Alex Dakers

Journalist

United Kingdom

I'm a freelance journalist based in London, with experience across a variety of news desks at multiple national newspapers.

Currently I'm working most regularly at The i Paper (inews.co.uk) - the UK's youngest national newspaper - where I have written and edited for the breaking news, sport, SEO, culture and comment desks, including as a live blog reporter.

I was previously a dedicated sportswriter across all sports for another national newspaper, the Cayman Compass, and I have bylines in publications including NBC Bay Area, the Pacifica Tribune, Swimming World Magazine and SwimSwam Magazine.

While completing my master's degree in Journalism (with a data journalism focus) at Stanford University ('23) I was a staff writer for The Stanford Daily's sports section, where I used my experience as a national team level athlete and university performance team member to provide in-depth coverage of the university's renowned swimming and diving programs.

I also have a bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Bath ('22), which fuels my desire to improve the way science and health news is reported in the media.

Please don't hesitate to get in touch with any story ideas as well as freelance writing, editing, copywriting or similar opportunities (remote or otherwise) - you can find me on Twitter (@dakers_alex) or LinkedIn, or email me at: [email protected]

You'll find categories to filter my work below.

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Portfolio

Highlights

The Stanford Daily
03/15/2023
Why relays could be crucial to women's swim success at NCAAs

An in-depth data analysis of No. 3 Stanford women's swimming performances ahead of the 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming & Diving Championships in Knoxville, Tenn. this week suggests that the Cardinal could be set to surpass last season's performances in the all-important relay events.

Peninsula Press
12/16/2022
Palo Alto, LifeMoves Set to Begin Construction on Interim Housing for Homeless - Peninsula Press

Fueled by $26.6 million in state funding, the City of Palo Alto and partner organization LifeMoves are charging ahead with their plans for project HomeKey Palo Alto - a large, first-of-its-kind transitional housing site for the city. In a press release, the city said the new HomeKey development will provide "a dignified transitional step for unhoused residents on the path to stable housing."

The i Paper - News & SEO desks

Live Blogs and Comment

i Sport

Cayman Compass

Cayman Compass
08/08/2023
Cayman's long battle for 50m pool edges nearer the finish

The Cayman Islands swimming community's decades-long push for an Olympic-sized 50-metre pool is "getting very close" to a done deal, according to Cayman Islands Aquatic Sports Association president Steve Broadbelt.

Cayman Compass
08/07/2023
Olympian Kanza Bodden excels in the water and in life

Kanza Bodden: world champion, comedian, brown belt in karate, puzzle aficionado, lover of Mexican food and, according to swim coach Ryan Mushin, "a jack of all trades" and the "ultimate best friend".

Cayman Compass
07/30/2023
Jillian Crooks finishes World Championships with second national record

Jillian Crooks took second place in her heat of the women's 50-metre freestyle with a time of 25.66 seconds at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, on 28 July. Her time, an improvement of 0.21 seconds on her own national record, moved the 17-year-old up from a starting rank of 44th in the [...]

Cayman Compass
07/28/2023
National record sees Jordan Crooks into another final at 2023 World Championships

Another event, another national Cayman Islands national record and another world championship final for Jordan Crooks, who advanced to the men's 50-metre freestyle gold medal race in Japan with a time of 21.73. Crooks, 21, first knocked three tenths of a second off his old own national record from last summer in the heats of [...]

Cayman Compass
07/27/2023
Jordan Crooks takes seventh in World Championship final

Racing in his and the Cayman Islands' first-ever major long course championship final, Jordan Crooks grabbed seventh place in the World Aquatics Championships men's 100-metre freestyle on July 27.

Cayman Compass
07/26/2023
Jordan Crooks advances to world championships final

Placing sixth in the 100-metre freestyle semifinals in a new national record time, Jordan Crooks has booked a lane in the event's final (scheduled for 6:21am on 27 July) at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. Crooks, 21, sliced more than a second off his previous personal best from this time last year during [...]

Cayman Compass
07/25/2023
Barrowman goes two-for-two in best times on World Championship debut

Another personal best, this time in the women's 200-metre freestyle on 24 July, ensured Cayman's Harper Barrowman finished her World Aquatics Championships debut with a 100% rate of all-time fastest performances. After knocking over a second off her 400-metre freestyle best two days prior, Barrowman, 17, returned to the pool to put up a new [...]

