32-year-old Sylwia Kazmierczak started swimming lessons at RGU Sport in September 2022, after posing a question in the Aberdeen Helping Hands Facebook community group asking where she could take lessons.

She attended RGU Sport every Tuesday for 30 minutes until March 2024, completing 18 months of lessons. 

Sylwia explained: “I have always loved water and I wanted to learn to swim but I couldn’t do it because of Covid-19 and the lack of availability.

“I absolutely loved my lessons – it was such a challenge starting from zero but with the teachers always believing in you and pushing you, this really helped.

“It was frustrating at times when I couldn’t get something, I’d research and watch videos on YouTube before lessons to see particular techniques.

“Anytime something wasn’t going my way, they’d reassure me that it would come and to keep practicing (which I do), I practice my technique occasionally at weekends.”

Sylwia describes how she felt in the beginning: “I was anxious going to the lessons at the beginning but I stuck to it and it started getting better and better. I would progress to the next level and then I was doing lanes and reaching the deep end.

“I was diving to pick things up from the bottom of the deep end. I felt amazing and excited!”

The road to teaching

Telling us about how the next steps naturally happened, Sylwia said: “One of my teachers at RGU encouraged me to do something with teaching.

“I was surprised and thought… me? I have only just learned to swim.”

Encouraged by the teacher’s enthusiasm, Sylwia applied for the swimming teacher training course at Sport Aberdeen.  

“I managed to get a place on the course and I just became fully qualified last week. I’m waiting on my certificate after being assessed by Aileen Dawson at Dyce Swimming Pool on 10^th July.      

“As part of the training course, you have to do some shadowing and helping shifts to gain more experience. Most of my shifts as an Aquatics helper were at Get active @ Northfield and Tullos Swimming Pool.     

“I’m willing to teach at any Sport Aberdeen swimming pools to gain more experience at the moment, I’m happy to take any shift that will help with my progress and development. Ideally, I’ll eventually only teach at Get active @ Northfield to be closest to home.”

Sylwia is delighted to have passed her training: “It’s so fresh and I’m still buzzing. I’m over the moon! My partner is so proud of me. My daughter is doing swimming lessons at Get active @ Cults so we are doing the demonstrations together, it’s ace. She has been learning since she was 3 years old and my young son will hopefully soon get into toddler swimming.”

“I think because I recently completed swimming lessons myself, I could really relate to the feelings of anxiety and I try to help people with those feelings and put them at ease. It’s making them realise that anything can be achieved, it just takes some time.

“I did one of the helping sessions two weeks ago with a group of adults. I was really able to get in their shoes about how they were feeling. I remembered my times when I was starting out.”

“My partner has now started swimming lessons – he could swim but he wanted to learn as well so he goes to Tullos Swimming Pool. I’m happy that I inspired him!”

Piece of advice

Sylwia gives her advice for anyone looking to start swimming lessons: “Definitely go for it, it’s so rewarding to do something for yourself. It was the time for me.

“Go and achieve something, take it step by step. I thought to myself… I can’t not achieve this, that’s not an option. Everything is achievable.

“Swimming makes you happy, it makes you relaxed. It’s just awesome!”