07 Jan 2018

It’s with great sadness that we have been informed of the passing of a true #TeamBackwell legend: Bjorn Hoffmann, after his battle with cancer.  Bjorn has been one of the most inspirational swimmers that #TeamBackwell has ever had the good fortune to call their own.  His commitment to training and his dedication to the sport of swimming was admired by everyone in the club and beyond.  He set a great example to all the swimmers both in the pool and off and, in 2015/16 whilst #TeamBackwell’s male captain, spurred the team on to victory in Cotswold B final.  Bjorn very much set the stage for the incredible run of successes enjoyed by the team in the last couple of years.

 

His list of personal swimming achievements is also vast and a testament to his hard work and talent in the pool.  In October 2015 he took home the Bronze medal in the 200m IM at the National Masters short course swimming champs in Sheffield, for which he was rightly incredibly proud.   

 

 

The time set in Sheffield remains our Open Boy’s club record for the 200 IM, at 2:24.85, and will be a tough time to beat.  And it’s not just the 200 IM.  Bjorn also still holds a number of Open Boy’s club records in the 400 freestyle, 50 fly, 200 fly and 400 IM - all times that will, no doubt, stand the test of time.  That said Bjorn would only be too delighted were a young swimmer at the club today to set themselves the goal of taking a record from him. He would also be the first to congratulate them if they were to achieve this goal!

 

Bjorn threw himself wholeheartedly into everything he did at Backwell.  There will be many #TeamBackwell swimmers who will have been delighted to have had him on their relay team knowing that, even if they didn’t quite hit the mark, Bjorn was there as their secret weapon -  clawing back places and points for the team in those crucial last legs.  It didn’t matter what relay it was… Bjorn gave it his all…. Even when that relay involved a frog float in the Winter League final of 2015 (which he was also instrumental in the team winning).

 

It was appropriate then that the club came together in October last year, on the request of Charlie Hoffmann (Bjorn’s son), to put on a relay gala in aid of St Peter’s Hospice and its Room To Care appeal - a charity very close to the Hoffmann family’s hearts.  That gala, together with Charlie’s own personal swimming challenge, raised over £5000 for the appeal - an achievement that ranks alongside all of the other amazing achievements of Bjorn’s over the years.

 

Bjorn will be missed by all those of us lucky to know him as a coach, swimmer and above all, friend.

 

The thoughts of all of us, past and present at Backwell Swimming Club are with Cathryn, Charlie and Harry and the rest of the Hoffmann family right now.

 

If you would like to make a donation to the ongoing Room To Care appeal it can be done through this link:  Room To Care Appeal

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