The end of the Summer Term 2022 saw the close of the first full year of uninterrupted lessons since 2019. To celebrate, the SwimWay team and pool owners enjoyed a Summer Boat Party along the river Thames. As usual, SwimWay Facilities Manager and instructor Ana Pastor did an amazing job organising the party!
Team Bonding
The chance for the team to meet up outside of the pre-term staff training sessions is something to look forward to. The management team operates from the SwimWay Putney Offices. While the instructors and front of house staff all work in our ten exclusive London Venues. So, the Summer and Christmas Parties are an excellent opportunity for team bonding.
The Party Begins…
SwimWay MD Dan Pastor met a few early arrivals for a quick drink at All Bar One before kicking off the festivities. This was followed by a short walk to the Tower Bridge pier to board the boat to continue the party on the River Thames!
Just before casting off, the captain explained that there were three people on board who didn’t look like they were with the company. Had the captain not been so vigilant, there have been three strangers crashing the party! However, they were booted off just in time for departure! Side note, we now know how easy it could be to crash a boat party! 馃檪
As the boat cast off, the team were welcomed with Pimms and some delicious canapes. Dan stood up to offer a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has made SwimWay a possibility. This is a team of committed, hard-working people who truly believe in the work they do. It goes without saying that it has been an incredibly difficult past couple of years for everyone. We are still navigating some choppy waters, but with such a wonderful team, SwimWay is ready to continue to meet these challenges.
Instructor of the year, Kirsty McLauchlan 
Kirsty again, looking mighty pleased! 
Staff member of the year, Gisa Schubert
Staff Awards
Following a short introduction, Dan moved on to announce 2022鈥檚 instructor and staff member of the year. Every Summer Party, these announcements are made to recognise those who have gone above and beyond in their work throughout the year.
Instructor of the year for 2022 went to the lovely Kirsty McLauchlan. Kirsty only started with us in August 2021, but very quickly became an instructor in high demand! Not only is she an amazing teacher, she is also a superb team member. A pleasure to work with!
Staff member of the year went to the most excellent Gisa Schubert. Gisa has been with SwimWay since 2015, and has consistently been one of our most popular teachers and an incredibly reliable colleague. Always happy to step in to assist whenever she is needed. This professionality was one of the reasons she was promoted to Head Coach & Site Manager at the Kensington venue earlier this year.
The Party Continues
The party continued on after the congratulations and while there was no swimming in the Thames by any of our instructors, sadly there was a dive overboard from one of our instructor’s phones!
SwimWay has had Boat Parties before, and they never get old. The summer boat party down the River Thames is phenominal! As the sun sets and casts an orange/yellow glow on the city, you can鈥檛 help but feel privileged to not only live in such a wonderful part of the world, but to also work with some of the best people. A truly excellent experience!
Upcoming Term
SwimWay is excited about the upcoming year starting on the w/c 5th September 2022. But Summer isn鈥檛 quite finished yet! There are still holiday courses coming up in July and August before things quiet down, so don鈥檛 hesitate to contact us for more information: