Three members of Totnes Swimming Club have just returned from the European Aquatics Masters Championships in Samorin, Slovakia.

The oldest is Simon Veale (69), then Ben Winter (56) and finally Simon’s son Kalon Veale (35).

Between the three of them they have bought back a haul of six gold and four silver medals.

Highlights include Simon winning gold in the 200m individual medley and 50m backstroke, Ben winning gold in the 50m and 200m backstroke, including a championship record and Kalon winning gold in the 100m backstroke and setting a new British record.

Ben won gold at last year’s World Championships in Singapore so is a world champion for his age group

He is full of praise for the local facilities: “It’s top notch in Totnes

“We've got a four lane 25-metre pool and we have four sessions available a week between an hour and an hour and a half.

“We also have use of the gym.

“We're fortunate enough to benefit from a 2012 Legacy Fund which means that we have our memberships paid so the three of us are able to use the gym and classes for free which is amazing.”

The trio use the gym for strength and conditioning and coach at the club's Thursday evening sessions.

Ben said it’s a busy time: “We've just had the the Devon County Championships which was very successful we had about 13 swimmers from Totnes.

“Some people were competing for the first time in 20 years and coming up in October we've got the National Masters Championships which are held every year in Sheffield but the big thing we're aiming for is next year’s World Championships at Budapest in Hungary so I'm hoping to go there.”

So what is the appeal of swimming for Ben who got back into the sport around 2022?: “Master's swimming is a great way to keep fit and have a social activity with people who are a similar age.”

Kalon said he was inspired by his father Simon and all his close family who are swimmers.

“He competed internationally as a junior swimmer, and then took up master swimming before I was born, and he's been involved in that ever since.

He's run or he's coached at Totnes Swimming Club and been part of the running with his mum for since it was inaugurated about 50 years ago.

Kalon started swimming at around four years old.

"They always say I never wanted to wear armbands because I'd always watch my parents swim and they never wore armbands, so I just jumped in," he said.

He continued swimming at Totnes alongside other sports until he was 15 or 16, when he qualified for his first National Championships.

After that I went to Loughborough Uni, where I carried on swimming.

“I studied maths, but I was there swimming as well, on the side.

“I made a Commonwealth trials final and the Olympic trials for the 2012 Games.”

He has since returned to Masters swimming, where he has won British and European titles.