Sport

RAF swimmer hoping for Commonwealth Games success before training new recruits

20th July 2026 at 11:11am

The RAF corporal will represent Wales in the pool at Games

RAF swimmer Corporal Kyle Booth is competing at his second Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but his first as a Corporal in the Air Force.

In 2022's Birmingham Games, Cpl Booth represented Wales and got into the semi-finals of the 50m and 100m breaststroke races.

After the event, he walked away from competitive swimming and started a career in the RAF, but within the military, the competing bug returned and with the help of the Air Force, he's ready to compete on the big stage again.

"It's really, really exciting," said the aquatics star. "I mean, it's my second Commonwealth Games. I'm hoping I can carry in a little bit of experience from the last Games.

"Prep's been pretty good. I've had a few ups and downs, as all athletes do, so I'm just hoping we can turn up and perform.

"I had a knee surgery prior to the last Commonwealth Games, so I'm hoping, fingers crossed, no injuries now and we can turn up and perform – hopefully pushing the 50m a little bit more to try and make that final.

"I know it's going to be tight. There's eight spaces and I think I'm seeded 9th or 10th so it's going to have to be a little bit of a personal best, I think, to see how we race in the day."

While the improved fitness is a boost this time around, Cpl Booth is hoping his learnings from within the military will help him in Glasgow.

He said: "I think joining the Air Force, I've learnt a lot about myself as well as other training techniques, what works for me, different variations of what can work.

"I finished my Phase 1 and Phase 2 training as a Physical Training Instructor. Then, once I got posted, I found a local club, which it happened to be I knew the coach.

"I then got in touch with people with RAF Swimming Association. I was able to be able to get that time off. They pushed it for me to get the time off to be able to train full-time in preparation for the trials for the Commonwealth Games, so yeah, it's been very difficult around work, but the time off that I've had, yeah, it's been really good."

Many athletes at this year's Games will be targeting medal success to boost their chances at competing at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

But for this RAF swimmer, his post-Games plans are a little different.

"I think after this I'm going to focus on my job going back to Halton training Phase 1 recruits, which I really, really enjoy," he told BFBS Forces News. "It's a lot more fun than I thought it'd be.

"It's an amazing career to have so I probably won't be going for that. I'll probably take another two years out."