Our amazing teacher Lydia has been teaching with us for 3 years, teaching Baby & Preschool and Swim Academy Classes, everyone loves Lydia's fun personality and friendly aura! We caught up with Lydia to ask her all about swimming...
• When and where did you learn to swim yourself?
My only memory of swimming lessons was when I was at school, around age 6. We’d be in the pool for around half an hour every couple of weeks until a bit of the roof fell into the pool and that was the end of that! I haven’t had any other swimming lessons but my dad used to take me swimming every Friday after school then we’d head to the fish and chip shop and go home and watch Top Of The Pops. A lady saw me swimming there one evening and told my dad to trial me for Ferndown Otters and that’s when I started swimming competitively around aged 9.
• What did you do before teaching swimming?
I was a manager for the L’Oréal group working for Urban Decay and Lancôme. Could not be more different from what I do now where I spend half my life with wet hair!
• How does it feel to be nominated as Star Teacher by your customers so many times?
Wonderful! I absolutely love my job but as a customer, you would never know the amount of work that goes into each lesson. I spend hours preparing each week and the majority of this time is after 10 pm when my children are finally asleep and I’m trying to stay awake myself! So hearing your feedback and kind words mean a lot (and gives me the will power to say no to love island)!
• What’s your favourite pool to teach at?
The pools I teach in are all so different. I like them all but I do love teaching at Hallmark Carlton Hotel especially for Baby and PreSchool lessons. The pool isn’t huge but that doesn’t matter in fact I think that’s a bonus. My favourite part of the job is getting to know my customers and when we are in a smaller space the lessons automatically become more social and we have lots of fun. I’ve seen lots of friendships form there which is lovely and so important especially when you’re a first-time parent.
• What’s been your funniest moment in the pool?
I won’t go into too much detail but it was Pyjama Week and not everyone got the memo about wearing swimwear under their pyjamas so at the end of the lesson when I asked parents to take their pyjamas off (to avoid wet changing room floors) we had an awkward moment. Luckily this person saw the funny side because I was trying so hard not to laugh I was almost in tears!
• What would you say to someone thinking of starting baby swimming lessons?
Go for it! There are so many reasons why baby swimming lessons are important. Of course, we want them to be confident, effortless swimmers with a respect for the water but we also love getting to know you! If you’re looking for something to do with your child that’s in a group setting but also teaching them important water safety skills too then you should come along and give it a try. We don’t just have mummies and daddies swim with us - we have lots of grandparents, aunties and uncles too!
