Para-Swimmer ready to teach next generation of swimmers

Waikato Para-Swimmer Sarah Fuhrer is now a qualified swim teacher.

The 25 year old received her Swimming New Zealand Swim Teacher Award in a special presentation at the New Zealand Short Course Championships, which she is also competing at, at the new Sir Owen G. Glenn National Aquatic Centre in Auckland this week.

Sarah was able to take part in the course thanks to funding support from the Halberg Disability Foundation.

On hand to award Sarah with her swim teacher qualification was Swimming New Zealand’s chief executive Christian Renford and Halberg Disability Sport Foundation’s chief executive Geoff Burgess.

To achieve the nationally recognised qualification Sarah had to complete both theory and practical elements on a one day course and was then required to complete 20 hours assisting as a swim teacher, which she did at the Hamilton City Council, Waterworld complex.

Deciding to take part in the course seemed a natural decision for Sarah who has always spent a lot of time in and around water.

“I really enjoy swimming and I really like working with children and helping children to learn activities,” she said. “I like the way that they act when they are achieving things so I thought to be a learn to swim teacher would be a good step.”

Swimming New Zealand education advisor (Waikato) Wendy Smith took the one day course Sarah attended and has been supporting her since then to complete the Award.

“I really found that Wendy was really good to work with and there’s a lot of flexibility around doing your hours and a lot of help and guidance with it so I never felt that I was overwhelmed at any time. It was nice and easy to manage,” Sarah said.

Sarah’s standard of teaching complimented by education advisor (Waikato) Wendy.

“Sarah was a very active member on the one day course and I was extremely impressed with her teaching whilst assessing her for the practical side of her award,” she said.

Sarah’s own swimming journey began when taking it up for physio as a child. From there her passion for the water continued to grow and as well as now being a qualified swim teacher she is also a competitive swimmer at St Peter’s Swimming Academy.

Sarah is already thinking ahead to her next steps in her aquatics career now aiming to complete the Teaching Swimmers with Disabilities course followed by the Early Childhood Swim Teacher Award course.

The Swimming New Zealand Swim Teacher Award is a nationally recognised training programme developed to train people for teaching swimming and personal survival. On completion of the Award course requirements, participants also receive the National Certificate in Recreation and Sport - Aquatics (Swim Education) and 43 Level 3 NCEA credits.

The course covers how people learn, teaching and learning styles, effective communication, health and safety requirements in and around the aquatic environment, progressions of learn to swim, tools on planning and delivering an effective swimming lesson and protocols for working in aquatic facilities.

Swimming New Zealand provides training for those involved in learn to swim education through a regionally based education team with courses for all levels of experience. They aim to ensure swim teachers receive support and information and are recognised for the contribution they make in ensuring every New Zealander has the opportunity to learn to swim.

CAPTION: L-R Swimming New Zealand education advisor (Waikato) Wendy Smith, Swimming New Zealand chief executive Christian Renford, Sarah Fuhrer, Halberg Disability Sport Foundation’s chief executive Geoff Burgess and Halberg’s disability sports advisor Helen Robinson.