the opportunity to achieve their potential in a long-term athlete development programme that is fun but challenging

On the back of the first class pool time and coaching resources we have in Worcester, the Club has enjoyed remarkable success in recent years, most notably the incredible medal winning performances of Paralympian Becky Redfern plus at a team level, two National Arena League Finals in 2017 and 2018, wow!

We are one of the most successful Club programmes in the West Midlands and I believe wholeheartedly that our swimmers will continue to do amazing things.  I am constantly inspired by their talent, commitment and work ethic…without doubt, I have the best “job” in the World!

Favourite stroke
To swim – Butterfly, it feels so good…until the wheels come off!?!
To coach – Breaststroke, highly technical with lots of different styles

Favourite training set
For endurance:

10 x 100, 1 x 125, 1 x 75
8 x 100, 1 x 125, 1 x 75
6 x 100, 1 x 125, 1 x 75
4 x 100, 1 x 125, 1 x 75
2 x 100, 1 x 125, 1 x 75
* all F/C with 100/125/75 all off the same turnaround times
* 100’s at Threshold pace, 125’s max, 75’s recovery
* total 4K

For race pace:
4×50/2×25/3×50/4×25/2×50/6×25/1×50/8×25 all best effort No.1 Stroke from a dive (£1K lactate production or aka “pip squeak”!”)

3 things you couldn’t do without
1. Pizza
2. Red wine
3. Nysha (not necessarily in that order though!?!)

If you won the lottery what would you do?
I would still coach…working with the team of athletes and coaches that I do on a day in day out basis is so rewarding…but I would take a few more holidays as I love to travel, and there is so much of this wonderful world we live on that I haven’t seen yet.