Cayman Compass
07/25/2023
Stone, Brown combine for three medals at 2023 NACAC

Returning home from the 2023 NACAC U23 and U18 Championships in San José, Costa Rica, with a pair of silver medals, Cayman's Andrew Stone proved it's not just about how high you can jump... but also how far you can jump.

Cayman Compass
07/19/2023
Kyffin Simpson races to 4H Le Castellet victory

Cayman motorsport driver Kyffin Simpson and Algarve Pro Racing teammates charged to overall victory at the 4 Hours of Le Castellet race at France's Circuit Paul Ricard.

Cayman Compass
07/18/2023
Cayman earns 18 medals at Island Games

Over six days of competition at the 2023 Island Games in Guernsey, Cayman's athletes claimed 18 medals across swimming, men's basketball, women's basketball, tennis and athletics.

Cayman Compass
07/11/2023
Cayman gymnasts lead gold rush on international debut

Raking in a combined medal haul that stretched into double digits, Igor Magalhaes and Karthik Adapa led the way as the Cayman Islands' first-ever men's gymnastics team placed third at the 2023 Inter Island Games, held 4-8 July in Åland.

Cayman Compass
07/10/2023
Cayman's Holly McLean crowned regional golf champ

Following three days of competition at the 35th Annual Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships, Cayman's Holly McLean was crowned champion of the women's 18-and-under division on 7 July.

Cayman Compass
07/06/2023
Brown blasts Cayman to first medal at 2023 CAC Games

Cayman's Rasheem Brown rocketed out of the starting blocks and onto the podium to claim a silver medal in the men's 110m hurdles at the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador on Wednesday.

Cayman Compass
12/12/2022
Recapping Cayman's collegiate swimmers' mid-season

Representing the '345' in lands as near as Florida and as far afield as Canada and England, many of Cayman's collegiate athletes hit the water across the globe in November for mid-season invitationals - for most, the first big meet of the 2022-23 season.

Cayman Compass
07/21/2022
End of a Pursley era - but a lasting legacy remains

By Alex Dakers, guest columnist It is never easy saying goodbyes, especially when it's to someone who has made such a tremendous impact as David Pursley has, both on Stingray Swim Club and on the Cayman Islands swimming community as a whole.

Multimedia

Vev
HomeKey Palo Alto - a vital next step in tackling homelessness?

By Alex Dakers Your browser does not support this video Panoramic video view of entrance to 1237 San Antonio Rd allotment, Dec. 7, 2022: ( Alex Dakers, Peninsula Press). Peninsula Healthcare Connection clinic and outreach manager Andrew Navarro at his clinic, Dec. 2, 2022: (Alex Dakers, Peninsula Press) Your browser does not support the audio element.

Vev
Stuck Between Four Feet and a Gold Mine

The commission reasoned that the business was not in compliance with aspects of a conditional permit the Williams had asked for to help get their store to comply with aspects of their agreement- including their storefront window size, and repayment of over $20,000 in unpaid fees (largely from 'staff time' charges related to their permit's processing and amendments).

Peninsula Press
11/04/2022
Peninsula Healthcare Connection - a lifeline for growing local homeless communities, looking to...

California's homeless population saw an estimated increase of 22,500 people over the COVID-19 pandemic. The reports that people experiencing homelessness are placed at an increased risk of infectious diseases and also often experience mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - as well as facing addiction challenges with drugs, alcohol or other vices.

Stanford Swimming & Diving

The Stanford Daily
05/24/2023
Tracy Slusser, women's swim and dive coach, to step down

After an 11-year spell which included the Cardinal's 2017-19 three-peat of national titles, Tracy Slusser will step down from her position as associate head coach of the Stanford women's swimming and diving program, Stanford Athletics announced Tuesday.

The Stanford Daily
04/11/2023
Men's swim & dive earns eighth place finish at NCAAs

Following four days of competition at the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center in Minneapolis, Minn., the Cardinal (4-2, 3-2 Pac-12) drew the 2022-23 season to a close with an eighth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming & Diving Championships.

The Stanford Daily
04/04/2023
Women's swim grabs third place at NCAAs

After another unbeaten season and a successful Pac-12 title defense, the Cardinal (8-0, 7-0 Pac-12) claimed the third spot in the nation for the second year running at the 2023 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Stanford Daily
02/27/2023
Stanford women's swim and dive stay Pac-12 champions

Buoyed by season and lifetime bests, as well as a handful of records, the No. 3 Cardinal (8-0, 7-0 Pac-12) carried forward its unbeaten form into the first of two stops this postseason to retain its Pac-12 crown. Greg Meehan's squad and their conference rivals descended on Federal Way, Wash.

