What others are saying

Jake Elson – Ilkeston SC – Revisit 25th June 2013

Dear Kate

Our second visit to Swimtherapy this year and a big thank you this time to Ari for both her patience in explaining the technical nature of the underwater “catch / pull” on Freestyle and Butterfly to our 14 year old son (who often thinks he is doing everything right) and also for helping him put this into practice on the day.
It wasn’t until we watched the DVD back that we could all see the difference in his underwater work and Ari assured Jake that this would make him faster, given his size and strength. He has already been practising the new techniques in training and says he can feel the difference – a recent sprint session put him within 1 second of the 50m Fly County time (which he has never had). This weekend at an Open Meet he knocked a further 2.5 seconds off his 100m Free and a massive 5 seconds off his 100m Butterfly (his previous PBs were only in May 2013!)
To say that these sessions work (and work quickly) is an understatement and I cannot recommend them enough, so many thanks once again and Jake wants to come back for more!

Paula Elson

Alan Erskine – Age Group Triathlete

Hi Nigel, Thanks for another successful session at Swim Therapy. What a brilliant facility – I am a swimming novice but when I come up to Swim Therapy I feel like I am accessing Olympic standard coaching and analysis!

Sheldon & Graydon Tai – Canada

Please extend my thanks to Ari for her most excellent coaching. The boys and I had a productive session. Please extend my thanks to Nigel for the emergency lift to the train station (I mis-timed my call for a cabby).

We are planning a visit to the UK next summer. We will probably stay in Leicester for 3 or 4 days so that we can do 2 days to maximize our visit. I will email you with reservation next spring. Thanks again.

Charles.

11th June 2013 – Emily Walsh Lincoln Vulcans

Hi

Just a quick note to say many thanks for the session last night. My daughter who has been swimming competitively since 10 (now 14) found the session the most useful coaching session she has had in a long time. Her key comments were about the coach – ARIADNA, “she was really amazing”. Her knowledge base in the biomechanics of the stroke analysis and her way of conveying that to the swimmer in terms of correcting the stroke were “superb”. My daughter connected with her and on the way home in the car said she was one of the (if not the) best coach she had ever worked with. Please pass our thanks on to her personally.

Overall the session was such a revelation and Em (my daughter) said that when she saw her stroke she could see why things had become so difficult. It has revitalised her passion for swimming (not that that was lacking) but more importantly given her the tools to drive her times back where they should be.

We really cannot emphasise enough the thanks…..

Nicki Walsh,

Owen Harding – Sutton Swimming Club

This is my sons second visit to Swim Therapy and once again we were equally impressed with the results.
This visit was to concentrate on his back stroke technique and to recap on his breast stroke that he had previously struggled with prior to visiting Swim Therapy.
Wow once again the results and difference in technique was impressive. Owen showed straight away back at his club the difference in his swim style. Many of the other parents have noticed his breast stroke improvement and he has finally achieved his county time. With a number asking how he has changed his style.
Another session is already booked and further ones are planned to be booked.
I cannot recommend this enough if used in conjunction your clubs sets, you will see improved results.
The best part though is the obvious enjoyment I see from my child when he is there and the satisfaction he gets from seeing the results as the sessions are delivered at the correct pace and pitch so that all the detail sinks in.
Thanks once again and we will see you soon.
Darren

Beth Oldham – Penguins

Hi,

Just some quick feedback on this evening’s session.

It was great! Beth really enjoyed the session and the ‘before and after’ was amazing. Beth’s technique improved significantly in just an hour.

The coach was great and her focus on small but simple changes was easy for Beth to apply and we could all see the difference it made.

Your set-up is fantastic.

We shall definitely book a further session in the near future with Ari.

Cheers,

Jason

Bob Clifford

Despite pre-match nerves (would I be the least athletic person ever to have had Swimtherapy lessons?) and work pressures getting in the way of my first lesson and then being ill for the next one, the three lessons I had with Rich proved to be a very positive, enjoyable and useful experience.

