Our alumni include:

Adam Peaty - Double Olympic Champion, World Record Holder

Adam is one of the most successful swimmers in the world, winning multiple medals at the Olympics, World and European Championships, and holds world records in the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Adam trained with Mel Marshall at City of Derby for many years, before moving to Loughborough. 

Molly Renshaw – World/European Champion, British Record Holder

Molly swam with Ripley then joined Derventio Excel when she was 11 years old. She was a finallist at the Rio Olympics and Tokyo Olympics in 200m breaststroke, and is the current British record holder in this event. 

 

Jacob Whittle – European/Commonwealth Champion, British Record Holder

Jacob learnt to swim at Ripley under Glenn Fisher (now Head Coach with Derby Excel), before joining Derventio Excel. He broke the British freestyle records from the age of 14 upwards, and was one of the youngest swimmers on the team at the Tokyo Olympics. He has won numerous international medals already, despite still being in the early stages of his swimming career. He joined Loughborough Performance Centre in 2021, then moved to Bath Performance Centre in 2023.

 

Abbie Wood – European Champion, British Record Holder

Abbie swam with Buxton, then joined Derventio Excel where she swam under coach Andi Manley before moving to Loughborough Performance Centre. She has achieved huge success including making the Olympic final in 200m individual medley. 

Ross Davenport – Commonwealth Champion, Former British Record Holder

Ross swam with City of Derby, and represented Great Britain at the Olympics, world and European Championships. He won 2 gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games

Sarah Vasey – Commonwealth Champion

Sarah swam with both City of Derby and Derventio Excel, then moved to Loughborough. Sarah won a gold medal in 50m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 in Australia. She represented GB at the Tokyo Olympics

Greg Butler – European Championships and Commonwealth Games medallist

Greg was a City of Derby swimmer for many years, a breaststroke swimmer training alongside legend Adam Peaty. Greg moved to Loughborough Performance Centre, and has represented GB at the European Championships and Commonwealth Games, sweimming the 100m and 200m breaststroke events. 

Jamie Ingram – Commonwealth Games medallist

Jamie swam with Ripley, then joined Derventio Excel aged 12. He moved to Manchester where he went to University. He represented England at the 2022 Commonwealth games, winning a silver medal. Jamie's main event is the 100m butterfly. 

 

Present members of Derby Excel include multiple British/International Medallists

Imogen Clark – 4x European/Commonwealth Medallist, 3x British Record Holder

Imogen started her swimming career at Rykneld Swimming Club, then moved to Derventio Excel. She has had outstanding success throughout her career, representing GB. Her most recent success was at the short course World Championships, where she won 2 medals. 

 

Emma Smithurst

Emma represented Great Britain at the 2009 European Short Course swimming championships, when just 18 years old. 

 

Former Coaches: 

Mark Rose

Mark was the first ever coach of Derventio Excel, before moving to City of Manchester Aquatics, and building the programme there. 

Mel Marshall 

Mel is one of the most successful coaches of all time. She was City of Derby's coach as Adam Peaty came through this programme, then both moved to Loughborough Performance Centre, and reaching worldwide success. 

Andi Manley

Andi coached Derventio Excel when Molly Renshaw, Abbie Wood, Jamie Ingram and Imogen Clark were at the club. He moved to Canada to coach for a year in 2015, then joining Loughborough. He is the current coach of World record holder in 1500m Daniel Wiffen. 

Jamie Main

Jamie took over from Andi Manley as head coach of Derventio Excel, and stayed with the club until 2022 when he joined Bath Performance Centre. Jamie has been selected to coach at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, and was one of the England team coaches at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022. He was Jacob Whittle's coach when Jacob achieved phenomenal success as a teenager. 

 

Additional Life Members

Ethan Billinge

Barrie May

Beryl Mellor

Dean Wilwain

Gavin Murray

Claire Spink

Peter Spink