Volunteering to Vocation: Wendy’s Inspirational Path to Becoming a Swimming Teacher after 50
At 51, Wendy discovered a passion for being a swimming teacher, despite never having lessons as a child. Wendy found that both learning to swim and pivoting her career in adulthood has brought her unexpected happiness and confidence.
Wendy explains:
“I never had swimming lessons as a child and wasn’t a good or confident swimmer. I could only manage a very basic breaststroke with my head above the water.
“When I had children of my own it was important to me that they learnt these lifesaving skills and were not afraid of being around water as I was. My children loved to swim and joined a local swimming club. During this time I started to volunteer at the swimming club and learnt to understand more about the value of swimming. At this stage I still couldn’t even put my face under the water, so I decided to undertake adult swimming lessons.
“My swimming lessons inspired me and, along with the confidence gained through volunteering, in 2013 I decided to get my Level 1 Swimming Teacher Qualification and my Level 2 the following year. However, on qualifying I was still teaching as a volunteer.”
In 2022 Wendy’s family relocated to Wiltshire and she took voluntary redundancy from her 20-plus year career as a data analyst.
Wendy says:
“It was a real change for me when I moved to Wiltshire. I didn’t want to travel far to work so I initially started teaching swimming as a stop gap, but found I really enjoyed the flexibility and the challenge. Now I work as a teaching assistant in a local secondary school and in addition work as a swimming teacher.
“The last couple of years haven’t always been easy for me. Redundancy when you are middle aged is difficult, and sadly I also lost my mother. But teaching swimming has given me confidence and new skills. I love the camaraderie between swimming teachers too and enjoy having a coffee with my colleagues to learn from them. As a teacher, you never stop learning!
“Maybe because I didn’t come from a competitive swimming background, I remain keen and determined to really understand the strokes and how to deliver safe but compelling lessons. I am passionate about sharing the sport and helping others make it a lifelong habit and have already undertaken several Institute of Swimming CPD’s, including Stroke Fundamentals and Aquatic Skills Framework Stages 8-10, which has helped me create a pathway for my learners into competitive swimming and beyond.
“I still wouldn’t say I am a brilliant swimmer. I can’t swim the butterfly stroke for instance, but this doesn’t stop me from being able to teach; it’s more about how you communicate with others, how you transfer knowledge and try to make lessons fun. Teaching swimming isn’t easy, you need to be alert, present and understand the responsibility you have for your learners. I love being with the different ages, from toddlers all the way up to adult swimmers. Hopefully I be able to swim and teach swimming for many more years to come! It’s a job without a shelf life.”
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