Meet the teacher – Rob Dart

From swimming a kilometre every day for a year for charity to coaching former double deca ironman wold record holder Dave Clamp, Rob holds a wealth of experience and knowledge when it comes to swimming…

Rob has a rich swimming history. Starting with weekly lessons at the local pool as a child he gradually progressed from blowing up his pyjamas to competing as a youngster for Ramsbottom Rascals. Following a move to Bury & Elton ASC where he first dipped his toe in the water teaching younger swimmers he competed in the 100m Butterfly for Lancashire in national competitions and was made captain of the club enjoying a successful few years in the water during his mid teens.

Fast forward a few years and career choices (as wide ranging as accountancy and sound engineering!) and Rob was ready to hit the poolside again. Qualifying as a Level 2 swimming teacher in 2010 he spent a few years working in a variety of different environments from teaching school swimming lessons for Bury MBC to teaching in private swim schools in venues scattered across North Manchester it was this period where Rob honed his craft. As well as running regular group lessons for a variety of providers, during this time he taught rookie lifeguarding, worked in a one to one environment with children with disabilities and also returned to coach youngsters back at Bury & Elton ASC. From this wide variety of experiences Premier Swim was born.

Rob built Premier Swim to cater for all ages and abilities of swimmers and worked on nurturing an environment in which everybody can flourish. He found the venue in The Stables Country Club in Bury and set to work. Over time Rob developed his own framework within which his one to one sessions could be delivered to children. He has also gained a wealth of experience working with adult swimmers, whether they are just starting out on their swimming journey or pushing to knock minutes or seconds off competitive times.

Since his return to swimming Rob has had his personal goals set within open water swimming, including reaching his target of swimming a sub two and a half hour PB for a ten kilometre race. He also has a great passion for running and has run several ultramarathons. This passion for trail running also lead to his completion of his Fell Coach in Running Fitness giving Rob further depth to his athletic coaching knowledge.

In recent years he has also qualified as a Forest School Leader which has helped to develop Rob’s passions for delivering knowledge in a learner led environment.

In his own words…

“I have always loved swimming. I have a real passion for it…

I also love to teach.

So, it didn’t take a great leap for me to decide swimming teaching and coaching was the way forward for me. I am always learning and I’m always looking to improve and move forwards within my teaching and coaching. I really enjoying applying my experiences to new challenges and working with swimmers to help them achieve their goals”

In the words of others…

“I have used Rob’s services on several occasions.. The fact that I keep going back says a lot. His coaching is thorough, professional, informed, structured and effective. He offers regular feedback and is always available for discussions. That is important to me. He is extremely personable. With his coaching, I have seen real progress in my performances. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him.”

Dave Clamp, former Double Deca Ironman world record holder.

“Rob is our family swimming teacher! Not only has he taught both my children to swim, they are now excellent swimmers, he even taught myself to swim at the age of 36! A fantastic teacher, I would highly recommend Rob for adult and children’s swimming lessons. You will not be disappointed.”

Clare

“Rob is an amazing swimming teacher and extremely patient and encouraging. My children have loved learning with him.”

Rachael

“My almost 7yr old daughter has attended private swimming lessons with Rob for just around two years (although covid has halted things somewhat). My child previously attended small group classes elsewhere but I found she got distracted and bored and refused point blank to put her face in the water. Less than 10 mins in the pool with Rob on her first lesson and she was swimming with her face submerged. She trusts him completely and knows she’s safe with him. He is patient and explains the techniques as often as is needed. She looks forward to her lesson each and every week and not a minute of the lesson is wasted.”

Claire