Congratulations Kacper!

After a challenging 2021 we wanted to round the year off with some good news stories.  We asked all of our Swimming Teachers to nominate those distinctive, very special swimmers who deserved a bit of recognition.

They were asked to identify swimmers on our lesson programmes (children and adults) who have displayed positive attitudes, unyielding determination or, have put in efforts over and above their peers.  They may have overcome personal adversity or achieved something unexpected or challenging. 

Kacper Skrzypiec- Loddon Valley Leisure Centre's Swimmer of the Year 2021

Nominated by his teacher Lorna Furness 

"Kacper came to me to have private swimming lessons whilst the whole pool was closed ( COVID) as he has Aspergers syndrome and doesn't cope well with people and new surroundings.

He has now progressed from 2 private lessons a week, to now attending 2 x private lessons in our public sessions and 2 group swimming lessons a week. When our public sessions got put back on it was very difficult for Kacper to learn the lane swimming rules and to keep him mindful of others whilst he was swimming, but he kept with it and his safe place is our swimming pool which is why he attends 4 lessons a week here & gave up karate so he could focus on swimming!

Kacper has progressed from stage 2 to stage 8 and has just shone so much with his personality, from never making eye contact with myself or talking to anyone, he now sings to me out loud in the pool and all of our swimming members now have regular chats with Kacper which he now engages in. He has also now become a swimming member and even now says hello to the Lifeguards which is a huge step for him. He keeps surprising me all the time, I cant believe how much he's progressed and grown up throughout his swimming lessons. It makes my job so worth while."