Miss Joyce

I have been teaching swimming for 33 years and have taught over 22,000 pupils

ranging from the age of 3 months to 98 years old. These pupils include state and

private school children with all abilities including deaf and autistic children.

I have taught all over the globe, from the UK to Europe, East to West Africa.

At the age of 8, I learned how to swim through school lessons in South London.

I was so happy when I achieved my 10 metres certificate, so my dad framed it,

but little did I know that I would become a swimming teacher myself. I really

wish that I still had that certificate now, as in my 25th year of teaching I

returned to the pool where I received my first certificate, to teach others how to

swim; life really does go in circles.

My favourite hobby is travelling, which has allowed me to swim in all kinds of

waters. From scuba diving in the Red Sea off Egypt to swimming with dolphins

in the Indian Ocean off Mauritius. I have climbed Dunn’s River Falls in

Jamaica, slept on the beach in St Lucia waiting for turtles to lay their eggs,

handled the crocodiles in Spain and cruised the Caribbean Sea. I love getting to

know the locals and making friends, learning about their culture and seeing the

wildlife, and have even walked with lions in the Gambia. I use my travelling

experiences to help me with my most challenging pupils, to encourage them to

learn to swim so that if they are ever in a difficult situation in the water, either

on holiday or at home, they can have the confidence to save a life, whether that

is their own or even someone else’s. Plus, being able to swim gives you great

confidence and it is a marvellous low impact sport.

To date, I have written 3 children’s books about swimming, to help kids

experience learning to swim, through the eyes of a boy called Jean-Paul and his

friends. These have also proved invaluable in preparing kids for when they

eventually attend their first swimming lesson.

My hope is that through my books I can inspire children to develop confidence in the water,

discover the joy of swimming and, most importantly, recognise that learning to swim is a gift that can stay with them for a lifetime.