Paralympic swimmers competed in Bermuda for the first time over the weekend when they were invited to take part in Bermuda Amateur Swimming Association's Summer Age Group Championships.

Four para-athletes from the Adaptive Sports Programme and a Canadian Paralympic swimmer, Darda Sales, participated on the last day of the event in a 25 metre Open event.

While inclusive swim meets are common in other parts of the world, they had not been held in Bermuda previously.

Ernest Cann placed first in the event, Ashlee Brady-Kelly second, Charlie McMartin third and Jessica Lewis fourth.

Tammalita Astwood, coodinator of the Adaptive Sports Programme, expressed hopes "that Bermuda gets to the point where this becomes a regular occurrence – with swimming and other sports as well."

The Adaptive Sports programme was started at Wind-Reach a year ago and every Saturday those with physical disabilities are made welcome to enjoy a variety of sports.

Once an interest in a specific sport is determined, the programme will partner with an existing association in order to provide opportunities for para-athletes to take part in the sport.

National swim coach Ben Smith said: "It was a successful meet, a good warm-up for our big local meet of the year in two weeks, the Rego Sotheby's National Championships (June 19-21).

"The Adaptive Sport swimmers were very well received and we hope to have them participate again in the future."

Three records broken over the weekend. Megan Lau broke the eight and under 200 metres freestyle mark by seven seconds while Stephanie Myles broke the 11 and 18 400 metres freestyle record by one second.

Morgan Hopkins set a new 15 and 16 200 metres breaststroke record, eclipsing the old mark by seven seconds.

Age group winners (female and male):

Eight and under: Megan Lau and Jacob Robb

Nine and 10: Vanessa Esposito and Mitchell Gariepy

11 and 12: Shana Murphy and Madhg Oshaugnessy

13 and 14: Ashley Yearwood and Kaelan Robinson

15 and over: Eleanor Gardner and Nicole Yearwood; Nathan Frick

n Smith is taking a swim team to Santa Clara, California this week where Roy Allen Burch, Eleanor Gardner, Rebecca Heyliger and Julian Fletcher will take on a number of elite international swimmers.

Gardner and Heyliger will both attempt to qualify for the World Championships. Burch and Fletcher have already qualified.