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Poolpods hailed for increasing access to the freedom of swimming

British Paralympic swimmer Dervis Konuralp hailed a new aid for disabled swimmers for giving more people access to the freedom of swimming when it was unveiled at the 2012 London Aquatics Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park today.

The four-time Paralympian welcomed the new Poolpod system for providing a safer and more dignified mode of entering the water for swimmers with limited mobility.

"To have the London Aquatic Centre open is fantastic for the local community," said Konuralp, a world record breaker who was born in Hackney, close to the site of the Olympic Park in east London and learned to swim in primary school after he began to have problems with his vision. Local people were inspired by the Games and to widen the chance for people to swim in this same arena will generate even greater inspiration," he said. "It's like being in space, a sense of freedom because of the lack of gravity. You're submerged in your own little world."

The engineering innovation, funded by a grant from the London Marathon Charitable Trust (LMCT), has been designed to help swimmers with restricted mobility make a smoother transition from poolside to water than the current method of being hoisted or swung into the pool.

The Poolpod is a submersible mobile platform allowing swimmers to remain standing as they enter the water, while those in wheelchairs can transfer to the pod while still in the changing room.

The London Marathon Charitable Trust awarded £30,000 to the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) this year to purchase Poolpods for the Aquatics Centre, reflecting its commitment to supporting sports in the community as part of the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This follows £280,000 from the Trust in 2012 to the winning British design team who then created the prototype.

Karen West, Head of Sport and Health at the LLDC, welcomed the innovatory design for creating greater access for all in sport:

"The Poolpod gives a fantastic opportunity for those in the community whose mobility may be restricted for whatever reason. As one of our key legacies from the 2012 Games, we'd like as many people as possible to enjoy sport with no need to fear the pool. The Poolpod means they can enter the water safely and with dignity."

The London Marathon Charitable Trust, whose patron is HRH Prince Harry, has awarded grants of more than £3.6 million to 59 sports projects this year, taking the total funds to over £50 million since it was founded in 1981. This has helped more than 1,000 projects offer improved sports facilities in the capital over the past 33 years.

The Trust has funded the purchase of four Poolpods: two will be in use at the London 2012 Aquatic Centre and one apiece at the Clapham Leisure Centre in Lambeth and the Botwell Green pool in Hillingdon.

The designers are also hoping the Poolpod will attract overseas buyers while a further seven have been purchased by British Swimming for use throughout Britain.