Barry Kartar - Newbury Workshop, July 2010
"I mentioned that I'd wanted to do this workshop for a number of years and am delighted that I was finally able to attend. Despite having previous bought books and videos, attending was a real revelation to me, and it has really fired up my enthusiasm to improve my swimming and to continue my TI journey.
Despite having a cold and sore throat over the entire weekend, It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience and the patience and passion you and your team brought to the weekend was brilliant. It has left me feeling really inspired to build on my progress and I am now looking forward to trying to embed the skills you taught me over the weekend over the coming weeks and months. I'm off on holiday later this week and plan on spending as much time as possible in the water, I'm also planning on hooking up with a TI coach when I return from my holiday to keep improving."
Alan Watts - Hampton Workshop, June 2010
I’d like to say a big thank you to you and your fellow instructor’s that taught me a better way to swim over the weekend and sacrificing your time during the slaughtering of the England Football Team.
I have just returned from my regular Monday lunchtime swim. After warming up for around 30 minutes doing under-switch and over switch I decided to swim. My concentration thought was the wrap and trap of the leading hand, this is did by concentrating on the path of the hand under the eye following the same line as the pool tiles and the lower arm perpendicular to the floor and boy what a difference. When it was spot on the tiles really flew by. My stoke count was 18, that’s 4 off since Saturday.
But the best was yet to come: a young chap I know who is training for triathlons had gotten into the pool. He was charging up and down the pool in his normal fashion and I was just able to sit behind him taking it quiet easy looking down at the bottom of the pool and seeing the shadow of his feet getting closer. When I spoke to him afterward I told him about your workshops he said he liked the sound of that and would check-out your website. In a sneaky way I hope he doesn’t go to one.
Gareth Carr - Hampton Workshop, June 2010
Thank you so much for a great weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. It is a highly organised and well thought out weekend which I will do as much as I can to recommend in the future to people. I’m looking forward to getting back into the pool later today for some practice and see if the overnight rest has done me any good
Chris Perkins - 1:1 Sessions, May 2010
I enjoyed the day's coaching last month but driving home I did feel like my stroke had been taken apart and only half put back together. There's only so much you can do in a day and you did hone in on some fundamental weaknesses!
The video feedback was really useful and I got straight back into the pool and tried to disconnect the hard wiring of 30 years worth of lifting my head to breathe. It was hard but I think I've done it! I did a bit of drilling but really focused on building up to the 750m tri distance whilst ROTATING my head (and body).
When I registered, I put down 16:30 as my 750m time, just doubling my old 400m time. In practice, my best time over 750m since the coaching day was 13:40 and at the tri today I did 14:50 (probably about 14:30 in the pool if you exclude the run to transition) - and that was losing about a minute behind the other swimmers in my lane. I eventually lapped them, which felt good!
So a big increase in performance, but more importantly a huge increase in confidence and enjoyment! I'm going to sign up for an aquathlon in October and continue working on my TI technique between now and then (you might see me for day two before October).
So thank you for your coaching, it's had a tremendous effect!!
Sean O'Donnell - Dublin Workshop, May 2010
Thank you very much, I dropped 11 seconds off my best 100m time on Tuesday night, you guys are miracle workers :)
Gillian Quinlan - Hampton Workshop, May 2010
Just wanted to say that I really, really enjoyed the workshop at the weekend. Was great to start getting the feeling that I am moving efficiently in the water. Can't wait to get back in the pool. You might see me in Leicester some time!
Thanks for your enthusiasm, encouragement and advice
Andy Blonden - Newbury Workshop, April 2010
Many thanks for a most enjoyable weekend.
I had become somewhat lost and confused, over the years, using the books and videos; but, seeing how things should be done, has made me more determined to start again and persevere. Thanks also to Mick, Dawn & Jill for their help . . .and patience.
Martin Madden - Newbury Workshop, April 2010
Just a short note to say thanks for a great weekend at the freestyle workshop at Brockhurst. It was eye-opening and motivating with excellent tuition and guidance. It has transformed my thinking and my swimming.
Jonny Fergus O'Brien - Hampton Workshop, March 2010
I wanted to thank you and the team so much for a great course last weekend. Back ‘practising’ in the pool this week felt so much better. Given me lot of motivation to get into the pool early mornings and have been evangelising with pretty much everyone who will listen....
Hannah Moorhouse - Hampton Workshop, March 2010
I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and your colleagues for the workshop this weekend. I really enjoyed the sessions, although I must confess that the video analysis at the end of the course did put a slight dampener on things, what with my 'happy feet' and my laser pointer way off the mark. However, I think the fact that my stroke count on my last length was almost ten less than at the start of the course and I wasn't fighting for breath as I left the pool are a sign that I have improved. I joined the course as someone who never learned to swim as a child (I recall doing around half a dozen lessons at school with the kind of instructor who just threw you in the water and shouted at you). I have only been trying to teach myself freestyle for around six months by watching how other people swim at the pool, probably not the most scientific method, so I was starting from a pretty low level of knowledge and experience.
