Olympic Gold medallist Jack McMillan returned to his roots to see how the Olympic Medallist Fund has helped Bangor Swimming Club.
Jack won gold as part of the Team GB 4x200m freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympics and has since won gold at the 2025 World Championships in the same event.
After his victory in Paris, £20,000 was awarded to Jack through the Department for Communities’ Olympic Medallist Fund for him to donate to a sporting cause of his choice.
Olympian Jack McMillian said: “I chose Bangor Swimming Club because I’ve been a part of it ever since I was seven or eight years old. I trained here all the way from 2009 to 2021 to my first Olympic Games, so the club has a special place in my heart.
“The club really shaped my career to my first Olympic Games which was my dream since I was younger. So to be able to give back and have a full circle moment is amazing.
“Swimming is all about the small margins so hopefully now with the new equipment these young swimmers can have a taste of what it’s like to be a professional athlete and have the best gear in order to perform the best and win medals at World, Commonwealth and Olympic levels.”
The swimming club have been able to purchase a broad range of items which will aid and develop the next generation of young swimmers in and out of the pool.
Equipment includes underwater communication device for a swimming squad up to 20 swimmers, poolside training and competition equipment, analysis systems such as heart rate monitors and new technology plus power training equipment.
Bangor Swimming Club Chair Rachel Hardy and young swimmers from the club showcased the new equipment to Vice Chair of Sport NI Stephen Reid and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons.
Stephen Reid, Vice Chair of Sport NI, said: “The incredible success of our athletes at the Paris Olympic Games was truly inspirational and we are proud to deliver both the Olympic Medallist Fund and the Olympic Legacy Fund to support local clubs and organisations to improve their facilities and provide more opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to participate in sport.
“Jack’s visit to his local club is a powerful reminder of the impact grassroots sports organisations have across Northern Ireland. These clubs offer young people the opportunities, support, and guidance that help shape future champions.”
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons added: “The achievements of our medal winners, along with all those Olympians and Paralympians who competed in Paris, will be remembered for many years. I set up the £1million Olympic Medallist Fund and Olympic Legacy Fund because I wanted to build on those successes and ensure a lasting legacy for local sport. This funding will help sports clubs grow stronger, enable facilities to be modernised, and help communities come together through sport.
“I was delighted to visit Bangor Swimming Club at the Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex to see the equipment that the club has been able to purchase with the money donated to them by Jack McMillan who trained with them. His success will directly benefit the next generation of swimmers.”