Stanley Elphick

“A future GB Olympian in the making, I’m sure of it!”

This is how Stanley’s Swim Teacher Laura described Stanley.

We caught up with Stanley and his mum, Danielle, to find out a little bit more about how this came about.

Stanley started swimming lessons in a Parent and Child session when he was just three years old. His family spend a lot of time at the beach and enjoy pool holidays. His mum, Danielle, described how important lessons were for her children, “Swimming is a life skill the whole family needs. As parents, we can relax knowing that they are confident in the water.”

Stanley was able to increase his confidence on an extended four-week break when he went to visit relatives. Stanley’s relatives had their own pool, so Stanley was able to indulge his love of the water to his heart’s content and go swimming all day every day. This improved his confidence so much that when he returned home, he was able to start group swimming lessons with Places Leisure.

Laura, Stanley’s current teacher, said, “Stanley has a fantastically positive attitude to learning. He turns up to every lesson full of energy and is always ready to swim with a smile on his face. He works extremely hard in every lesson and has a strong ability and passion for the sport which translates in the pool. Stanley is an absolute joy to teach, he never gives up and is super focused.”

We’d love for Stanley to be a future Olympian so thought we’d get in there first with his first-ever interview😊.

We asked Stanley about his lessons, here’s what he said:

What do you love about your swimming lessons?
Swimming underwater.

What is your favourite activity you do in lessons?
Picking up the weights off the floor and swimming through hoops.

Have you made any new friends at swimming lessons?
Yes, one of my school friends was in my last group.

Have you been swimming anywhere else outside of your lessons?
Yes, on holidays, the beach and at an outdoor lido in the summer.

Now you can swim are there any other water-based activities you would like to try?
I like to paddleboard and I want to learn to surf.

Your swimming teacher suggested you could be really good at swimming, are you looking to compete one day?
Maybe, I want to be a footballer as well!

How did you feel about winning the Swimmer of the Year Award?
A really lovely surprise! I’m very proud! ☺️

Danielle puts part of Stanley’s success in lessons down to his teachers, she says, “Laura and Damian have been fantastic swimming coaches at Places Leisure, they always give lots of praise and encouragement which has helped Stanley stay keen!”

Finding the right fit with swim teachers is very important. Children respond differently to different teachers, so if you don’t think you’ve found the right fit, don’t be afraid to speak to the swim team about alternative options.

Hopefully, Stanley will realise his dreams of becoming a footballer, but if not, he will always have the freedom to enjoy holidays, the beach and those surf lessons we’ve no doubt he’ll talk his mum into letting him have when he’s older. Being able to swim opens up a world of opportunities. If you’re ready to enrol or would just like some more information please get in touch, our friendly swim team would love to help you out.