A RECORD-BREAKING deaf swimmer has been given the chance to excel further in his sport - thanks to the newly opened LA Fitness club in Salisbury.

The sports club has offered Phillip Cheverall (23), of Clarendon, free membership, to give him somewhere to concentrate on his fitness training.

Phillip was born deaf and has spent most of his life focusing on his love of swimming.He took up the sport competitively when he was 11, for the Salisbury swimming club, and since then has gone from strength to strength in competitions specifically for the deaf - where a light is used to start the swimmers - and in open championships.

In the latter, Phillip has the disadvantage of not being able to hear the starting gun, so he has to watch his neighbouring swimmer's toes twitch as they launch in, before diving off the block himself - yet he often wins.

It was not until 1995 that Phillip was introduced to the Deaf-lympics - the Olympics for the deaf, which has the official recognition of the International Olympic Committee.

Since then, he has become laden with trophies and medals from his many successes.

His mother, Angela Cheverall, said: "Phillip has achieved so much and works so hard.

"We are really proud of him."