Masters Hall of Fame

Emma Wills

Always first at the poolside, quiet and relaxed while she’s waiting to get in the water, she shares a smile and a hello with each swimmer as they arrive.

It’s hard to know where to start with Emma and her achievements but her performances at the North West Masters (Blackpool) and Wales Open Masters (Swansea) are worth looking at. Two meets and six swims; Emma won every race she entered and while doing so managed to break three British records and one European record; all records that had been set by her previously. Six and a half hours swimming each week with running, cycling and weights on top must have something to do with her success but Emma doesn’t share much about her approach as she contemplates a move up in categories to the 40-44 years age group. These recent swims are just the latest in several record breaking years and with a new age group on the horizon, Emma is setting her sights on a new set of records to be broken.

October 2025 – On Friday 24th until Sunday 26th October the Swim England Masters National Championships (25m) were held at their regular venue Ponds Forge. As in previous years the competition was at a high standard with plenty of British, European and world records broken.

There was just one York Masters swimmer competing in just one event, Emma Wills, who continued her record breaking performances in the 400 IM, finishing in a time 5:15.29, which broke the European record in the 45-49 age group by just over two seconds.

Emma now holds both long and short course 400 IM European records in the 45-49 age group along with some of the distance free events.

Tris Hymers

Yorkshire Inter Counties Team – 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022.
2025 Swim England Open Water National Masters Championships – 🥉 Bronze 1K, 🥉 Bronze 3K.
2024 Swim England National Masters Championships – 🥇Gold 800m Freestyle, 🥈 Silver 400m Freestyle.
2024 Swim England Open Water National Masters Championships – 🥉 Bronze 2K.
2023 Swim England National Masters Championships – 🥈 Silver 400m Freestyle.
2022 Swim England National Masters Championships – 🥈 Silver 400m Freestyle.
2022 British National Masters Championships – 🥈Silver 400m Freestyle.
2019 Swim England National Masters Championships – 🥉 Bronze 200m Freestyle.

Nick Boaz

Congratulations to York water polo player and masters swimmer Nick Boaz who, last week, completed a channel swim in 11.32hrs in aid of a charity close to his heart.

Nick’s swim took place on his birthday and just 3 days before was the 150th Anniversary of the first ever unaided solo swim, by Captain Matthew Webb on August 25 1875 in 21.45hrs.

More details of Nick’s swim and the Just Giving page can be found in the York Press article below:
https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/…/25413910.english-channel…/

The public record of Nick’s swim with the CSA:
https://www.channelswimmingassociation.com/…/nicholas-boaz

Other news

November 2025 –  YCBC Masters swimmers competed at the South Yorkshire Masters held at Ponds Forge. Both had some great swims coming away with some medals and PB swims.
Tristan Hymers 45-49 age group
🥈50 free 25.58
🥈200 free 2:05.44
🥈400 free 4:31.91
Shane Hamilton 45-49 age group
🥈50 back 38.74 PB
🥈100 back 1:25.29 PB
6th 50 fly 37.23