Learning to swim — a life defining moment

What do the following 3 women have in common?

Julia — a 34-year-old chartered accountant with a dream of swimming in the warm Ionian Sea as part of a sailing holiday;
Ann — a lady with half an eye on retirement and a dream of snorkelling on a ‘holiday of a lifetime’ in New Zealand and Australia; and,
Tricia — a lady not long able to ‘bear weight’ recovering strength after a motorbike accident a year previously determined to regain her fitness?

We were all united by the will to conquer our deepest fear — water — and we have learned to swim.

It took 10 hours of lessons spread across a cold week in January to achieve the thing that had fazed us all in different ways for our lifetimes. It took me 33 years to want to do something about it (the first step). 33½ years to search out some possibilities — I knew that I wanted to do it intensively (once a week would offer the possibility of too many excuses for not making the trip to the swimming baths). Another 2 months passed until I actually made the phone calls from the numbers displayed on the cutout scraps from the Sunday papers and printouts from Internet searches. I called several swimming schools, but it was the tenderness that caught my imagination with Swalings and kept me talking on the phone for 20 minutes — they wanted to know why I wanted to swim, something about me, and I believed then that they could help. A personal letter and brochure followed in the post the next day, which I stuck to the wall in my kitchen. Another month or so passed, and then I called again and I booked it. They had remembered my call.

I didn’t really think about the course until the week before I was due to head south for Bournemouth to join up with Swalings International School of Swimming. You don’t really worry about the fact that you can’t swim every day, but it creeps up on you every now and then. Like when want to play with your friends/grandchildren in the pool, or you want to go snorkelling with friends on holiday, or you want to cool off in the resort pool to escape from the heat of the day, or you book a sailing holiday because you so want to share in the delight of the whole experience with the love of your life and not be freaked out just by looking overboard.

I was terrified, stressed and tearful over the last few days before I went. All the fears that you have ever experienced about water are alive in your body, holding you, clawing at you. The tightness of the grip sticks at your throat, and you can’t believe that you are really embarking on the challenge of your lifetime. How can you even lean forward and let the water take you? This isn’t a rational debate you have with yourself — its pure emotion, pure fear. You haven’t even put a toe in the water, and you are already beginning to look forward to the end of the week — hoping that you have enough willpower to get you across the 5m width from one side of the pool to the other.

Our instructor, Caroline, had other ideas. She was always supportive, taking us to the edge of our capabilities (but never out of them), making us laugh and joke, persuading us and showing us that we could do it. In 2 hours I had exceeded my expectation from the week, at the end of 8 hours we three ladies were hanging out in the pool, without Caroline, laughing and enjoying the sensation of the water. Floating, gliding and swimming in our own water world, like other people who had been in water all of their lives. At the end of 10 hours we each had a swimming badge (award) to commemorate our success, our own trophies which we will wear and admire with pride. Leaning forward in the water was no longer a threat.

Do I regret not doing it earlier? No, I am relishing the uplifting feelings without wanting them dashed by regrets, and because the time is right now, and not before. It is the single greatest achievement of my life — harder even than my accountancy exams because of what I have had to face in order to be there. It is so immensely enjoyable, exhilarating and unbelievably liberating.

“Thank you so much for giving Emily the award. She is very very pleased and we are very proud. It is amazing to see both Emily and William swimming so well and enjoying being in the water.

It means a lot to me to be able to take my children to swimming lessons where they are happy, safe and making good progress. Thank you to both of you for running such an excellent swimming school.”

Kate Keats

“Following the recent birth of our daughter, Elizabeth, or Widget, as she’s known to me, I was very keen to introduce her to swimming as soon as possible. [...]

Swimming is such an important skill for children to have both for safety and so they can fully enjoy the social activities they may encounter in their lives. The sooner they start the better and I would have no hesitation in recommending Swalings for getting children confident in the water at the earliest opportunity.

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Andy Thompson

“Dear Gerry and Caroline,
I’d like to express my gratitude for your outstanding swimming schools and classes. [...]

I am so grateful for your outstanding teaching standards and professionalism. They helped both my wife and I to relax and enjoy helping our 4 month old daughter Leela swim under water in her first lesson! What was amazing was that we did not feel nervous… we were excited.”

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Krishan Ramyead

“Great swimming lesson today Zoë, Thank you ! Such fun ”

Tonya Norris

“Isn’t she just the best! Nobody else in the world can even come close to you guys at Swalings. You all make such a great team and do an amazing job!”

Lucy Mealing

“Hi Gerry, I had a most amazing week, thank you very much. You were right it, it was more than a residential swimming course, it has made me think differently about various aspects of my life.

It was quite interesting how you managed to make me focus on where I was going and not worry about how I was going to get there — I keep reliving that specific part of the course because it was so relevant to me.

Many thanks to yourself and Alex.”

