On Thursday 30th November, the children of New Horizons Children's Academy in Chatham welcomed 4-time Olympic medalist Rebecca Adlington to their hall to talk about water safety and the importance of knowing how to swim.
Throughout her presentation, Becky spoke to the children about different water sources and how to act responsibly around them before reflecting on her Olympic career. Four children were chosen from the audience to hold and present Becky's gold and bronze medals, which she won at the Beijing and London Olympics. They learned about their designs, materials, and what makes each of them so special.
The visit was organised in support of Swim!, a programme founded by Becky Adlington OBE, Steve Parry MBE, and Adrian Turner to deliver swimming classes in premium and family-friendly facilities across the UK to children aged 0–11 years.
Swim! is opening their twelfth swimming pool in Chatham next month, with students from the school conducting their lessons there in the new year.
When catching up with Becky, she said, "We're very excited to be here. We don't open up (Swim! Chatham) until 15th December, but I went yesterday and there's water in the pool already, which is so exciting to see!
"We offer lessons from 0–11 year olds; in the day we have your parents and child classes, then we have the national curriculum, so the school will be coming to us in January for their lessons during school time, and then after school, we're open to the 3–11 year olds that have their lessons. They're 30-minute lessons with small class sizes; we want them to progress and move through the programme quickly, so they can be safe around water. It's an important lesson to learn, but we teach it in a fun and engaging way.
"Chatham is number twelve. So we have twelve pools up and down the country, and we're also based in thirteen schools across the country as well. So we're in twenty-five locations, which is fantastic."
We can't wait to get involved and have our children take part in the Swim! lessons at the new site!
Thank you for your time, Becky.
If you are interested in lessons, you can sign your child up for swimming lessons at the date/time convenient for you at Swim! Chatham. Book your lessons using the below link and receive swimming lessons until February 2024 for just £10.
View Swim! Courses