Patricia Succeeds in her Five Mile Non-Stop Distance Swim with The Water Whisperer!

Patricia Succeeds in her Five Mile Non-Stop Distance Swim with The Water Whisperer!

We featured 13-year-old Patricia Simion in July this year as she had gone from a non-swimmer to swimming one mile with just six swimming lessons with Gail Rickett, also known as ‘The Water Whisperer.’  Patricia had never tried to swim on her back before, on her first swimming lesson with Gail she learned a full stroke and swam 100 meters in a few minutes.

Patricia has swimming lessons until the end of July and then took the summer off lessons, however she was advised on a training plan whilst not attending The Water Whisperers Swim School although her father told us she’d swam 10k one day in the pool on holiday.  For Patricia to gain her official five-mile distance swim award, she has to swim the distance with a qualified teacher present.

Swimming lessons with The Water Whisperer resumed in September where it was quickly arranged for Patricia to attempt her five-mile, (non-stop no support or floats,) distance swim.   Gail tells us, “I’m very happy to say Patricia glided through her challenge, which she set herself.  If a child wants to swim a challenging distance and I feel they are able to complete the challenge after training for it, then we go ahead, they can stop at any time.   When a child swims a distance which is challenging to them, and that can be as little as 5 meters to 5 miles depending on their age and ability, they have to want to do it, if they don’t want to do it, then they won’t.  My pupils start as non-swimmers, so for them to swim a certain distance it is the first time they will have attempted it with me.  When I believe a child can swim a certain distance then I make sure I make them believe it too. ”

Swimming five miles non-stop has only been done once before at The Water Whisperer Swim School, that was by 9-year-old Leah McCarthy who went on to compete when she became a little older. these are truly amazing achievements and both girls gained their five-mile trophy.

Gail, who is known as The Water Whisperer after appearing on national TV due to her amazing results with her pupils and was short listed for Sports Personality of The Year Award, has weekly learn to swim programmes in the North West after school and at weekends.  Gail has classes in Southport, Ormskirk, Wigan, Blackpool, and Liverpool  Please do call her on 0744 913 5450 and follow her on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/TheWaterWhispererGail ;