My swimming improved at least as much as I’d hoped it would and I think this proves that you can ‘teach an old dog new tricks’ and that anyone can improve and become a half-decent swimmer. For what it’s worth, an ordinary 46 year old –definitely not a triathlete – swam 450 metres in 9 minutes 55 seconds on 31st August and prior to lessons had achieved 9.45 by 31st October and 9.35 by 30th November. For fun, I was measuring myself against the US Navy Fitness Tests for 45 to 49 year olds which measures times for 500 yards (about the same distance). At the end of February after my first two lessons I managed 9.00 and after my third lesson I timed myself at the end of April and swam this distance in 8.46 – an ‘excellent’ time according to the charts. Not world class (!) I know, but a massive improvement for a basic fitness swimmer – previously a heavy smoker and all the rest.

I’d had some lessons at the local pool previously but they had made no difference. I had also tried more than once to find a decent swimming coach for a few lessons but had almost given up bothering when I stumbled across Swimtherapy. I almost couldn’t give my money away before, some coaches not even getting back to me. This was not the case with Swimtherapy. At no point did I get the impression that they were not interested in the ordinary improver and would encourage anyone wanting to enjoy their swimming more to invest in some of these sessions. I thought Rich was excellent and overall would strongly recommend Swimtherapy which I think is very well run.

Ben Hutchinson – Cheshunt SC 23rd April 2013

The reason why I decided to use SwimTherapy was to get Ben to work in high intensity training environment to improve his technique as I believe that teaching technique early is much easier than correcting bad habits later.

I am delighted to say that SwimTherpay have delivered above my expectation and more importantly Ben is very motivated and committed to working with the Swimtherapy team.

In my opinion for any swimmer who wants to develop to their full potential they must integrate SwimTherapy into their training schedule.

All the best

George Kurczij

Jakob Baker – Halesowen SC 22nd April 2013

I would like to comment on the technology and great coaching techniques that Swimtherapy have to offer, combined with a good patient coach it really can improve your swimming technique. Being able to see your stroke technique from above, side and below allows you to see every tiny error with your stroke therefore you can refine your technique just like finely tuning a performance car, after all every competitive swimmer is seeking performance in the pool else what is the point of putting all of that pool time in for !! It may seem quite expensive at first but once you start seeing the results it’s well worth it. My son is now only 12 years old and we have seen massive improvements obviously combined with his club training which is not to be missed out as this is where you put the practice in from what you have seen and learned, as perfect practice makes perfect. I have taken my son several times now and will continue to take him on regular intervals for as long as he swims competitively. I more than recommend the Swimthereapy sessions to any competitive swimmer. Please take note that if you book off peak times it does work out cheaper and once you are on their mailing list you do get offers sent which combined with off peak times can come as a bargain, but you have to be quick to book as the places go rather quickly, missed out on quite a few myself for being a bit slow to reply..

Regards Karl.

Adam Raynes – Nuneaton SC 16th April 2013

Thanks for a good session last Wednesday working on Adam’s breaststroke. He competed at Stockport on Sunday and swam a 1.2 second pb on his 100m breast. Given that he changed his stroke only a few days before, and hasn’t had much of a chance to practise it in training, he was pretty pleased. I’m sure there will be more to come when he’s had a chance to really work on it.

I have booked another session for him, on Wednesday 1st May, to have a better look at his freestyle. I’m sure you can make some improvements there too!

Many thanks, see you soon,
Sue

Ben Withers – Preston – Barracuda

I had heard about swim therapy from someone who had used it previously. I knew that my son needed help with his butterfly as he just hadn’t got it at all, his backstroke also needed some tweaking so I booked a session for the Easter holidays in the hope that swim therapy would help to improve these two strokes. I later spoke to my sons coach who said that we should concentrate on his best two strokes not his worst. I was a little confused at this point as I thought my son had a pretty good freestyle and breaststroke but decided to take the advice and let swim therapy look at these two strokes. I am so glad I did! I soon came to realise that although I thought his strokes were good I soon realised that there was much that could be done to improve them. It was amazing to be able to see underwater views of my sons stroke and to be able to discuss how we could improve his overall technique. The swim therapy team were great, they made my son feel at ease and constantly praised his efforts, by the time we left his strokes had already improved and we were well on the way to winning the next gala he was entered in I was sure. We left with a DVD of the session and a voice over so that we could continue working on making changes when we got back home. We plan to visit again in the next few months to look at his other two strokes once we have completely mastered the ideas already given to us. Thank you so much for what you have already done, the experience was fascinating and well worth it. Can’t wait to visit again.

