Tom Blakeley - Basingstoke, UK
“Swimming is my passion, I love teaching it, I love coaching it, I love doing it and I love learning more about it.
When I swim, it’s for my own clarity, mental health and fitness.
When I teach others to swim, it’s so they can learn to love swimming as I do.
I want them to be confident with their swimming, reaching their goals.”
Little Tom
“Looking back, I can clearly recall my swim teacher, Michelle Matson, and her genuine excitement.
“I vividly see Michelle and what seemed to be the whole pool cheering me on to complete my first ever 25m event. I was totally exhausted, but I made it and I wanted to do more!
“This self-determination and doggedness still carries me through to this day
“My first memories of swim lessons, aged four, were at my local pool, the Basingstoke Sports Centre. Like most kids in the community, my parents wanted me to learn the invaluable life skill of swimming, so after moving from Hanwell in London to Basingstoke, I joined the learn to swim program stating lessons in 1994.
“I swam all year round, even on the coldest snowing UK days. Lucky for me, home was within walking distance of the pool. On a few occasions when the weather was too much for others, I was the only one who turned up for practice.
“Michelle was also the teacher who taught me to ‘tumble turn’. This was one of the skills which took me longer to learn than many others. Every lesson, Michelle was alongside, encouraging me, supporting me, staying positive when others may not have, and celebrating with me when I finally did it.
“Another memory I recall was being terrified of the ‘big pool’ when it was time to move out of the ‘learners pool’. Although the two pools were side by side, the transition was a daunting prospect for me at the time.
“Over the next six years I progressed through the entire swim school pathway, finishing at the pre-competitive development squad level. I did take a break from my swimming once I completed the swim school program. It was nearly a year later I returned to the pool earning a trial for the local swimming club program.
My early ‘club’ years are a bit of a blur, but the pure love I have for swimming now, started then.
“Thinking it would be kind of cool to do some races, aged 11, I moved into competitive swimming with Basingstoke Swimming Club, now called Basingstoke Bluefins.
“At this stage I was swimming three times per week, 60 minutes per session with coach Steve Greenfield.
“Full of ambition and determination, a few months after joining Steve’s squad, I entered my first Gala (swim meet or carnival) racing the 50m butterfly, 50m breaststroke and as part of the 4x50m boys relay team.
“It was here where I discovered I needed to improve my butterfly technique, as I was disqualified in my first ever race. But I made up for this set back by winning the 50m breaststroke in a County Championships qualifying time. Proud as punch!
“Of course, I absolutely loved the relay. I was hooked! The team atmosphere, cheering and noise drew me in.
“In the squad program, I went from strength to strength making a name for myself in the breaststroke and medley events, once I corrected my butterfly, and also in the longer distance freestyle events.
“The 1500 Freestyle was like Marmite (Vegemite) to me. I loved and hated it but did have some good successes in this event up to regional level.
“Eventually, I was placing top 5 at County and Regional level meets for the 100m and 200m breaststroke and the 200m IM. On occasions I would break into the medals which made the training even more worthwhile.
“I went on to swim in National level meets racing strongly in my pet events, often just missing out on being a national ‘finalist’.
“Then aged 18 I took ill with a virus which affected my thyroid function. Some days I was full of life, plenty of energy and operating at full capacity. Others were a battle. This new health challenge and a growing interest to travel and explore the globe led me to stop swim training and continue swimming at recreational level only.”
Small swimming world
“The ‘small world’ moment to my story is when I returned to England in 2018 after travelling through Africa, Europe, Canada, New Zealand and Australia for nine years, I took up a job at the Basingstoke Sports Centre and I now work alongside my former teacher Michelle.
“She is still the same. Super encouraging, supportive of the learners, and still gets highly excited when the young swimmers achieve milestones in their swimming. I love watching her in action as I know the kids she is working with today will be receiving the ‘boost’ to their lives from Michelle as I received 20 years ago.”
Share a highlight from your competitive swimming days Tom.
“There are a couple that will stay with me forever.
“One was the 2007 South East Regional Champs. I fully tested my limits, entering the 1500m and 400m freestyle, 200m Individual Medley, 100m and 200m Breaststroke, anticipating I would progress to the finals in the Breaststroke only.
