Tributes To Timperley Olympic Hopeful

6 February 2013, 11:27 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Tributes are being paid to a talented swimmer, who had hopes of making the next Olympics, after her death at home in Greater Manchester.

16-year-old Chloe Waddell went into cardiac arrest on Sunday morning and died in hospital, despite efforts to save her.

Only the day before Chloe had won an Outstanding Achievement Award for swimming and was tipped to be part of the GB squad for the 2016 Olympics.

According to reports her parents tried desperately to save her after finding her unconscious at their home in Timperley.

Her parents David and Fiona Waddell paid this tribute-

"We are devastated. Chloe was exceptionally outgoing, extremely popular and had a wonderful smile - she was always smiling at all times and she had a kind word for everybody at all times. 



"There was never a dark day for Chloe, everywhere she went she had lots of friends. She was charming and polite, accepting and encouraging. 
"She worked incredibly hard. She loved swimming, she was very focused on it and she wanted to go as far as she could. She was also bright academically, everything she did she gave 100 percent. We are very proud of her." 


Chloe was a pupil at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, whose headtacher Mary Speakman paid the following tribute:

"Everyone at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls and the Bright Futures Educational Trust is shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic news about Chloe. 

"She was a truly gifted student, who was a valued and highly regarded member of our school community. 

"She was an exceptionally talented swimmer, who had real prospects of a place on Team G.B. for the Olympics in Brazil.

"Chloe will be sorely missed by all of us.  Our thoughts are with her family at this difficult time.

British Swimming, the national body which oversees the sport, has described the teenager as one of Swim Trafford's most promising young stars.

During her career in the pool Chloe competed at the National and British Championships in the 200m, 400m, 800m Freestyle & Open Water events and was also selected to attend British Swimming talent camps.

James Stannard, Swim Trafford’s Head Performance Coach said he was "deeply saddened and shocked" by the loss of Chloe "as a small squad, this news has rocked us".

Mark Perry, Interim Technical Lead for British Swimming said:

“Our thoughts go out to Chloe’s family and friends at this sad time for the swimming community.

“Chloe will be missed by all.”

Mark Rose, Head Coach of the City of Manchester Aquatics team coached Chloe as part of the Manchester Beacon Programme and he paid tribute to the young swimmer.

"Chloe swam at the Manchester Beacon and was a hard working, self motivated individual who always walked in with a smile on her face," he said.

"Chloe and her coach James Stannard, were a great partnership who worked exceptionally well together as they developed Chloe's performances and skills in and out of the water.

"Her positive frame of mind at all times is a credit to her family, her coach, James and her team at Trafford.

"She will be sorely missed and all of us here at Manchester have her family and her team mates are in our thoughts."

The 16-year-old had been at a swimming awards ceremony on Saturday before going to a party at a friend's house.

Police said the cause of death was not yet known but there are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances.

A police spokesman said: "At about 8.30am on February 3 2013, police were called by the ambulance service who had attended a house on Bryons Drive in Timperley.

"Paramedics were there to treat a 16-year-old girl who had gone into cardiac arrest. She was taken to hospital but sadly died."

The spokesman said that Chloe had slipped and cut her lip at her friend's party, but described it as a "minor injury".