Rhys Llewellyn – Cosacss Stoke on Trent

Thank you Richard for an excellent session on freestyle. There were so many issues to deal with we simply ran out of time but what a fantastic difference we have seen already. Everyone has commented on how much more streamline my son’s stroke looks in the water. A 13 second pb on a 400 free after one session just confirms what an amazing difference a visit to Swim Therapy can make. As the Terminator would say “We’ll be back” and soon.

Kind regards

The Llewellyn’s

Jake Elson Ilkeston SC

Hi Kate

I have been meaning to send a card / feedback through so thank you for reminding me.

Jake really enjoyed the session (with Rich?) and has watched the DVD several times. His coach also has the copy and is allowing Jake to work on the individual areas highlighted during training. The results from his session in terms of speed were immediate – swimming the freestyle relay 3 days later he knocked over 4 seconds off his 100m PB!

The improvements in his backstroke are visible to everyone and he can feel the difference – not only is he unlikely to get shoulder injuries anymore but feels confident that he can bring back what was once his best stroke. He has not had a chance to race it yet.

It is very likely we will be back for more sessions later this year!

Many thanks and please feel free to use these comments.

Paula Elson

Jim Haylett – Triathlete Sheffield

As a poor at swimming triathlete I found the session massively useful. I don’t go to masters sessions or anywhere that I can get someone to observe my stroke, so having someone video and analyse the bits I can’t see enabled me to understand what i need to change. I have previously gone to the pool and just ploughed up and down getting marginally faster, but probably due to getting fitter rather than better. I now have seen what I am doing wrong and more importantly with the expert advice during the session been able to do it right and know what it feels like to do it right. Before going, I actually thought i had an idea what was wrong with my stroke, which side was my weak side etc but the video analysis was a revelation identifying some things as poor that i thought were ok, and some things as ok that i thought were poor! This is the important benefit of a Swimtherapy session, just because something feels natural doesn’t mean it is right, and of course vice versa.

It has only been a few weeks since my session, but i can already tell the difference and am systematically addressing the many points raised in the session. I will be going back in a few months to make sure i am putting into practice what i learnt and get the next set of issues to be addressed.”

Regards

Jim (Do I get a discount next time for a glowing review!!!!!!)

ST Response – If we are as good as you say we are, we should be charging you more! Lol

Owen Harding – Swimmer Sutton in Ashfield SC

My 8 year son who is currently a club swimmer preparing for next years county championships really enjoyed his swim therapy session. The technical one to one coaching would be very difficult to beat and added to the endless club yardage that he does, he will be certainly better prepared now.
We thought that he had a strong butterfly due to achieving county times already for the age group two years above him yet he was soon shown what he needed to do to go even faster in a manner that was delivered constructively and at the right level.
My son enjoyed it so much that we did not hesitate in booking two further sessions, as the experience was invaluable and money defiantly well spent.
This is is a must for any club swimmer that wants to go faster and improve their technique no matter what their level is.