“However, I ended up making ‘finals’ in all five events. Over three days I swam each event twice. Proudly I achieved top five finishes in the 200IM and both Breaststroke events. The 200m Breaststroke was a close race, only 0.5 seconds between 1st and me placing 4th. I was leading the entire race, but I was exhausted as this was my 10th race of the meet. I just died in the last 10m. Such is swimming.
“This meet showed me how I could ‘push’ myself . Over the meet I achieved personal bests in every final. I was stoked. Oh, did I mention the meet was Long Course!
“But my favorite was the annual gala run by the local Army Garrison at Aldershot.
“In this carnival the leading five swim clubs in Hampshire are invited to race against the swim teams from The Army, The Navy, The Marines, The Airforce and The Royal Engineers regiments. Ten teams of four males and four females racing the full suite of the swimming events.
“I recall one year aged 13, 5ft-6” and built like Gollum from Lord of The Rings, I was racing the 100m breaststroke. The guy next to me was a 6’4” Marine and on the other side was a Navy guy the same size, both full of muscle. This had my teammates and family in full laughter as I spent pretty much the whole time behind the starting blocks looking left to right at these two guys with this absolutely gob smacked look on my face. I was going to race these guys!
“On this occasion technique, skill and tactics overcame the brute power. I won the race, and our team won the overall teams title, winning ourselves an ‘assault course day’ hosted by the Local Regiment. This ‘prize’ was brutal. I think it was their way of saying they didn’t like being beaten by a bunch of schoolkids. The prize was a painful experience which I still remember fondly today.
“I swam in this meet every year for a good few years, loving it every time!”
2006 club 4x100 Medley relay team - Tom on right
Swimming world traveler
“In 2011, with my now wife Rene, we set off on our travels visiting Canada, New Zealand and Australia. During this extensive adventure I remained involved in swimming, initially in Wellington (New Zealand) as a swimming teacher and masters swim coach at the local council pool.
“In Australia, Brisbane, I worked across all levels of swimming with Aquatic Achievers Swim Schools. It was here where I taught baby and parent classes for the first time, which was so enjoyable. Until this point, my teaching and coaching had me working predominately with school aged children, teenagers and adults.
“Working in these swim schools, both New Zealand and Australia, offered me many amazing opportunities, learning and expanding my knowledge across the strokes and variations of teaching and coaching styles. My learning and experiences here are often used every week in my current role.
“Returning to Basingstoke in 2018, I returned to the local swimming scene as a swimming coordinator with SwimExpert, a swim school which provides private lessons. This job had me traveling throughout the southern half of the UK as lessons were taught out of hotel swimming pools and family home pools.
“Eventually time away from Rene and the novelty of constant travel lost its flavor. In January 2020 I started work at Basingstoke Sports Centre as the Swimming Development Manager, a walking distance from our home.
“My role with a team of 24, has a dedicated customer experience focus for our facility users; the general public, swim school members, schools and other hire groups. I find this role very rewarding, working with the community to use the water space at the pool for their health, wellness and fitness goals. The way we can include the rapid expansion of technology to monitor improvement for our users, is one part of my role which excites me.
“The pool currently attracts approximately 1500 public swimmers each week, for lane swimming, Aquafit, Special Educational needs time and senior swimming. The swim school is currently 1200 swimmers strong and building steadily as we develop our program offering.
“Swimming is my passion, I love teaching it, I love coaching it, I love doing it and I love learning more about it. When I swim, it’s for my own clarity, mental health and fitness.
“When I teach others to swim, I want the learners to love swimming as I do. I really enjoy helping them feel confident and comfortable with their swimming, achieving their own goals.”
Tom - back right.
My swimming
“Apart from my professional life involved with swimming, I also swim and coach with Basingstoke Bluefins Masters swim squad, ideally three times per week. When life gets stretched I occasionally need to swim my sessions solo.
“When the COVID restrictions are eased and the warm weather months arrive, we will be taking our swimming outdoors to dedicated open water centres in Reading, Dorney Lake and Windsor whenever possible.
“Swimming continues to energize me, clears my head of life, and of course leaves me a little knackered.
“I have a goal to once again swim under 1:10.00 for 100m breaststroke again, which I last did when I was 18, clocking 1.08.35.
