A BOY from Bude is making waves in the pool following several impressive performances at competitions this year.

When Archie Bunker was only three months old, he made his first venture into his local swimming pool and safe to say, he never looked back. From the age of four, he could swim the width of the pool and within four years, he was awarded his first national lifesaving medal.

Now, aged 10, Archie is making waves with his swimming skills.

This summer, he took to the national stage, to compete at the National Nipper Surf Life Saving Championships in Weymouth. The competition, run by Surf Life Saving GB, is the largest surf life saving competition in the UK, where members from across the country come together to race, represent their clubs, and ‘celebrate the heart of the lifesaving community’.

After putting in an impressive performance, Archie secured a podium position, taking home third place. Following his success, he is now moving into competitive swimming with Bude Sharks, having already qualified for the 2026 Cornwall County Swimming Championships and is looking forward to a busy competing year ahead.

The championships bring together the best of the best from across Cornwall and put them head to head to find the region’s answer to Michael Phelps.

Archie’s parents have said that much of the swimmer’s talent comes from a genuine love of the sport.

“Archie trains two nights a week with Bude Sharks, one evening a week with the Bude Surf Life Saving Club, spends most Saturday mornings in the Splash pool at Bude Leisure Centre, and does occasional park runs with his mum,” said proud father, Dean Bunker.

“Sleep is very important for Archie to function, so we adjust the routine according to how he is feeling and regularly reinforce the message that winning isn’t everything. He genuinely loves his swimming though and always wants to be on the podium.”

Archie is one of Cornwall’s GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) athletes and benefits from free access to GLL swimming pools locally and nationwide.

Operating under the Better brand, GLL is the no-for-profit social enterprise that runs nine leisure centres in Cornwall on behalf of the council.

In total, 144 Cornwall-based athletes received GSF support worth £92,150 in 2025. 72 per cent of them get no other central funding, more than half are under the age of 21, 27 per cent are under 16 and eight per cent of them live with disabilities.

“Having GSF sponsorship makes a big difference financially as the costs of club membership and training quickly mount up,” said Dean. “It gives us peace of mind to know we can take Archie to the leisure centre pool whenever we want to and that we can also access physio, mental health and sports science support – something that is likely to become more important in the future.

“We’re very grateful for what GLL is doing for Archie through GSF and will definitely be applying for a 2026 award.”