Our Approach
Our 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. The Swim School also offers adult MASTERS swimming; FITness and Stoke TECHnique classes for all swimmer abilities.
Sarnia Sea Lions 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.”
Our Story
Our Story
The first swimming lessons commenced on 9th January 2013.
The swimmers currently partaking in swimming lessons with the Sarnia Sea Lions, range in age from approx. 4 months to over 60 years old and are of various swimming abilities – so you really are never too young or too old for us to get you swimming confidently and correctly in the water – whether it be your first time or your hundredth plus time!!
The swimming instructors are all highly experienced and offer top quality swimming lessons for all – they use various techniques and have 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, the Sarnia Sea Lions are able to assist you all.
Meet the Team
Natasha had the idea to set up Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School, LBG 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 5th year of operating!
Natasha
Founder & Director of Swimming (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 (also a keen swimmer, teacher and all round sportsmen). Further she completed the Herm Swim at the age of 11 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 Swim School, LBG and associated services!
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; as well as a 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 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 a founder member of Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School, LBG;
- is the Director and Company Secretary of Sarnia Sea Lions;
- is the Child Protection Officer and Data Protection Officer.
Hilary
Founder & Head of Swimming (Teacher & Coach)
Hilary has been involved with the swimming world in Guernsey off and on for many years and has taught and coached a vast number of swimmers during this time; some of these swimmers having gone on to achieve outstanding performances swimming for their club and Island. Hilary is also a keen swimmer himself but much prefers to swim in the open sea and during May to November you will most likely catch him ‘having a dip’ often at the bathing pools (a place he will tell you he spent many a year learning to swim) or at one of his favourite beaches, Grandes Rocques. Although Hilary is now officially retired, he is enjoying some of his spare time teaching swimming again, and this time with the Sarnia Sea Lions Teaching team. He brings to the Sarnia Sea Lions a wealth of experience from the sporting and swimming world and is always eager and pleased to pass on this knowledge and vast experience to others.
Hilary is fully qualified ASA swimming teacher and coach, and he has also held the top life saving qualifications obtained through the RLSS.
Hilary:-
- is the head swimming coach and teacher for Sarnia Sea Lions
- is a member of the Institute of Swimming (IoS);
- is a member of the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA);
- holds the ASA Club Swimming Coach Award;
- holds the ASA Teachers Certificate for Swimming (now the Level 2 ASA qualification – Equivalent to the STA Level 2 Certificate in Swimming Teaching (and is qualified to teach Diving; Survival & Rescue Skills; and baby & pre School);
- holds the ASA Preliminary Teachers Award (now the Level 1 ASA qualification) – Equivalent to the STA Level 1 Award in Swimming Teaching;
- has been trained in CPR, AED and First Aid
- is a founder member of Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School, LBG (a not for profit charity)
Jean-Paul
Teacher & Coach
Jean-Paul is assisting with teaching swimming at the Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School. He is an established and competent swimmer and during his younger years took part and was very successful in many competitive swimming competitions and has just started this up again! JP also has a keen interest in surfing and has spent many a day in the cold seas waiting for the perfect waves. Although JP is the youngest member of the Sarnia Sea Lions Teaching Team, he brings to the swim school a wealth of swimming experience as well as tons of energy and enthusiasm for the sport. JP has taught his young daughter Alexa-Jade to swim and she loves it as much as her dad!
Jean-Paul:-
- holds the STA Award in Swimming Teaching;
- holds the STA Safety Award for Teachers;
- is a member of the Swimming Teachers' Association;
- is a swimming teacher for Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School;
- has completed Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults training;
- is a member of the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA);
- has achieved The National Pool Lifeguard Qualification;
- has been trained in CPR, AED and First Aid;
- is currently training towards his STA Level 2 Certificate in Teaching.
Marc
Swimming Teacher, Director & Administrator
Marc, our newest member of the Sarnia Sea Lions team is providing support to Sarnia Sea Lions! He is often seen on a Saturday morning either assisting Tasha on poolside or enjoying giving out the end of term badges, certificates and chocolate to the young Sea Lion pups. He also enjoys attending Tasha’s Aquafit sessions, even though there are only a handful of men that attend…..it does not stop him joining the ladies for a complete body work out to fun music! Just recently he has decided to start some swimming training and has ventured on to take part in the teaching and coaching sessions with Hilary. He is training towards his STA Teaching Certificate. Marc is a valued member of the team and joined the Company as a Director in 2016.
Marc:-
- holds the STA Award in Swimming Teaching;
- holds the STA Safety Award for Teachers;
- is a member of the Swimming Teachers' Association;
- is a swimming teacher for Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School;
- is a Director of Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School;
- has completed Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults training;
- is currently training towards his STA Level 2 Certificate in Teaching.
Additional Helpers
Lisa, has provided some part time administration support behind the scenes (and has also helped out with badges and certificates from time to time too!). Lisa, our ‘merging document queen’ helped set up our new database and so all going well we will have some lovely end of term awards to give out on a regular basis!
Mark behind the scenes is responsible for the accounting processes and assisted in the production of the first set of Sarnia Sea Lions Swim School, LBG Annual Accounts, (and will continue to do so on an annual basis). You are not likely to find Mark in or around the swimming pool unless it is on holiday somewhere hot, hot, hot!!
The Sea Lions team is really grateful for all help that has been provided from time to time by those mentioned above, plus plenty more over the years. As well as the continued support of the use of Forest School Pool, and the help from the caretakers.
Next Steps...
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