Fife's elite performance swimmers are guaranteed a competitive edge thanks to a unique land-based training programme being delivered at Pitreavie Athletics Centre – the first of its kind in Scotland.

The specially-designed programme is led by Fife Sports and Leisure Trust – the region's leading provider of sports and leisure facilities – and offers the next generation of performance swimmers dry-land training to complement their sessions in the pool.

Already benefiting from the programme are two of the region's strongest swimming squads, Carnegie Swimming Club and Fife Performance Squad, as well as the newly-crowned men's Scottish Water Polo Champions, Dunfermline Water Polo Club.

In collaboration with Fife Council and with support from Scottish Swimming, Sport Scotland Institute of Sport (Tayside & Fife), Fife Sports and Leisure Trust is delivering a six-month pilot to provide structured strength and conditioning training for the performance athletes from the three squads.

The programme has been designed by the Trust's lead strength and conditioning coach, Mike McKechnie, he said: "The programme aims to improve overall performance of the athletes by concentrating on strength, conditioning and performance.

"It is the first time a leisure trust has offered this kind of tailored training for local athletes and makes it unique in Scotland. We are very fortunate to have a facility like Pitreavie Athletics Centre in Fife where we can offer the facilities and staff expertise to support local athletic talent."

The programme has won praise from national swimming and sports bodies for its approach.

Colin Robertson, Institute Network Manager and High Performance Manager for Sportscotland Institute of Sport, Tayside & Fife, said: "Supporting a culture of organised strength & conditioning for aquatics in Fife to help the clubs progress athletes to higher levels is a first class project. The programme, led by Fife Sports & Leisure Trust and supported by Fife Council, will help young athletes to commit to an organised, and managed, strength & conditioning programme." 

 Ally Whike, national performance director of Scottish Swimming , said: "This is something we have been looking for in swimming for a considerable time – so important to develop land-based elements in the swimmers pathway. What we hope will happen is that the foundations will be laid more effectively and we can build on this as the swimmers progress towards the performance level. Land conditioning is such an important part of injury prevention, coordination, technical development, reaction and speed."

 Jen Henderson, sports development, Fife Council, said: "Fife Council is extremely proud and excited to provide assistance to Fife Sports and Leisure in the development of this ground breaking dry-land programme of support for performance swimming and water polo within Fife. Swimming and water polo have always been strong and successful sports within Fife, providing a number of athletes toward the National Performance Structure, and with such an innovative and forward thinking programme of development, we are hopeful that the next generation of performance swimmers can be assisted with their development, further highlighting Fife as a hot bed for performance swimming and water polo."

Photograph: Katie Johnstone, Fife Performance Squad training at Pitreavie Athletics Centre