'Swimming Sue' retires after three decades of lessons

After more than 30 years of teaching thousands of children to swim, a stalwart swimming teacher has hung up her whistle.
Sue la Roche has retired after 30 years of teaching swimming.Sue la Roche has retired after 30 years of teaching swimming.
Sue la Roche has retired after 30 years of teaching swimming.

Sue la Roche, of Sleaford, has been teaching children to swim since she moved to Sleaford in December 1986, and she became a volunteer swim teacher at Sleaford Swimming Club the following year.

The club was instrumental in Sue being able to set up her own swimming school, based at the Qabos swimming pool in RAF College Cranwell, in 1995, where she has taught more than 3,000 children to swim.

Incredibly, Sue estimated that she has taught around 10,000 children altogether over the years.

Sue has also taught many children at primary schools across the district, including Heckington for 12 years and a swimming club at RAF Waddington, as well as Brant Broughton, Leadenham, Carres Grammar School, Rauceby and Kirkby la Thorpe.

“I’ve taught many children, who have then grown up and brought their children to me to learn to swim, which is wonderful,” Sue said.

One of the best things is seeing the shy, nervous children who would barely leave the changing room into confident swimmers.

“I used to call them little cling-ons, because they’d grab on to me round the neck crying and sobbing,” Sue recalled.

“I remember one little boy in particular, who had recently lost his mother and he’d cry for his mum every week, it was heartbreaking.

“He eventually went on to do his life-saving certificate, and is now in his twenties and is such a lovely boy.”

Sue also fondly remembered a boy who came to his first lesson with her aged three, and sobbed uncontrollably for his first sessions, but is now a national swimming champion.

She said: “I get such pleasure out of it, and never complained about getting up at 7am to get into the pool at 8.30am.

“I’ve loved it all, and luckily Rob, my husband, has loved it too, we’re a great team.”

Sue has been nominated for multiple sports nominated for, and winning, the Sleaford Town Awards' Sports Coach of the Year award in 2014, and one of her proudest moments was being one of a team of six to successfully swim the English Channel in 2010 when she was 60.

But now that she has been unable to hold any swimming classes during lockdown, due to RAF Cranwell closing the pool to civilians, she and Rob decided that now was the time to retire.

“It’s been such fun and such a pleasure, and I’ll be 70 in December so now’s as good a time as ever to stop,” she said.

As she has also resigned from her post as president of the Sleaford Lions, Sue is planning to enjoy a quiet retirement and spend quality time with her family.

She said: “My daughter has just had a baby and they live out in Australia, so as soon as we’re able to travel again we’re going to head out there.

“But for now, I’m going to enjoy not having to hold any meetings or be anywhere for a certain time, and just enjoy some peace and quiet.”

Sue is now left with all the swimming equipment she has acquired over the years, including kick-boards, diving toys, hoops and sinking sticks, and is looking to give them away - if any interested parties are interested. contact Sue on 01529 302914.