It's easy to overcomplicate swimming. Once you get the fundamentals right — balance, and a stroke that's properly connected through the body — everything else tends to fall into place.

I came back to swimming in my late 30s and quickly found that the sprint skills I'd learned as a junior didn't hold up over longer distances. Working out why led me to focus on what actually makes a stroke efficient: balance and connection through the body — which is the foundation of how I coach today.

I use video analysis in every session — it's one of the best tools for helping you actually see and understand your own stroke.

Qualifications: STA open water coach · BCU Rescue Certificate · NRASTC lifesaving certificate · Enhanced DBS · 7 years as a Total Immersion coach.

Guest coach for SwimQuest Swimming Holidays.