Tadpoles to Dolphins.
04 Sep 2009
Tadpoles to Dolphins.
Back in the year 2000 a young baby aged just three and half months was introduced to the water by the 'Aquatots' swimming school based in Tewkesbury but now teaching 650 babies throughout Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and the West Midlands. The baby was encouraged by the principal Fiona Munt-Whittle to be comfortable in and under the water diving for objects and through rings eventually learning to swim widths of the pool. The toddler raced ahead through the staged courses and by three years of age was confident in several strokes.
The name of that baby was Tazmin Pugh now aged nine and being ranked 1st in the UK in her age group in eight of the twelve events she has competed in. This is already a fine accomplishment there being upwards of nearly 10,000 girls of similar age in clubs up and down the country. That bright start and the confidence she learnt was an early indication of what was to come and with her parents taking Tazmin to the local swimming pool in Pershore several times a week to continue in play and learning some early strokes, she could do a length of butterfly at four years of age.
When she was five she was given an appraisal for the National Lesson Scheme plan available at most Leisure Centre Pools and instead of starting at level 1 she was told she wasn't far off the final level but started at level 6. With the help of teachers like Nicki Webb from Pershore, it wasn't long before she was knocking on the door of Pershore Swimming Club and has steadily risen along the lanes and up the rankings ever since. Tazmin also joined the Life Saving Club who presented Tazmin with their Annual Junior Achievement Trophy in her first year.
Last November when still only aged eight and still too young to compete in the official ASA Licensed Meets, Tazmin won her first National titles in the 50m freestyle, breaststroke and 200m freestyle relay team when representing the Midlands in the ISA Schools National Swimming Championships at Coventry for under 10's whilst attending Bowbrook House School in Peopleton. At the same event she was presented the 'Midlands Most Promising Swimmer Trophy for year Under 10 Girls 2008'.
Since then she has won County and Open Meet titles throughout the Region, breaking County Records and setting County best times. Tazmin has ambitions but realizes there are thousands of hours of dedicated training in the years to come before her present dreams could ever come to fruition. Fortunately Tazmin's life isn't ruled entirely by swimming and in actual fact she ran as a guest in the ISA National Athletic championships and when coming in to the home straight 25metres adrift caused a photo finish for second place and just 0.1 seconds behind first in the 600m earlier this June.
Tazmin now trains at Pershore, Worcester and Tewkesbury swimming clubs and is pictured here with her first teacher Fiona Munt-Whittle and also 11 year old Rebecca Sheppard, Tewkesbury Swimming Club's Gloucester County Champion in six events another Aquatots star, when both presenting awards for the latest graduates in celebration of their Aquatots 10th year of baby swimming at the Tewkesbury Park Hotel last week.
Aquatots have calculated they have now taught over 6,500 babies to swim in safe, warm and great sociable environments and are looking forward to giving other youngsters the chance of going on to having fun, and keeping their interest in swimming and maybe becoming Club, County, Regional which Rebecca and Tazmin have proven and who knows even National and Olympic Champions of the future.
Babies from 4 weeks old can join Aquatots on 01684 296296. Equally any young swimmers out there able to swim several lengths confidently please feel free to come along for a free no obligations trial or simply contact their secretaries, the numbers being available at the local leisure centre pools in Pershore, Evesham, Worcester and Tewkesbury.