Sue Chapman

“We have been so delighted with the progress that Toby has made in just the last 6 months, since starting in January. Thank you to you all for your care and teaching. We have been especially impressed by Zoe’s guidance, care and firm gentleness with Toby. Please pass on a huge thank you to her and Molly.

Our hope, when booking Toby into your programme was that he would gain in confidence and be able to swim without any aids. He has now achieved this — we’re so impressed. Thank you.”

Meg and Chris Brockway

“Gerry, I was so very proud that I was using all the skills you taught me on my recent residential swimming course and my English friend Sheila was amazed that I was swimming ahead of her — you see I learnt from the best expert of all time!

I still have a real sense of good feeling having mastered (getting there) some of your fantastic swimming strokes. Thanks Gerry.”

Tessa Dissanayake, London, UK

“We visited Antigua with our 28 month old son, Freddie, in December 2009 and stayed in a villa with a private pool. Prior to our trip Freddie was not very confident, or happy in the water and had not had swimming lessons back home.

Over the course of our 2 week holiday, Zoë came to our villa 5 days/week for a 30 minute session each time. To say Freddie did not enjoy the initial session was an understatement, but thanks to Zoë’s immense patience and experience she soon won him around and day by day his confidence increased and his fear vanished. Apart from having fun in the pool — collecting rings from underwater, jumping in etc., Zoë also taught Freddie some invaluable life saving skills which were put to the test when Freddie fell in the pool one afternoon. My husband and I rushed to help him but he pushed us away and got back to the steps unaided. The transformation in Freddie was fantastic to watch. In such a short space of time he morphed into a true water baby and we found ourselves having to entice him OUT of the pool! It’s so lovely to see him enjoying himself and we’re determined to keep the momentum going…”

A and K Whittaker Hertfordshire, UK

“We have just returned from our second visit to Antigua this year — with our four young grandchildren. They all had 8 days intensive swimming lessons with William, Duncan and Zoe and within four days, the two 4 years olds were swimming like little fish, the 2 year old is 90% there and the 1 year old, well she just laughed her way through her lessons! It speaks for itself, there are no other swimming teachers anywhere to match Swalings; their kindness, patience and professionalism is outstanding! Can’t wait for Easter to return and watch them progress. A big x to you all from Casey, Theo, Cody and Bella.”

J. Holloran

“Thank you ever so much for organising the baby sitting for, us the service was brilliant. Permutis was lovely and gave us both confidence to go out and relax. It made our holiday that much nicer to be able to enjoy a few hours as a couple. We thoroughly enjoyed Antigua and will definitely come back again in the future. In the mean time if I know of any friends or family that are going I will recommend your service.”

P. Sandy of UK

“‘Thanks’ is not a big enough word to express how grateful I am to you for teaching me to swim. It’s only since I’ve been back home I realise that coming on the Swalings swimming course was one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself, and I’ve enjoyed going to my local swimming pool by myself and having fun in the water without the fear I had before, I know now that all the tears and tension of the week was all worth it. Learning to swim has given me much more confidence in my abilities and hopefully the courage to try new things will stay with me. So, thank you again for all your patience, understanding and support, and for making what seemed at first a daunting week into one I will always look back on as being a lot of fun.”

C. J. of Glasgow

“Caroline, an absolutely amazing week in making an achievement of a lifetime. Many thanks for unleashing my swimming potential.”

J. W. of London

“It was hard to express how elated I felt at the end of that week, I returned home with the one thought that I was going to continue swimming and build on the things I had learnt. I’ve now joined a local swimming club which has a nice quiet pool, we have already been three times and I am trying very hard to take your advice to stay relaxed in order to improve my breathing, but the most important thing is that I am enjoying being in the water, which is something that I could have only dreamed about before coming to Bournemouth. I’ll stay in touch and let you know how I am progressing, but I will be forever thankful to you for your understanding, patience, but most of all your teaching, of not only physical but mental ability.”

M. P. of Reading

“You may recall my daughter and I came on one of your courses in Bournemouth last October. I Just wanted to say a big thank you for giving me the confidence to get into a swimming pool, I now do aqua aerobics twice a week and thoroughly enjoy it… amazing since 12 months ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of going near a swimming pool. My only regret I didn’t come on one of your courses sooner.”

Mrs S. of St. Helens

“A very big thank you for all the help and encouragement you gave to me with swimming. What a wonderful feeling it is to know at last, I can get my feet off the bottom and swim. This last week I have been to the swimming pool with a neighbour. This was fun for me. I feel I did OK but look forward to more practice and hope to progress. Three of my friends would like to see your brochure (all non-swimmers). They feel if you can teach me they have a good chance!”

C. of East Grinstead

“Just a short note to say ‘thank you’ very much for all the kindness and patience shown on my swimming tuition course last week. I know that what I achieved wouldn’t have been remotely possible without you. Last week was a real milestone for me to conquer. I am determined to go as often as possible to the swimming pool and learn to enjoy being in the water and practising all that you have taught me. Every time I ‘scrape that bowl’ or ‘spear that fish’ I know you’ll be there with me. Once again many thanks.”