Hope that helps
Regards
Darren Harding

Claudia Chapman – Sedgefield 75 SC

the two hour session for my 11 year old daughter fit her needs and criteria 100%. my daughter has learning problems with verbal commands and concentration, which is a real problem for her at her local swimming club and in life in general. richard was patient, clear and precise in what he observed and in what he wanted from my daughter. with richard being youngish my daughter could relate to him much better than she can with her current coach. there was never an overload of information throughout the two hour period, which is fantastic for any swimmer. it was all done in incremental steps. only moving on when that particular movement was achieved. the enviroment and one to one coaching like i said earlier suited my daughters needs, no distractions and as a result she thoroughly enjoyed it. which is what it is all about!!! although there is no initial improvement in times as yet on her freestyle, she already looks so much more comfortable, so in time i have no doubt her times will fall. i couldnt find critisism, but my daughter could. she said that at times she became cold as the water was quite cold, but it was a particularly cold day with snow and ice of which no one has any control of. as a sports scientist cold does affect concentration. food for thought may be. to sum it up, Excellent coaching in an Excellent environment. thanks julian

ST Response – Water temp 30.5 degrees, air temp (in pool area) 31 degrees….though freezing outside, so there may have been a draught….we will look into it.

Emma Priestley – Solihull SC 5th April 2013

Kate,

Emma certainly has enjoyed her sessions and if it helps here are our comments.

What a great facility. To be able to see your strokes from 4 different perspectives and receive expert evaluation from the coaches is fantastic. The drills were well explained and the DVD left us in no doubt as to the areas that Emma needs to work on. Since her first session her times in the free style have dramatically improved and she is keen to see how the recent session will have affected her performance for the other strokes!

Regards

Rob

Douglas Fraser – Triathlete

• 1 year ago I swam 1500m in record time of 46 min. Tonight after working 8.30am to 7pm and feeling shattered 34 mins
• 1yr ago 23 or 24 strokes per length. Now started with 18 up to 20/21 and then 23/24 before a big last 6 effort for 21 need to get fitter

So in the course of 1 year I have improved by 12 minutes for a swim of 1500metres. Wow. Quite an improvement and when you bear in mind that back in 2012 I was on gardening leave and able to prepare for the swim perfectly and in 2013 I had been at work from 8.30 till 7 it really hammers home the improvement. The other difference was in how I felt afterwards. In 2012 swimming any further was nigh on impossible whereas now I could go further. I don’t know if I can take another 12 minutes off in the next year but I’m sure I can improve to sub 30 minutes.

Looking forward to seeing you on the 5th of March.

John Harrington

Hi Nigel

Just to thank you and the team (particularly Richard) for yesterday’s session

I sat down last night to make a list of things where I can improve – but a sheet of foolscap was hardly big enough! And I haven’t watched the scary DVD yet!

However, for the first time in a long time I was really enthusiastic about going to the pool this morning and lo and behold instant results. Without trying overly hard my 100 was 4 seconds faster than I have been swimming recently. I even managed several lengths without my security blanket aka pullbuoy. I am sure that this improved time and my visit to you are not coincidental!

So, lots to work on, but lots of encouragement. PB’s at 64 – why not?!

I shall spread the word and hope to encourage a few of my fellow pool users to make the journey north. In any event I shall book another visit to you in a few months.

Regards

John Harrington

Andy Griffin Triathlete

Hitting a performance plateau some 4+ years ago and in an attempt to improve, I’ve attended weekend training sessions with a past Olympic champion, a coach with more than his fair share of elite triathletes, as well as video analysis sessions with three ‘220’ coaches of the year and an international triathlon swim coach. All these sessions were informative but did not unlock my potential (measured by efficacy and speed) which I know I have. Swim Therapy was my last throw of the swim improvement dice.

The Swim Therapy session was very professionally done, and for me the best in my experience. While it did not highlight anything significantly new regarding analysis of my stroke, what worked really well for me was the approach, which included instant feedback, gaining the ‘feel’ of what’s right, and my personal DVD having excellent commentary.

I record all my swim sessions with a Pool-Mate Pro so I have objective data to compare my performance before and after my Swim Therapy session. With my swim motivation reignited, I hit the pool over the Christmas break almost daily, once twice in one day (never done before), and focused on the drills preceded; I was able to replicated the ‘feeling’ I gained during my session. Within two weeks I was swimming consistently with greater efficiency and speed at a lower rate of perceived effort. Still quite a bit more to be done so I’m expecting much more improvement

I’ll be a regular visitor to Swim Therapy (already booked my next session) and have no hesitation in recommending to friends committed to improving their stroke technique.