Rhys Breaks Scottish Records and Claims British Swimming Bronze

If the summer holidays are meant to be a time to switch off, nobody told talented young High School swimmer Rhys F.

As we welcome pupils back for the new academic year, we couldn't think of a better way to set the tone than by celebrating the extraordinary achievements of Third Year pupil Rhys, whose summer break saw him push himself to new heights, quite literally rewriting the record books along the way.

It's a timely reminder of something we hold dear at The High School of Glasgow: that our pupils' drive and ambition doesn't switch off when the bell rings for the last day of term. Whether in the pool, on the pitch or in the classroom, real excellence is built in the moments nobody's watching – Rhys's summer exploits is a perfect example of exactly that.

His remarkable run of form began in June at the Scottish Open Championships, held at the iconic Commonwealth Pool in Edinburgh. Competing with a clear target in mind – to break the Scottish record for the 50m Freestyle in the 13-year-old boys' category – Rhys delivered a performance to remember. His sensational time of 25.10 seconds secured his place in the Scottish swimming record books. Remarkably though, he wasn't finished there.

Just eleven days later at the Scottish Summer Meet in Aberdeen, Rhys took to the pool to break his own record, clocking an extraordinary 24.97 seconds. In doing so, he became the first Scottish 13 year old ever to swim the 50m Freestyle in under 25 seconds – a landmark achievement in Scottish age group swimming.

His summer of success continued when he travelled to Sheffield to compete at the Aquatics GB Next Gen Championships, an invitation-only event bringing together the top ranked young swimmers from across the United Kingdom. Competing at British level for the first time in his career, Rhys qualified for the 100m Freestyle final as ninth seed, before producing a superb swim to claim bronze, finishing third in the country for his age group. A remarkable feat.

As if that weren't enough, Rhys was very recently selected for the prestigious Scottish Swimming Youth Academy, a recognition not only of his performances over the summer, but of the potential that national coaches and performance staff see in him for the years ahead.

Speaking about Rhys' extraordinary summer achievements, Phil Smith, Director of PE and Sport commented:

All of us at the High School are incredibly proud of Rhys and what he has achieved over the summer break and, indeed, over the last few years. Achievements of this calibre don't happen by accident. They are the product of hard work, of early mornings and sacrifice. Rhys' achievements capture something we see time and time again in our pupils – a willingness to push themselves – striving to achieve more, never settling and always seeking to go beyond what even they thought was possible. He deserves all the plaudits coming his way."

A massive congratulations to Rhys. He epitomises what the High School is all about – taking advantage of exceptional opportunities, setting high targets and putting in the hard work to ensure that he is able to achieve his goals. 

As we begin a new academic year, Rhys's summer is a brilliant reminder of what our pupils are capable of, both in school and beyond it. We'll be watching his progress with great interest and wish him every success as he takes the next steps in his swimming career, continuing to fulfil his exceptional potential.

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At The High School of Glasgow, we believe that excellence takes many forms. Our role is to support and champion our pupils as they pursue opportunities that allow them to fulfil their potential, wherever and whenever that journey takes them.

You can find out more about the wide ranger of opportunities on offer at the High School and why we were chosen as The Sunday Times Scottish Independent School of the Year by joining us for our Autumn Open Events on Saturday 3 October 2026. 

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