Coaches Colm MacEoin and Jana Houbova (pictured)
Aoife Niland
Where did you learn to swim?
I learned to swim with KSC from aged 5.
Why did you become a teacher with KSC?
I was volunteering with my sister Eleanor for a number of years & became an assistant teacher in 2017. I used to love going down on the bus from Kinvara and I always remember Helen O’connor asking me to show everyone in my class how to do a surface dive. I was so proud.
Any other interesting swimming related facts/ achievements about you?
I loved lifeguarding in Traught Beach, thankfully for me a few not so sunny summers.
I was showing off doing tumble turns on holidays and didn’t realise there was a step under the water & broke my nose. The pool had to be cleared out, I was so embarrassed.
Orla Toger Vesey
Where did you learn to swim?
I learned to swim in Tuam whilst attending Garrafrauns N.S through the school in second class. Whilst I learned front crawl fairly quickly, I never fully mastered backstroke. I always thought it was something I would come back to, but life gets in the way. I always struggled with water confidence and chose always, even after years of swimming to swim in the shallow end.
Why did you become a teacher with KSC?
I didn’t want the fear of swimming in deep water to be passed on to our daughters so that’s where Kinvara Swimming Club came to the rescue. On speaking with Colm and Felim, they told me the club depends on volunteers, so when they asked if I would consider doing the course, I accepted. I’m delighted I did, there is such a feel-good factor then you see each child progressing.
Also to break down each stroke and to see the importance of each movement you make and why you make it really helped me in my own swimming.
Rory Divilly
Where did you learn to swim?
I learned to swim with Kinvara Swimming Club, I became a swim teacher when I was old enough to do the course, while I was training with Kinvara Water Safety and I got to really see all the hard work and dedication that my teachers put in -Stan MacEoin, Helen O’Connor and Bridie Giles in particular.
Why did you become a teacher with KSC?
I’ve been teaching Swimming and/or Lifesaving classes since 1998 after completing the Assistant Swim Teacher course with Stan, completing my Lifesaving instructor award and my Beach Lifeguard course provider after that. That then led me on to taking over the organisation of Lifesaving classes many years later and I have since become a Water Safety Ireland Examiner.