LEARN TO SWIM WITH INVY SWIMMERS: INVERLOCH

Back in 2011, Linda started Invy Swimmers. It actually began by chance; but like all projects of passion, it resonated with the community and has grown to become a thriving business. What makes Invy Swimmers different is the personalized approach. Today, Inverloch 3996 sits down with Linda to talk about her philosophy and the importance of teaching our kids to swim. 

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1. What idea gave birth to your business Invy Swimmers?

Linda: I was teaching an infant and toddler swimming class, as well as some group classes, and many of the parents were impressed with my personalized approach. Thus, I was asked to teach private classes, and as simple as that, Invy Swimmers was born! To accommodate the demand, I started to hire out one lane of the pool and had about twenty students of my own. Soon enough it grew to eighty students, and then I realized that I needed to employ more teachers. Now four years later, we have just over 300 students. I employ seven local teachers and am happy to say that six of them live in Inverloch. 

Ivy Swimmers is a unique swimming school in that entails a personalized lesson. Apart from our very popular Infant group classes, all of our other classes have a maximum of two children per session. I realized early on that this is the ideal teaching format. In fact, it has since been recognized by Austswim at a recent seminar I attended. It allows the instructor to give children equal amounts of attention while it allows for positive peer pressure and a very quiet and relaxed atmosphere for the instructor.

2. Can you tell us about the types of classes offered?

We offer the 3 different types of classes:

1. Infant and toddler group sessions: These sessions are all about water familiarization-- getting the feel of the water through songs and play--and a focus on water safety skills that could, in effect, save their lives.
2. Teacher X 2 students: Our main clientele requests a teacher in a water session with a max of two children per class. These classes are generally for 3+ year olds. In these classes, again we focus on water familiarization, water safety, and introduction to strokes.
3. Endurance: These are classes for children aged 6+ who don't necessarily want to join a squad or swim competitively. They focus on technique and stamina, and generally the teacher coaches the children poolside. There are no more than two children per class.

In all our lessons, we have lots of fun. Their popularity is due to the small class size and the attention given to each student.

3. What is the perfect age for a child to start swimming and what if they are late starters?

Certainly the earlier the better, and it can be done at home in the bath, or in the sea, etc. I recommend for formal structured lessons from two years on up. With regards to late starters, it’s never too late! It's a life lesson that any age can learn. We are very interested in the mature age demographic and Invy Swimmers has been successful in assisting in teaching this age group how to swim. 

4. What is the future vision you have for Invy Swimmers? 

We envisage a future that continues to provide the community with a personalized swim program. Ideally, we would love to expand in order to accommodate all age groups.  Many people have enquired why we don't expand by having more students in each class. Indeed, this could be more lucrative; but we believe in our philosophy. Our lesson structure is what makes us different and is something we are very proud of. It is certainly something we aim to maintain. 

With our successful program, we have been able to expand and now have a swim school with the same business model and lesson structure in Torquay--Torq Swimmers. It has been well received and welcomed by the community and is recognized for its superior benefits. We have only been running for three terms and have already we have 150 students--a 75% increase from starting enrollments.

5. Why do you love living in Inverloch? 

The small community, the beaches, and the quiet relaxed holiday atmosphere we get to live in 24/7 are all pretty amazing. Ashley has now come on board to run Invy swimmers and it’s nice to work as a husband and wife team. The fact that it enables him to spend time with our son, Oscar, is invaluable. There’s no other place I would like to be living...except perhaps Bali, well that’s another story.

Invy Swimmers Website

Swimming is embedded in our culture and living in the beautiful seaside town of Inverloch is part of our way of life. Learning to be safe and confident in and around water is essential. We can't turn our heads away from the statistics of how many children drown each year, bur what we can do is teach.

Thank you, Linda, on behalf of Inverloch 3996 and all the parents who attend. We feel so blessed to be the beneficiaries of your offer and to be able to teach our kids to swim. After all, it is a skill they will have for life. 

email Linda

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