One of the most positive things to come out of the weekend for me is that I came along as a runner who wanted to learn to swim for that elusive triathlon (seems it was a common theme this weekend). I have come away wanting to learn to swim purely for the joy of swimming.
Steve Cappa - Sandbach Workshop, February 21010
53 years old – I’ve tried learning to swim every which way and at best it was a fight for survival just to get down the length of a pool – which was reflected in the video and the 24 strokes it took me to do the pool at the start of the weekend. Sunday night my stroke was down to 13 and I enjoyed every second of it. I even wished the pool had been longer. I did not even recognise myself on the wrap up video. I am still a long way from the best I can be and I have lots of work to do but thanks to you all I have an enjoyable path/lane to travel.
Thanks for a great weekend – and yes Rim (TI Coach) it was life changing.
Liz Sim, Midlothian - Scotland Workshop, Sept 2009
"It was a fantastic weekend, have just been explaining it all to the guys at work. Apologies for my sour face on the Sunday afternoon, think I'd run out of steam. Some food and caffeine soon fixed that though and I regained the ability to smile. It may not have looked like it but I'm genuinely chuffed with how it all went. As for finding a TI buddy, I had my 9 year old neice on the phone last night telling me that in order to swim I need to relax, rotate and reach. Smarty pants. Back to the local pool on Thursday, and cant wait to practice the basic drills"
Age-Group Swimmer Sophie Taylor (13) - 1:1 Sessions, Aug 2009
"I came 4th in the final of my 200 breast with 2.38.40 (previous 2.43.29) but was 3rd fastest british swimmer. in my 100 breast I CAME 3RD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) in 1.13.20 (previous 1.15.33) but was 2nd fastest british swimmer. Thank you for all your help you really helped me this week!"
FOOTNOTE: Sophie is refering to the British Age Group National's. In June 2009 she won the 50m breast at the Scottish National's and is currently ranked number one in her age group in the British Swimming rankings in 50m, 100m and 200m long-course breast stroke. Sophie later attended our 4-stroke camp in London. Read the earlier comments from her mother, Julie, further down the page.
Nick Hargreaves, Cheltenham - Leicester Workshop, April 2009
"After the workshop in April I spent about 4-6 weeks working diligently on various TI drills but still found it difficult to put it all together. Then commitments prevented me from swimming much for about a month. I started working on my swimming again a few weeks ago. Funnily enough, after that break everything seems to have fallen into place. Perhaps I was trying too hard before. Anyway, over the last few weeks I have really settled into swimming whole-stroke, relaxed my breathing etc.
So, today I decided to count my strokes. At first I was doing 25m in about 18 strokes (without even trying very hard). Then I started holding the glide longer, and putting a bit more oomph into each stroke (but not forcing it). I quickly got the SPL down to 16, then 15 and (once) 14. It was all pretty effortless too!
This is just a few months after the workshop. I am amazed and delighted at the progress I have made. And I have still got so much useful information to keep working on. Thanks again for making this possible"
Helen Purdie-Scott, Brentwood - Advanced Workshop, June 2009
"Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the advanced workshop on Sunday and how useful it was. I suddenly gained an increased awareness of core movements and the importance of elbow lead (my eureka moment!) and ever since things have felt distinctly different! I owe a lot to you and Total Immersion and am so grateful"
Alex Thomson, Essex, 1:1 TI Instruction, Aug 2009
"Just wanted write to comment on the great TI sessions I had at Tri n Swim Well in Rochford.
Dawn and Jill coached me in TI over 3 lessons and 5 hours and have transformed me from a flailing, exhausted-after-two-lengths, novice in to something that resembles a reasonable swimmer - I did my first 'proper' open water swim on Saturday and easily covered a kilometre of the lake whilst keeping up comfortably with what I would have normally considered an 'advanced' group.
It gave me such a buzz to emerge from the water barely out of breath and I would have been ready to hit the bike feeling fresh.
Dawn and Jill's coaching is a credit to the TI name and I have already recommended them to many friends"
Chris Beadsmore, Reading, June 2009
"A bit of feedback on TI - I entered a tri about 3 months ago and had to 'embark' on the painful task of learning to swim - I did about 20 sessions before I 'discovered' TI swimming - thank god!!! It's a total revelation and I've brought my stroke count down from about 20/22 to 15/16...and obviously now look on in horror at all the other swimmers in the pool (why isn't everyone doing TI??? I've never seen so much struggle for zero gains!)"
Jennie Harland-Khan, West Sussex - Windsor Workshop, May 2009
"I wanted to thank you for the weekend. It was clearly challenging for me and right out of my comfort zone but that is always a good thing and knew it would be. But I learnt a huge amount and it has made me even more determined on my mission to swim properly after completely avoiding it for the last 36 years. Your team of coaches were fantastic and obviously dedicated so please pass on my thanks again to them"