At just 15 years old, swimmer Skye Carter is already thinking about inspiring the next generation. 

The Basildon native has been selected to represent Team England at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago, becoming only the second black swimmer to do so. 

Carter, who represents Basildon & Phoenix Swimming Club, follows in the footsteps, or swim strokes, of Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell who became Team England’s first black swimmer at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. 

“I didn't know that I was Team England’s second black swimmer but that makes me really happy actually,” Carter said. 

“Because I feel like black people are a bit underrepresented in swimming so to be up there representing and hopefully being an inspiration to other girls who are in the same boat as me. 

“When I was eight or nine, if I did see any swimmers they were not black swimmers, so to be a black swimmer representing Team England is quite good! 

“Diversity is getting better, when I went to European Juniors, out of the top four from the 50 freestyle, three of them were black.  

“It's getting there, it is much better than if you look at the Olympics, there aren't that many black swimmers compared to white swimmers or other sports.” 

Carter competes across 50m and 100m in freestyle and butterfly having first tried out swimming in Billericay. 

She then progressed to Basildon & Phoenix where she is now coached by Doug Campbell, himself a former Commonwealth Games athlete for Team Scotland. 

The Southend High School for Girls student has already had major Games experience at the European Youth Olympic Festival last year, winning three medals. 

And she is now dreaming up what the Trinbago 2023 medals could look like. 

Carter added: “The main goal would be to get some medals. I have an idea of what it might look like.  

“It’s always the goal, isn’t it? 

“I also like having a token of what I've achieved even if it is just to remember having a good time and the fact that I have got there. 

“I was so shocked to be selected because I knew about other competitions that were happening this summer, but they sent emails out to a lot of people.  

“And we just got the email and were like, ‘Ok, we'll just fill out the forms’ and I didn't really think too much of it.  

“But then when I got the confirmation, I was just like, ‘wow’. I was actually screaming, it was really, really surprising.”