Academy Swim Instructors

SUE CRICTON

Sue possesses an ASA Level 2 Teaching Certificate and is a qualified Adult & Child Teacher.  She has been teaching swimming for approximately 13 years having passed her teachers exam in 1985. She was also a Physical Training Instructor in the Royal Air Force where she taught swimming to the troops.  She has been teaching in Burnham-on-Sea since 2001 and also taught at Hutton Moor swimming pool in Weston-super-Mare.

What she loves most about teaching is the delight on a child’s face when they actually swim a few strokes, or when someone who has been frightened to put their face in the water achieves this.  She also is renowned for being the best singer in the pool!

LAURA VALENTINE-SLACK

Laura loves teaching swimming to children or adults and she firmly believes that swimming is not just fantastic exercise and fun, but an essential life skill.

She is a fully qualified ASA Level 2 Swimming Instructor and is also a qualified Aerobics Instructor and Aqua Aerobics Instructor.  She has taught swimming for nearly 12 years - teaching as part of the team at the Splash in Bridgwater, teaching for Bridgwater Swimming Club at both Splash and Burnham Swimming Pool, and working with S.A.S.P at Bridgwater Splash and Taunton School Pool.
She has been a part of the Burnham Swim and Sports Academy Teaching Team for 3 years (aqua aerobics initially), and she also teaches for Burnham-on-Sea Swimming Club. Since working at Burnham she has completed courses enabling her to teach synchronised swimming and diving, which add real variety to swimming lessons. 

EMMA COURSE

Emma competed with Burnham-on-Sea Swimming Club until 2007 when she went to University to complete the final stage of her Sports Science Degree which she passed in 2008.  She qualified as an ASA Level 1 Teacher in 2004 whilst teaching for Burnham-on-Sea Swimming Club, where she continues to teach to date. 

She joined the Academy Teaching Team from the outset in 2008 and went on to pass her ASA Level 2 Teaching qualification in August 2011.  As well as teaching with the Academy and Burnham-on-Sea Swimming Club she has helped coach fellow swimming teacher Ro, enabling her to succeed with her Transplant Games Competitions.

ROMANA WINSTONE (RO)

Ro used to compete with Burnham-on-Sea Swimming Club until around the age of 17, when she went into teaching.  She taught at Weston Swimming Club, and obtained her ASA Level 1 Teacher Certificate with them in 1994.  She joined the Academy Teaching Team in September 2010.

In 2009 she had a Kidney Transplant and competed in the British Transplant Games at Bath in August 2010, where she won 1 gold in 50m Backstroke, and 4 silver medals in 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle and 50m breastroke, and jointly won the trophy for the Best New Transplantee.  After getting picked for the UK Swim Team for the World Transplant Games in Sweden June 2011, she won 2 golds in 50m backstroke and 200m freestyle, 2 silvers in 100m freestyle and 50m breastroke, and 1 bronze medal in 50m freestyle. In August 2011 she went to the British Transplant Games in Belfast, won 5 Gold medals in the same strokes and distances as previously, and got presented with the trophy for Outstanding Super Senior Female.

NICOLA PUDDY (NIC)

Nic has 15 years experience of teaching swimming, privately and with Burnham-on-Sea Swimming Club where she qualified as an ASA Level 1 & 2 Teacher.  She now joins The Academy Teaching Team in September 2011.

She was the World Masters Champion in 2005 for the 50m Backstroke and continues to compete at a high level with Burnham Swimming Club and within the World Masters Championships.