Swimming: Carry retires after Olympic finale

DAVID Carry marked his 31st birthday yesterday by calling time on his competitive swimming career and revealing that he is ready to face a new challenge, mixing sport and business.

One of Scotland’s most successful swimmers, the Aberdonian competed in three Olympic Games and three Commonwealth Games – winning individual gold in the 400m freestyle and 400m individual medley in Melbourne 2006. At London 2012, he reached the final of the 400m freestyle.

But yesterday he settled into a new job in the George Street office of the Edinburgh company, Red Sky Management. Carry was on Red Sky’s books during his swimming career and he is now ready to move into the business world.

“I will be working as a business coach, using everything I have learned through sport,” he said. “I will have one-to-one involvement with clients and also go into offices and use my goal-setting and motivational skills. I’ve already done some similar work with Red Sky and am now looking forward to this great new opportunity.”

During the Olympics, Carry hinted that he would extend his career and make it a last hurrah at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. But, after a couple of months of reflection he has decided that London was the perfect swan song. “Making an Olympic final was a long-time dream,” he said. “So I decided it would be best to go out on a high. But I’d love to be involved in some 
capacity with Glasgow 2014.”

Carry has had another huge change in his life since the Olympics. Last month, he married Keri-Anne Payne, the World Open Water Champion, in his native Aberdeen.

“At the moment, Keri-Anne is still staying in our house in Manchester but she will be moving to Edinburgh,” said the now former Stockport Metro man. “She has still to decide on her swimming future. But this is an exciting new chapter for us both.”

Red Sky’s Directors are the former Scottish rugby international, Rowen Shepherd, and his sister, Rhona, and the client list includes 14 Olympians and more than 20 top-class rugby players.

“David’s effort in developing his business career meant we had no hesitation in offering him a position within Red Sky,” said Ms Shepherd. “We are excited about the knowledge and skills he can bring to the work we do, changing the face of sport and business interaction.”