Individual approach to teaching paying off for disabled swimmer at Rebecca Adlington Leisure Centre
Seven-year-old Linus Havard was born with a challenging range of disabilities but has shown that determination can conquer all by recently achieving his Discovery Ducklings 4 certificate, thanks to adaptations to his lessons made by the teaching team at the Rebecca Adlington Leisure Centre (RALC).
Linus lives with a rare chromosome disorder, a heart condition, autism, development delay and has issues with his sight and hearing, and like a lot of children and adults with sensory needs, loves the water.
Whether he’s playing in the pool or enjoying bath time, Linus enjoys splashing around, so his parents Lucy and Andy wanted Linus and his three-year-old sister Dolly, to benefit from learning the key life skill of learning to swim.
Due to Linus’ condition, they knew it would not be straightforward, but thanks to the individual approach and support of the RALC team, both children have been enjoying the water and making great progress in their Adult and Toddler sessions.
Andy Havard said: “We’re so grateful to the RALC team and to Danni Donaldson in particular. She’s the amazing swimming teacher, who worked with us to accommodate Linus’ needs, and supported him to make rapid progress through the Discovery Ducklings stages. The way the RALC team worked with us to find a solution rather than putting up barriers to entry is such a great example, showing that with support and the ability to adapt, all children can benefit from learning this essential skill.
“Seeing Linus in the water enjoying himself is so wonderful, as I know that it would be very difficult for him to take part in many other sports and activities. I can definitely recommend Adult and Toddler sessions to parents with young children. There’s something special about being in the water with your child while they learn. We’re so proud of both Dolly and Linus for how hard they’ve tried in their lessons and the progress they’ve both made.”
Lucy Cotman, Swimming Coordinator for RALC and Warsop Health Hub, added: “We pride ourselves as a centre and across Mansfield on how we’re able to adapt our sessions to support the needs of our customers. Not everyone learns in the same way, but we’re always happy to work with parents to ensure their children get the most out of a swimming lesson.
“Well done Linus and Dolly! It’s great to see children of differing ability levels thriving in the water, learning a key life skill, and doing it with a smile!”
More Leisure Community Trust (MLCT), in partnership with Serco Leisure, run four Mansfield centres on behalf of Mansfield District Council. They are currently running an exclusive pay nothing until October offer on all swimming lessons. For more information about swimming lessons at MLCT centres in Mansfield, please visit the website: https://www.mansfieldleisure.com