Mark (private lessons)

“I have always enjoyed swimming, but felt it was something I could do better.  I was never quite sure what I ought to be doing in order to swim well.  In particular, I always envied those who could crease the pool with a smooth, elegant front crawl.  So a few years ago I signed up for adult swimming lessons.  It was a depressing and stressful experience.  I thrashed around in a corner of our local, crowded pool, feeling self-conscious, whilst my teacher (on the occasions she bothered to turn up) shouted unhelpful instructions from the side.  At the end of five hours of lessons, she casually mentioned that she could not actually swim the stroke herself.  I gave it up as a bad job; clearly, the crawl was just one of those skills in life I would never acquire.

Then as a 60th birthday challenge to myself, I decided to give it one last shot.  A few years before, out of curiosity, I had been to a one-day workshop with Steven Shaw, demonstrating the Shaw Method.  One day was nowhere near long enough in which to learn this completely new swimming technique, but I was struck by his poise and ease in the water.  This was something I wanted to take further.  I signed up for lessons with Sally.

I learned more in the first five minutes of my lesson with her than I had in a lifetime of previous lessons.  To begin with, we had a warm, private pool to ourselves and I was treated as an adult learner in the best sense.  Sally is alongside you offering encouragement, guidance and support at every stage. Sally broke down the components of the stroke into simple steps, whilst at the same time bringing an understanding of the subtle and profound dynamics of moving with the water.  And that was the secret; swimming with the water rather than against it, finding balance, relaxation and support in this new medium.  

I will not pretend that everything came together overnight; as an adult it takes longer to learn a new skill and it took several months (and a lot of practise by myself) before I was able to swim a recognisable crawl, but with practise and Sally's endlessly patient and meticulous observation, I found that I was putting the stroke together.  She has a unique gift of seeing into your technique and showing you exactly how you can improve and move forward.  Every minute of my lessons was valuable and every lesson inspired me to want to continue the journey.

Sally has given me what I thought was impossible; I now find myself able to swim a smooth, relaxed front crawl, breathing on both sides, using only a tiny fraction of the energy which I was wasting before, which has given me the most ridiculous pleasure and satisfaction.  Instead of feeling cold and nervous as I approach the pool, I look forward to every minute in the water.  If you are thinking about swimming lessons, as a complete beginner or, like me, a nervous improver, don't hesitate; Sally is a wonderful teacher and you will never look back.”

Lynne (bespoke workshop)

“A thoroughly inspiring, informative and practical day of swimming, with new techniques and lots of fun!…

The workshop with Sally Dunford was absolutely great. We had a full day of swimming as well as a Pilates session, with clear instructions, incredibly useful advice and tips, and most importantly plenty of time in the pool.

There’s nothing quite like learning in a small group and Sally makes the session fun. She has a very clear, logical and gentle communication style and demonstrated different approaches. If I found something challenging, she always thought of another example so I could ‘get it’. This whole style of swimming is very good for the body, no need for force, or tension, just learning to free the body so it glides effortlessly through the water.

I was really keen to improve my Front Crawl, which I achieved, but it was an absolute bonus to learn some Breast Stroke technique also. Funnily enough I picked up the breathing technique on this stroke more easily and this is helping me with my front crawl breathing – something I have struggled with all my swimming life. Sally has transformed the way I swim, and given me such joy in swimming again. It feels like when I was a child, looking forward with happiness and a sense of excitement, to pool time. Simply inspiring.”

Anne (bespoke workshop)

“A friend of mine invited me to a front crawl workshop as a 60th Birthday present. I swim regularly and felt confident with breastroke and backstroke and comfortable with my head in the water, however I had never managed to do front crawl. My dream was to feel I could glide through the water without splashing around wildly!

We started with an hour of Pilates which was excellent and so well explained and demonstrated with video clips as a back-up. The Pilates was hard for me, but has helped me to focus on the importance of flexibility and core strengthening which is so important and helps the swimming technique too. We then had a couple of hours on front crawl. Sally was in the pool and took us back to some of the basics to correct some techniques but by the end we were all confidently swimming lengths and getting the breathing mostly right. We also looked at breastroke and Sally immediately corrected my style which has quickly made a difference to my regular swims. I do swim regularly and am now delighted that at 60 I feel so confident with my swimming. My front crawl has really improved and I feel close to my image of gliding through the water like an otter!

Above all I know I am practising a form of exercise I can enjoy till I’m 90 and I’m doing it in a style which isn’t putting pressure on my limbs or my back. I will definitely be using Sally for regular ‘swimming checks’. Sally is so clear, patient, confident and has a good sense of humour. Thank you Sally!”

Paul (private lessons)

“I really enjoy my swimming lessons with Sally. She conveys her enthusiasm of swimming and she is an excellent teacher. When I started swimming with her she took time to listen to what I was looking to achieve and tailored the lessons to exactly what I needed. She is very good at explaining how the different swimming strokes work and she builds the movements in a very structured yet efficient way so I understand much better how I am moving in the water. Within only a few weeks I could see a huge difference in my swimming ability but also in my enjoyment: I had much more confidence in the water and I was swimming much better as well.”

Meg (private lessons)

“Sally has been teaching me to swim and it has been great! I love water but previously was only able to do an ugly form of breaststroke. Within a single lesson Sally helped me master the proper technique and now I love the power and ease that my newly-found stroke allows me. We are currently working on my front crawl and I am finding it tough as my breathing is challenged. Nevertheless Sally is incredibly patient and so encouraging. She also has extraordinary intelligence and resourcefulness so that she is constantly finding new ways to help me conquer the breathing. If you are looking for a clever, patient and amazing swimming teacher, I can thoroughly recommend Sally.”

Lucy (private lessons)

“Sally is the most patient, encouraging and skilled teacher. She transformed my clumsy and awkward front crawl into a much more comfortable and effective stroke in just a few lessons – with a new found elegance that has since been complimented! I have always had a fear of water and did not step foot in a swimming pool until I was 31 years of age. After nine months of group and one to one lessons at my local leisure centre (where I made very little progress), I had resigned myself to the fact that I would never be able to swim. However, Sally’s expert and individualised teaching style has not only taught me sustainable and effective swimming techniques but I now genuinely love being in the water. I spent the summer just gone swimming front crawl in a pool overlooking Lake Como – a stark contrast to the previous year, where I was too scared to even get in the pool at our hotel! Swimming with Sally is one of the best things I have ever done and I would highly recommend her.”

Mike (private lessons)

“I couldn’t recommend Sally highly enough. For years I’ve struggled to swim properly, struggling to the end gasping for breath. I had no idea how much technique there is to swimming properly. Sally is infinitely patient; if one approach doesn’t work she will introduce another until you crack it. Sally breaks down the crawl into memorable and learnable steps and before you know it you’re swimming up and down and dare I say actually enjoying it! I’ve now got a pretty tidy crawl and I’m just perfecting my breathing. I’m very pleased with how quickly I’ve progressed, Sally is always confident, inspiring and patient. I highly recommend Sally and her teaching approach to anyone. You’ll learn quickly and enjoy it.”