I. of Horsham

“The best swimming teachers are those that put the individual first. Swalings staffs were excellent listeners, careful observers, and know their subject thoroughly. They lead by excellent role modelling and have wonderful patience and positive confidence that they pass on to the pupil in a unique way. A wonderful week. I can see how you are leaders in your field, Thank you.”

Mrs J. S. of London

“Caroline’s attention to detail and swimming tuition was first class an unusual experience in today’s society. All our goals were achieved over the week. Excellent thank you.”

Mr and Mrs P. of Tunbridge Wells

“We really enjoyed our time at your swimming school and would have loved to have similiar classes where we are now.”

“Well done Swalings… keep up the good work, my two have certainly learnt lots with you…

“I was very pleased to receive your email about being awarded the STA Mark. Congratulations to you all, it is a wonderful achievement for the swim school. Our daughter Ruby Moore who swam with you earlier this year is back into lessons in Australia. With thanks to you people she has already progressed to another level. She is doing really well, and her teacher is very happy with her ability for her age.”

“I think you all do such a sterling job!”

“Ben has enjoyed the swimming lessons so much he doesn’t want to leave, he wants to take you with us! We will be back with Swalings in no time!”

“She loves every minute of swimming class and never wants it to end!”

“I’ve never seen such a fantastic group of swimming teachers. You guys are all great.”

“Unbelievable, she went from non-swimmer to a fish in one term. I’m so happy. Can you please come over here and start up swimming and soccer lessons? My kids miss you guys so much.”

“Thanks guys so much for all you’ve done for Max and Danike. Antigua don’t realise how lucky they are to have you guys out there! We are struggling to find such good swimming teachers in Manchester.”

“I just thought I would let you know how one of your young pupils is getting on. Do you remember teaching Raife and Scarlet to swim prior to emigrating to Australia in Sept ’06 in a crash course Saturday mornings? Raife, now 7, and Scarlet, 5, have both kept up swimming and have been pleased with their progress.

“Well, we entered Raife in a school swimming carnival (300 kids). Most of his grade are 2 years older than him and to our delight he did so well. He entered three races and had two thirds and a first position.

“On the way home he said, ‘Do you know why I did so well, it’s because of that man who taught me how to swim in England.’ He said, ‘He was very strict, but I think he was very good teacher, I still remember all the things he taught me.’ I thought you might like to hear how well he is doing.”

Steve

“Just a note to express my sincere thanks for the excellent tuition I received on my recent swimming improvement course with Swalings at the Bay View Court Hotel in Bournemouth. I felt I took a massive step forward in relation to my initial ambition to improve my swimming stroke, in order to use swimming as a training aid to my fitness, and this was solely down to the expert instruction and personal attention I received from Caroline during the week. I would not have dreamed of such progress at the beginning of the week, and perhaps for the first time in my life, I am actually looking forward to every opportunity i can conjure up to get into the pool and swim.

It was also a great pleasure to witness the progress made with the non-swimmers and swimmers with confidence issues on the course, and it is a testament to the professionalism of Swalings that they were able to overcome their fears and enjoy the week, whilst making great strides forward. I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year sometime, when I will bring my son down to Bournemouth for a course, and perhaps do a refresher myself.”

Dave Jackson

“Good, solid swimming instruction delivered in a fun way — Gerry and Caroline’s passion for swimming is infectious!

The children have gained so much confidence since joining Swaling’s.”

Julie Clarke

“My kids love the sports lessons, but it’s too far to drive. Can you move to English Harbour?”

“We are very sad to be leaving the island, we’ve been with you since the beginning and it’s been fantastic to see you guys grow and achieve such a great team and sports school. The kids are already asking to come back! I can’t say thank you enough!”

“You sports guys are wonderful — always so friendly and welcoming, very accommodating with any request.”

“I always find Swalings babysitting service reliable, accommodating and always happy to help. Also it’s good to know that at a moment’s notice they are ready to step in and help. Friendly and approachable sitters, smart and professional appearance, and I have no problem leaving my 9 month old son with them. I know I can go out in the evening and relax and enjoy myself as I know he is in more than capable hands, and as a parent that means the world!”

“Can you thank Sally for us, we had a great night last night she was really great with Mathew. We were so worried before leaving him with a babysitter, its so great to be able to go out and not worry, thanks again.

Mr and Mrs Walcott

“Initially we were dubious about leaving our son with a babysitter whilst overseas, but having met and spent some time with our designated sitter (who remained the same throughout our stay) all our worries vanished. Natalie arrived on time, in a Swalings uniform with timesheets to hand, all of which inspired our confidence in the professional nature of the Swalings operation. Natalie was so warm and friendly, and with two little boys of her own, she knew all the tricks of the trade when it came to keeping Freddie entertained and distracted from the fact that Mummy and Daddy were off out on the town!”

A and K Whittaker Hertfordshire, UK