“I love the ‘buzz’ from really pushing and exerting myself in sports. Although I am competitive it does not matter whether my performance is a PB or not. It’s the proof I can push myself and still find it fun which draws me back into the required preparation for an event, and the event challenges which pop up on race day.”
Bluefins Performance
“At Bluefins we have created our own Performance Masters. The group is made up of mostly triathletes, some being current Masters World Record holders, both individually and in relay teams.
“We share amongst our cohort the swim and triathlon session planning and coaching, We all coach each other in some ways: within the group there are 4 qualified swim coaches, 1 triathlon and open water coach, 4 fully qualified PT’s and 1 physiotherapist.
“We all love swimming, are competitive and share similar interests in life. The group has tremendous rivalry and comradeship which is an environment I thrive in. If one of us is struggling, someone else is always there to pull the struggler along. We’re basically one massive 18-person strong family.
“Triathlon is my latest interest. I completed a Half- Ironman on July 11th 2021 with a view to completing a full Ironman in 2022. Coming from a swimming background has me on a massive learning curve, but I am loving it. I am so lucky to have Rene supporting me through this journey, including putting up with me whining that my legs are constantly sore!
“For the three triathlon disciplines we have set up Strava groups. This has us constantly competing across the individual legs as well as the overall performance. Our monthly scoreboard results are keenly viewed by everyone, including our spouses.”
The Beast
“One of the challenge training sets we occasionally embrace is ‘The Beast’ - 6000m of freestyle endurance.
“We complete this nearly every 3-4 months, just to give ourselves a push and see how our training is stacking up.
1200m. then 3x400
900m. then 3x300
600m. then 3x200
300m. then 3x100
“All on the 1.25-1.30 turnaround pace cycle
“When I can do ‘the beast’ strongly, I know I am in good shape.
“When we are close to an event, we reduce the time cycle, drop the 1200. 3x400 to start at the 900. Still a good 3600m set.”
And
“Another set which I embrace is 40 x 100 freestyle on a short rest cycle (1.25).
“And of course, sets which include breaststroke are sets I enjoy.”
Tom, share with us a few snippets of your swimming.
Do you have a swimming ritual? “Not massively, however a long hot soak in the bath after a swim meet followed by the world's biggest plate of spaghetti bolognaise seems to be a recurrent theme.”
Who are the best swimmers you have seen ‘live’? “When living in Brisbane, the Australian National Champs and Olympic Games trials were often held at the Sleeman Aquatic Centre. I was fortunate to be working at this facility with Aquatic Achievers. I would make a point to watch the racing after work. Watching the likes of Cam McEvoy, Kyle Chalmers, Mack Horton and a special appearance by Grant Hackett was amazing. I also saw the Campbell sisters, Cate and Bronte, and Emma McKeon race head-to-head. This was an absolute ripper of a meet to be a spectator, especially the Men's 200m freestyle, and the Women's 50m freestyle.”
The best technique tip you have received. “Never finish a race at the wall. Always finish the race as if you are going to swim through the wall.”
If a visitor came to London, where would you recommend they take a swim?
London Aquatics Centre. The swimming complex of the 2012 Olympics. It is so nice!
Where are the best places you have swum and recommend to other swimmers?
Absolutely loved the outdoor pool at the Sleeman Centre, Chandler, Brisbane, Australia. A 13 lane, 50m pool.
For open water, I enjoyed swimming in a few lakes in NZ which were unreal. Lake Taupo in the middle of the north island is fantastic.”
A ‘bucket list’ swim you are determined to tick-off?
“I would love to swim in some of the ocean pools in Australia. Looking back, unfortunately I never took the chances when I was living there, but next time I am ‘down-under’, I’m doing it!”
Do you have a swimming tip to share Tom?
“LESS is more. Long Easy Smooth Swimming.
To achieve LESS, remember the 3 R’s. Rhythm, Reach, Relax
When teaching or coaching people to swim, remember to celebrate their successes and their failures. We don’t only win or improve by constantly getting it right. Failing is part of making progress. Celebrating the ‘effort ‘and ‘having a try’ are parts of the learning process, so need to be acknowledged.
Tom, what message are you often sharing to other swimming teachers, coaches?
“If you want the those you work with to be excited about swimming, you need to be more excited about swimming than they are, like Michelle. Be more Michelle!”
