Keri-anne Payne

Meet Keri-anne Payne - British Gas Swimming Ambassador and open water swimming world champion. Keri-anne’s silver medal win in the inaugural 10k Marathon Swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics has led to a surge in the popularity of open water swimming events in the UK.

Born:
9th December 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa

Strokes:
Freestyle, Individual Medley, Open Water

Achievements:

Olympic Silver medallist and Double World Champion.

Keri-anne's Silver medal win in the inaugural 10k Marathon Swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics led to a surge in the popularity of Open Water swimming events in the UK and worldwide.

Keri-anne's stature in this exciting new sport heightened when she was crowned World Champion at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. She again cemented her place as the one to watch in the sport by winning the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, in doing so becoming the first UK athlete to be nominated for Team GB for London 2012. These successes have enabled her to be at the forefront of the sport's ever growing appeal, with her winning both the LEN and FINA Female Open Water swimmer of the year award for 2011.

But her talents don't just stop in open water events. In the pool at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, she also proved herself to be a brilliant all-round swimmer by winning a Bronze medal in the 400m Individual Medley.

Keri-anne took part in the 10km Marathon swim in the London 2012 Olympics and finished fourth in a very close race in Hyde Parks Serpentine, just 0.4 seconds off a third place finish.

After the Olympics she took part alongside Olympic medallists Rebecca Adlington and Michael Jamieson in launching the British Swimming Heroes Tour presented by British Gas.  This was a special legacy tour to inspire thousands of children to get in the pool following the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Since 2009, Keri-anne has been a British Gas swimming ambassador, encouraging more people to get in to the water and swim.  She has been the face of the British Gas Great Swim Series and has inspired thousands of people to swim the one mile open water challenge.