Natasha's Approach
The aim of Sarnia Sea Lions is to promote the teaching and practice of swimming by offering the opportunity for children from 4 months old and upwards to learn to swim; to learn to swim better; and to improve general swimming fitness and water safety awareness.
Natasha has established a working relationship with the Swimming Teachers’ Association (“STA”) who is a registered charity and internationally recognised organisation that currently has over 8,000 members. The STA is the world’s largest independent swimming teaching and lifesaving organisation, and delivers the highest quality training across four key business areas – Swimming Teaching, Lifesaving, First Aid and Leisure Management.
Sarnia Sea Lions aims to maintain and foster and develop the objective of the STA, which is
“The preservation of human life by the teaching of swimming, lifesaving and survival techniques.”
Sarnia Sea Lions
The first swimming lessons commenced on 9th January 2013.
Natasha is highly experienced and offers top quality swimming lessons – she uses various techniques and has the upmost of patience to offer – so for the ultimate nervous swimmer – to the novice swimmer – to the swimmer who wants to perfect their techniques to a better standard, Natasha is able to assist you all.
Natasha had the idea to set up Sarnia Sea Lions and in January 2013 the idea came to fruition. Sarnia Sea Lions continues to evolve to offer various aquatic activities and is now in its 10th year of operating!
Natasha
Founder & Owner of Sarnia Sea Lions
(Teacher, Coach, Instructor & Tutor)
Tasha has been involved in swimming from a very early age, and in fact completed the Castle Swim at the young age of 5 years old, with armbands, alongside her father Hilary (who was also a keen swimmer, teacher and all round sportsmen). Further she completed the Herm Swim at the age of 10 years; and then went on to complete the Herm swim again at the age of 17 years in just under an hour!
Natasha, aside from being a keen sea swimmer (and will tell you she still is!) progressed through the various teaching and training lanes with the Guernsey Swimming Club to become the competent swimmer she is today, as well as a competitive swimmer who has swam for the island on several occasions throughout the past years.
After completing her studies in Guernsey, she attended University where she continued with her swimming training during her first year but after committing to training for such a long period of time she hung up her swimming costume in order to focus more thoroughly on her studies and other activities. Natasha became a qualified teacher in 1997 and commenced working as a part-time teacher at the Guernsey Grammar School, as well as at the same time diving back in to the swimming world by teaching much younger children enrolled with the Beau Sejour Swim School. Once Natasha became a full-time member of staff at the Grammar it was difficult to continue with her swim school teaching so it came to an end.
Natasha has since excelled in the business world and was working as a Compliance and MLRO Officer; and more recently was juggling working as a part-time administration assistant at The Ladies’ College with running Sarnia Sea Lions! She had always liked the idea of establishing and running her own business so took the plunge to combine her business skills with her love of swimming and teaching, in order to establish the long overdue Sarnia Sea Lions!
Natasha says, “I love the feeling you get when a person you are teaching (whatever it maybe that you are teaching them) suddenly ‘gets it’! I like the challenge of departing information that I know, in a way that will allow another person to grasp it! In the world of swimming teaching there is nothing better, in my mind, than the feeling you get when a child or a very nervous adult successfully enters the water and swims for the first time on their own. It makes all the hard work and patience worthwhile. Also the joy on the parents’ faces when they see their child improve their swimming ability is fabulous”
Natasha:-
- holds a Masters degree in Corporate Governance;
- holds BA(Hons) degree with Qualified Teacher Status;
- holds the STA Aquatic Swimming Tutor Award;
- holds the STA Prof. Certificate in Teaching Swimming;
- holds the STA Level 2 Certificate in Swimming Teaching (and is qualified to teach Diving; Survival & Rescue Skills);
- holds the STA Level 2 Baby & Pre School Certificate in Swimming Teaching;
- holds the STA Level 2 Cert. in Aquatic Teaching – Aquacise;
- has the ASA Preliminary Teachers Award (now the Level 1 ASA qualification) – Equivalent to the STA Level 1 Award in Swimming Teaching;
- holds the STA Safety Award for Teachers;
- completed the STA Advanced Resuscitation Training;
- completed National Rescue Award for Swimming Teachers;
- completed the STA Pool Emergency Procedures qualification;
- has achieved The National Pool Lifeguard Qualification;
- has been trained in CPR, AED and First Aid;
- holds the “Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults” STA certificate; and Guernsey equivalent
- has completed the STA Customer Care Unit;
- has completed the STA Course Administration Unit;
- has completed the STA Risk Assessment Training;
- has achieved the Bronze Medallion & Award of Merit;
- has achieved RYA/MCA Small Craft Basic Sea Survival Course
- is a member of the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA);
- is a member of the Institute of Swimming (IoS);
- is a member of the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA);
- is a member of the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS); and
- is a qualified Junior Lifeguard Instructor;
- is the founder and owner of Sarnia Sea Lions;
- is the Child Protection Officer and Data Protection Officer.
Next Steps...
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