Swimming media organization Pullbuoy recorded a feature documentary with British breaststroker Imogen Clark. Clark’s story is unique because she trains outside of the national training center and works a full-time job in and around her training.
Pullbuoy, whose name is Steve Buckley, chose Clark as he has wanted to do behind-the-scenes filming with someone prepping for Olympic Trials. With the COVID restrictions in 2020 and 2021, that was not possible then.
Buckley continued, “I also wanted to do something slightly different from your typical behind the scenes that we see quite a lot of on social media and by following someone over a longer period, get the chance to be more in-depth and to tell a story, rather than just offering a glimpse into a typical day.”
He picked Clark because “I felt I needed to work with a swimmer who had a chance at making the Olympics, even if it was a long shot. Having set 10 British Records and won European and Commonwealth medals, Imogen is fairly well known and has had a fair amount of success but always in the 50m breaststroke and having that focus on a non-Olympic event limited the support she gets from the governing body.”
“I knew she was working full time to enable her to continue her swimming career, swimming in a club programme rather than a centre, and the fact she needed to move up a distance to keep her Olympic aspirations alive just added another layer of interest. When you put it all together I just thought she had a great story to tell, and luckily she and her coach were keen to let me tell it.”
Clark currently works in human resources at a firm called New Engineering.
The 24 year old Clark has been an elite level athlete in Great Britain for some time now. Clark competed during the International Swimming League (ISL) beginning on Energy Standard and eventually competing for the LA Current. In 2022, Clark represented England at the Commonwealth Games where she set a new British record and finished silver in the 50 breaststroke.
Clark also holds British swimming records in the SCM 50 breaststroke and is a part of the SCM 200 medley relay record that is awaiting ratification from the 2023 European Championships. At 2023 Euros, she won bronze in the SCM 50 breaststroke. At 2024 British Olympic Trials, Clark was 3rd in the 100 breaststroke in a 1:07.37.
This is great. Really cool to see a swimmer doing her best to manage it alongside a normal job… plus going up a distance is NOT easy!
Well done Imogen, Coach John Adye & PullBuoy,
A Great Watch!!