The Stanford Daily
02/21/2023
Men's swim & dive falls short against Cal

No. 10 Stanford's men's swimming and diving (4-2, 3-2 Pac-12) ended its regular season Saturday with a 156-142 loss to No. 2 Cal (6-1, 4-1 Pac-12) in a battle across the bay.

The Stanford Daily
02/13/2023
Stanford Women's swim & dive brush Golden Bears aside

Despite a tight affair in the opening stretch of events, No. 3 Stanford women's swimming (8-0, 7-0 Pac-12) pulled clear of No. 12 UC Berkeley (7-2, 5-2 Pac-12), recording a 161-101 victory at the Avery Aquatic Center on Saturday that secured another unbeaten regular season for Greg Meehan's squad.

The Stanford Daily
02/08/2023
Men's swimming & diving wins against Trojans

Men's swimming and diving (4-1, 3-1 Pac-12) outraced the visiting USC Trojans (4-3, 1-3 Pac-12) at the Avery Aquatic Center on Saturday, winning 169-108 in the team's final home meet and penultimate dual meet this season.

The Stanford Daily
01/28/2023
Women's swim & dive brush Bruins aside, continue unbeaten season

With the final scores settled at 176-116, Stanford women's swimming & diving (6-0, 5-0 Pac-12) emerged victorious from their battle against the UCLA Bruins (6-1, 3-1 Pac-12) Friday, bringing their momentum from a winning road trip in Arizona last weekend back home to the Avery Aquatic Center.

The Stanford Daily
01/27/2023
Another meet, and another win, for Women's Swim & Dive

Leaving Arizona with their 2022-23 record now standing at 5-0 (4-0 Pac-12), the Cardinal followed up Friday's triumph over the Arizona State Sun Devils (2-7) with a 169.50 to 99.50 win over the University of Arizona (3-5) on Saturday.

The Stanford Daily
01/26/2023
Duel in the Desert part 2: Men's swim & dive sweep Wildcats aside

After falling to their first loss in 10 dual meets, the Cardinal men's swimming & diving (3-1, 2-1 Pac-12) bounced back in style - an emphatic 190-86 win over the University of Arizona (2-4) on Saturday morning, capping off a weekend of racing in the desert.

The Stanford Daily
01/22/2023
Duel in the desert part one: Men's swim & dive finally fall

The Cardinal men's swimming & diving squad saw their winning streak finally snapped Friday after a hard-fought duel with No. 1-ranked Arizona State in Tempe ended 186-114 in favor of the home side. Riding the wave of nine dual meets unbeaten, Stanford (2-1, 1-1 Pac-12) bore down upon Tempe, Ariz.

The Stanford Daily
01/22/2023
Duel in the desert part one: Women's Swim & Dive see off Sun Devils

Down south in the sun-scorched desert, the women of Stanford's Swimming & Diving squad defended their unblemished 2022-23 record once more, trumping Arizona State University 175-122 on Friday. Against the first of two challengers during their weekend on the road in Arizona, the Cardinal (4-0, 3-0 Pac-12) passed the test - winning 10 of 14 races on the swimming side, as well as both the 1-meter and 3-meter diving events.

The Stanford Daily
01/17/2023
Stanford swim topples Tigers, continues unbeaten dual meet streak

Plunging back into NCAA action after the winter break hiatus, the Stanford men's swim squad (2-0, 1-0 Pac-12) swept aside Pacific with a commanding 179-67 victory on Friday. The win, under stormy gray skies at the Avery Aquatic Center, means the Cardinal men remain unbeaten in dual meets this season, and retain an unblemished all-time record against the Tigers that extends to 13-0.

The Stanford Daily
01/09/2023
Stanford's Curzan, Huske and Ruck shine with 17 medals at Short Course World Championships

While their domestic dominance has been near-unquestionable so far in this 2022-23 collegiate season, the 2022 FINA (recently renamed "World Aquatics") Short Course World Championships served as the setting for the first major international challenge since the summertime for a handful of Stanford's standout swimmers - a challenge that was risen to from start to finish.

The Stanford Daily
MacAlister, Ryan top the podium at Midseason Invitationals

With multiple podium finishes, a handful of event titles, a range of NCAA Championship cuts and a lot of fast swimming (and quality diving), the men of Stanford's swimming and diving squad returned home from their mid-season invitational full of confidence for the rest of the season ahead.

