Henry is working in his Dream Job; Teaching Swimming Abroad

Henry, a passionate Swimming Teacher whose journey has taken him to incredible places and allowed him to make a lasting impact on the lives of many.

Meet Henry: From Volunteer to Accomplished Swimming Teacher.

Henry’s journey in the world of swimming teaching began as a lesson helper at a swim school in Leicester.

“I really enjoyed working there and helping the kids in the lessons and the teachers thought I showed a lot of potential and that I should be a teacher too!”

Henry gained his SEQ Level 1 and Level 2 Swimming Teacher qualifications and by the age of 17 was a fully qualified Swimming Teacher.

Henry completed his training whilst studying for his A-levels before embarking on a School Sports Apprenticeship and starting his degree in Coaching and Sports Science at University. Each experience contributed to his development but it was the fulfilment he found in teaching children sport which led him on a global adventure.

Adventures abroad to teach swimming

Henry’s swimming teaching adventures took him to Turkey, where he became a Swimming Coach at TUI’s Holiday Village (HV) Turkey.

“I felt very grateful to be one of the Swimming Coaches at TUI’s Holiday Village (HV). This has been my favourite swimming teaching experience, as TUI’s swimming teaching approach places a huge emphasis on fun. As well as being engaging, the lessons are also of a high standard and I remember being amazed after teaching a child in my first two weeks this year, who went from being a non-swimmer to a swimmer inside a week which blew my mind. I remember hearing that this happens a lot during our training week at HV but seeing it in the flesh was something else entirely, and just leaves you really happy at the end of the day when you do go home (which is a great place to be when you’re going back to your accommodation in Turkey)! I love it here so much that I’m back again for 2024 and there’s nowhere I’d rather teach than HV Turkey!

“I also have aspirations of working in other countries for Holiday Village though, and the ability to do this while working in the same hotel ‘concept’ and immerse myself in lots of different cultures is really attractive too as I want to see lots of the world and swim teaching is a great vehicle to help me do this.”

Teaching swimming is so rewarding

Henry continues to explain how rewarding the role can be:

“I think one of the best things is that you see the children improve and know that you have had (a significant) hand in this. It always feels great when you see a child make progress, and progress means different things to different children. For some children it’s perfecting the technique of a stroke they struggle with, for some it’s learning to swim independently but for some (and probably my favourites) it’s when a child goes from having no confidence to enjoying their time in the water.”

“I think it’s really nice too when you do go the extra mile and you see it really pay off as it gives you that really warm feeling inside at the end of it.

“Swimming teaching is a very rewarding job, but the ability to take this skillset and work abroad is incredible. I had the summer of my life last year and grew so much as a person which is really important to me personally, I gained a lot of confidence doing this too. I absolutely loved getting involved with everything such as the Pool Parties, Bing Bong Bingo’s and I even ended up doing the secret singer competition wearing an octopus mask and winning 3 times (which is something I was nervous about to start with but working at HV gives you the confidence to push yourself a little out of your comfort zone if you’d like to). Living abroad is also amazing and there’s nothing quite like waking up in Turkey, which also has its advantages for days off! It really is fantastic working for TUI HV,  I have made friends for life and you become a real family.”

“It’s also amazing to be able to have a lasting impact on the swimmers lives. There was one gentleman in his 70’s I taught, who really wanted to learn to swim and stay afloat for longer and he was incredibly happy that he could by the end of our sessions. I think the ability to put smiles on faces is the main reason I would recommend this career to others and the ability to create positive memories for some of the little ones around water is so rewarding too.

“One of the great things about this career is that it’s given me the belief that I can go and do anything and that it will work out alright! For example travelling around Thailand or applying for and doing a job as an elf working in Lapland.

“If you’re thinking about it then I’d highly recommend and maybe I’ll see you there!”

TUI are currently recruiting Swimming Teachers for Summer 2024. Find out more about TUI career opportunities.

Find out how to become a swimming teacher.