Zoe Cusack

Water is such a gift, it can provide us with a real sense of well-being and joy. Fortunately for us we are all blessed with an innate ability to swim and enjoy the water given the right conditions. I have been teaching swimming for nines years now and have specialised in teaching babies and infant aquatic skills. I encourage a love for the water right from the start, developing those natural innate tendencies and ensuring that each child has a respect for the water and that they are water safe. My teaching has evolved into working with older children and adults now which is really enjoyable. It’s great to develop the stroke techniques and see the children’s little faces when they master the technique and can move through the water fluidly. My personal qualities when teaching are to take a gentle and fun approach so that I can develop water confidence in each swimmer which I believe is the best foundation to start from. As a psychology graduate, I am able to transfer my knowledge of child stage development into my role, so not pushing them beyond their capabilities and also paying particular attention to the development of each child’s self-esteem and self-confidence through positive feedback. I also have one years experience of working with children with complex developmental disorders which can be transferred into my teaching. I have always been very involved in sport and like to try my hand at all types of activities, surfing being the most recent one. I took up swimming as a means of keeping fit when I was 18 years old and I have found it’s the best all over body workout. It work’s cardio, muscle tone and flexibility all in one unlike many other sports. It also gives you a sense of well-being and really helps you sleep well at night. I am also a qualified exercise to music instructor and Keiser cycling instructor. I have just joined The Park Club team and I’m really excited to start teaching and about getting to meet the members. My other role outside of the club is working for the NHS in Health Promotion. From Summer Term 2013, which begins in April, I will be teaching Ducklings and Mini Turtles classes on Friday mornings. The age range for these classes is 4mths to 4yrs and full details can be found in the Activities Booklet.