The Stanford Daily
Relay dominance continues as women's swim & dive cruise to midseason titles

With a series of dual meets under their belts showing glimpses of early season speed, the men and women of Stanford's undefeated swimming & diving programs - competing together for the first time since their season-opening victory over Utah - jetted across the country to take part in their heavily anticipated mid-season invites.

The Stanford Daily
10/30/2022
No stopping the Cardinal: Women's swim & dive extends unbeaten start

Friday evening saw the Stanford women's swimming and diving squad travel to Washington State with the aim of extending both their unbeaten streak in the WSU match-up and their unblemished start to the season following a resounding season opening win over Utah. And that is exactly what they did.

The Stanford Daily
10/15/2022
Season opener sees the Cardinal leave Utes in their wake

Stanford's men were quick off the starting blocks to kickstart their 2022-23 season in style with a dominant win over Utah, charging to their largest ever margin of victory over the Utes with a score of 199 to the visitors' 97.

The Stanford Daily
10/10/2022
Stanford Swimming & Diving Season Preview Part 2: The Cardinal Women

Over the offseason, Stanford's women - like adding the cherry on top of an ice-cream sundae, or the finishing edits to a soon-to-be bestselling novel - have slotted potentially one of the best freshmen recruiting classes in history into an existing squad that (save for a few summer departures) comfortably achieved a team podium finish at the 2021-22 NCAA Championships.

Other stories

www.pacificatribune.com
11/22/2022
Cannabis becomes taxing business proposition

Five years after becoming the first city in San Mateo County to permit storefront cannabis businesses, Pacifica is on track to generate its annual target of $825,000 in tax revenue from the industry. That's more than the sales tax it receives from all other industries combined, but that doesn't assure a pot of gold for every entrepreneur who jumps at the opportunity.

Stanford University M.A. Journalism Dissertation
National governing bodies heed calls to address prevalence of mental health challenges in...

The product of close to thirty interviews with mental health professionals, governing bodies, members of the media, coaches and athletes from various levels of their respective fields - from high school and college level to international and professional - to investigate how challenges with mental health might be better addressed in the sport of competitive swimming

Peninsula Press
10/26/2022
San Jose mayoral candidate Chavez pledges to expedite San Jose housing construction - Peninsula...

Santa Clara County Supervisor and mayoral candidate Cindy Chavez said San Jose needs to "build faster and more" to ease the city's housing shortage. To tackle San Jose's housing and homelessness crisis, Chavez wants to expedite construction of affordable units and make it easier for the state to appoint guardians for those on the streets who can't care for themselves.

Peninsula Press
10/22/2022
Community identity on full display at 2022 Bay Area Diwali Festival - Peninsula Press

Cupertino - Scents of decadent food stall delights; enchanting tunes and riveting musical acts; beaming smiles amongst cheerful crowds, and flashes of colours from the elegant sarees, dhotis and other garments adorning so many of the hundreds of attendees who had flocked from far and wide to immerse themselves in the cultural melting pot at Cupertino's Memorial Park.

Bath

Bath Time Magazine
10/02/2022
BUCS to Barcelona: Swimming Year in Review | Bath Time Magazine

Following a tumultuous 18 months of COVID-era 'virtual' competitions, extended lockdown-enforced training breaks and altogether enough time away from the pool to drive any swimmer crazy, the University of Bath's performance swim squad have been making waves across the country - as well as in Europe!

Bath Time Magazine
11/10/2021
Golden Success for Bath-Based Swimmers in Tokyo | Bath Time Magazine

Returning from this summer's pandemic-delayed, eagerly anticipated 2021 Tokyo Olympics with 8 medals (4 of them gold), Team GB's swimmers wrote themselves into the record books with their most successful Olympics performance in history and a swimming medal table placing behind only the historic powerhouse nations of Australia and the USA.

Bath Time Magazine
12/01/2021
Edgie Eats: Behind the scenes of a pretty 'sweet' student-run local business | Bath Time Magazine

Pursuing a challenging STEM degree at university would, one might reasonably assume, not leave a great deal of spare time for hobbies - let alone starting your own successful small business. However, that is exactly what one 21-year-old (now final year) BSc Biomedical Sciences student at the University of Bath has managed to do; and all in the midst of a global pandemic, no less!