Biography
A five-time Olympian, Mark was the man to beat over 50m in a career spanning more than 20 years.
Mark Foster (born 12 May 1970 in Billericay, Essex, England) is a former butterfly and freestyle professional swimmer. In an illustrious career, Foster won numerous titles and is recognised as one of the most successful British swimmers of all-time.
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Career History
Foster was first selected for the British team in 1985. His first individual breakthrough came in 1990 at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, where he won Bronze in the 50m freestyle. He broke the World Short Course freestyle record four times, the World Short Course butterfly record twice, and set the World Long Course butterfly record with a time of 24.07 seconds.
He has an extensive medal collection winning an impressive six Gold medals from four different World Championships and two Gold medals from the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, 1998 and Victoria, 1994. "I love the challenge of being one of eight lanes and trying to beat the other seven people," he enthuses. "For that 20 seconds or whatever I haven't got a name - I'm just a body going down that pool and trying to get from one end to the other faster than anyone else. We all get on together but for that time you want to kick everyone else's arses!"
Foster was making his fifth appearance at an Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and was given the honour of leading the GB team as the flag bearer.
In May 2009, Mark Foster became patron of The Anaphylaxis Campaign, the UK charity for people with severe allergies. He won £16,000 for the Anaphylaxis Campaign on the Weakest Link Strictly Come Dancing Special. He also won £10,000 for the Campaign by participating in TV show 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'.
Mark was a contestant on the BBC1 programme 'Let's Dance For Sport Relief' as of 20 February 2010 as part of the dance group The Olympians.
Mark also regularly appears on BBC TV regional news and local radio in his role of Ambassador of Pools 4 Schools, a programme run by Total Swimming with the Amateur Swimming Association to increase participation in swimming amongst primary school children.
Achievements
Commonwealth Games:
Two Gold Medals
One Silver Medal
Five Bronze Medals
World Championships:
Six Gold Medals
Five Silver Medals
Four Bronze Medals
European Championships:
Eleven Gold Medals
Seven Silver Medals
Ten Bronze Medals
Trivia
Foster competed in the sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing with professional dancer Hayley Holt He managed to stay in the competition until Week Six when he was voted off by the judges in the dance-off, while they saved Andrew Castle.
He supports Chelsea Football Club.
