Search the Community

Keri-Anne Payne (born 9 December 1987) is a British swimmer, specialising in marathon open water swimming, and long-distance freestyle swimming in the pool. She is a two-time World 10 km Open Water champion, and an Olympic silver medallist. Payne was born in Johannesburg, South Africa to British parents, who registered her birth at the British Consulate. She started swimming aged four, and was noticed aged eight by British Swimming's national performance director Bill Sweetenham at a training camp in South Africa. As a result, the family returned to the UK to live in Heywood, Greater Manchester, when she was 13. Joining Stockport Metro, she has been coached since by Sean Kelly. Having broken British junior 800m freestyle record in 2002, Payne's central financial support was cut after she failed to win a medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. As a result, Kelly suggested that she tried open water swimming, allowing her to access additional central funding. She represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 200m and 400m individual medley swimming events as well as the 10 km open water event, in which was placed second and won a silver medal for Great Britain. At the 2009 World Aquatics Championships, held in Rome, Payne won the 10km swim. She finished first in a time of two hours, one minute and 37.1 seconds. In 2011 in Shanghai, Payne reclaimed the World Championship in the 10 km Open Water event, becoming in the process the first British athlete in any sport to confirm qualification for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Payne took part in the 10 km swimming in the London 2012 Olympics and finished fourth, four seconds behind the winner. Payne trained at British Swimming's Intensive Training Centre at Stockport's Grand Central Pools. There she meet fellow swimmer David Carry, whom she married on 15 September 2012 in Aberdeen. The couple lived in Heywood, Greater Manchester, but in light of Carry's retirement from competitive swimming and in preparation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, after their wedding they relocated to the Scottish capital where she joined Warrender Baths Club.