Swimming Academy

Fiona Hardie – Former TH pupil
PSC member, National Competing Swimmer

“I fully believe that it was the combination of all the ways Talbot Heath supported me, the academic work ethic that was installed in me, as well as the passion, quality of coaching, and atmosphere at Poole Swimming Club that kept me in the sport.”

I started competitive swimming because of Talbot Heath, I wanted to make a school sports team, and swimming was something that I not only enjoyed but I realised, after our summer term lessons and the annual school gala, I had a chance of making the team.

I soon represented TH at the schools competitions. We raced in the Bournemouth and Dorset championships, and later to the national championships. I will never forget that first trip that I made to Sheffield in the school minibus. While we didn’t win that weekend, but we did exceed our own expectations by making a final, and perhaps more significantly for my swimming career, I left knowing that I wasn’t going to let that be my only time racing at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre.

My swimming commitments grew exponentially. I started training more sessions each week, both before and after school for 2 hours each time and was away at competition most weekends. TH helped me out with these commitments – I was able to eat breakfast at the boarding house after morning training, and spend PE lessons in the library working on my academic work, not to mention the support the teachers and staff gave me. This support heavily contributed to me reaching my first long term goal as I revisited Ponds Forge in lower 4, then started my 12 year streak of competing at the British National Championships.

When I was studying for my GCSE’s, I was selected to compete at the UK School Games, as well being a candidate for the 2 year Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE).

As a member of Poole Swimming Club, I completed the prestigious AASE program and then attained a full sports scholarship to NCAA Division 1 Universities in America. I attended Villanova University in Pennsylvania where I was given the opportunity to continue my swimming career with the support of a respected academic institution.

It was because of both Talbot Heath and Poole Swimming Club that I was able to compete at a national level for so many years, have the amazing opportunity to live, study, and compete nationally in America for 4 years. And ultimately, it is because of these 2 institutions that I now have a masters degree from Southampton University, a professional career that I am proud of at Arup, and still get in the water when I can and compete in relays for Poole, where it all began.

The Swim Academy is a wonderful addition to Talbot Heath, and with Barry at the helm, will go from strength to strength – if his protégé Jacob Peters is anything to go by, as he’s off to the Olympics!