Benenden has welcomed Olympian Robin Francis as our new Director of Swimming, bringing with him a decade of elite competitive experience and an impressive coaching pedigree.
Born in Durban, South Africa, Robin represented Great Britain for ten years, excelling as a specialist in the individual medley. He dominated the national scene across both the 200m and 400m events, collecting multiple British titles and setting several national records. His achievements extended well beyond domestic competition: he secured silver medals in the 400m individual medley at both the European and World Championships. Francis also competed at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, reaching the semi-finals in the 400m individual medley.
Following his retirement from competition in 2006, Robin built a distinguished coaching career in the UK and abroad, shaping both individual athletes and wider swimming programmes. During his tenure at Mount Kelly, he guided Paralympian Hannah Russell OBE to world championship gold and a world record.
Since joining Benenden in the Autumn, Robin has relished his start at Benenden. “The leadership team, the wider staff, pupils and facilities are an impressive entity and I have been made to feel extremely welcome,” he said. “My priority has been to understand the culture of the school, get to know the pupils and add value to their school experience. The long-term vision is to build a pupil-centred Performance Swimming Programme which empowers those within it to fulfil both their swimming and academic ambitions in a successfully combined and sustainable formula.”