Harry Burt

Meet Harry

Harry is our youngest Swimming All-Star. Harry has been swimming since he was just months old. His dad, Matt, had always wanted his children to be confident and safe in the water and enrolled Harry on our Parent and Child sessions as soon as he was old enough.

Matt was a confident swimmer, having been in the pool from a very young age and wanted the same for his children. He says, “I feel knowing how to swim and being confident in the water is an important life skill.”

Harry’s journey came to our attention when his swimming teacher, Louise, nominated him for our Swimmer of the Year awards last year. Harry is just five years old and already in a Stage 4 class, the youngest age that Louise has ever taught in her Stage 4 classes!
We asked Louise about Harry’s swimming and why she felt he was so advanced. Here’s what she said:

“Harry started off in our pre-school swimming lessons and I think this has a lot to do with why he has progressed so quickly at such a young age. I started teaching Harry when he moved into Stage 2 and straight away it became clear to me that he was going to be a good swimmer, he seemed so natural at swimming. He grasped the strokes and skills that children much older struggled with. I remember he would not swim on his back without support and told me he couldn’t do this, so I used a noddle behind his head. He was so happy to achieve this, and the next week he was swimming unaided!

Harry is now five years old and in Stage 4. He has progressed through the stages quickly; he is very quiet and listens to every detail of instruction and follows what I ask him to do and never complains. I think Harry is very at home in the pool and loves the water - he enjoys the lessons and very rarely misses a class. This is down to his family bringing him week after week and they love seeing him progress through our stages.”

We also caught up with Harry to see how he felt about his lessons. This is what he had to say:

What do you love about your swimming lessons?
I love getting better and moving up.

What is your favourite activity you do in lessons?
I love doing breaststroke.

Have you been swimming anywhere else outside of your lessons?
I go swimming at the inflatable fun session, on holidays and in Grandad Pete’s pool.

Are there any other water-based activities you would like to try?
I’d love to go surfing and scuba diving just like Daddy. I’ve done paddle boarding and kayaking with Daddy too!

Have you made any new friends at swimming lessons?
Yes, lots.

Your swimming teacher, Louise, is really pleased with the progress you’ve made. What are you most proud of achieving in swimming so far?
Getting to Green Hats before I was five!

And, what swimming skill would you really like to be able to learn in the future?
I’d like to learn to be good at the butterfly.

When Harry received his Swimmer of the Year award last year, dad Matt, commented, “We were both completely shocked as we had never heard of the Swimmer of the Year award. I was extremely proud of Harry’s achievements as I know how hard (like his sister) he has worked over the last year to improve his swimming. Harry was super proud to get his certificate and medal.”

He also went on to say “I’m incredibly proud of my children for what they have achieved throughout their time having swimming lessons. I am also extremely grateful to all of the teachers (Louise, Ali, Rowena and others) for all their hard work and dedication. Thank you.”

Learning to swim isn’t just a life skill, it’s a rite of passage to a new lease on life. Learning to swim brings freedom, fun and endless opportunities to create lifelong memories in and around water - from summers at your local lido with friends, to family holidays at the beach, scuba-diving, canoeing, white water river rafting, paddleboarding, windsurfing and so much more!

If you have been inspired by Harry’s story and want to find out more about our wide range of swimming lessons, please get in touch using the form below. We offer lessons beginning with the 0-5 age range and can help nurture your child’s love and confidence in and around water from infancy.