Solo Channel swim pays for Northampton disability training

Sophie Etheridge is a swimming coach and loves open water

A successful English Channel swimmer has helped to fund specialist coaching for people with disabilities.

In August, Sophie Etheridge, from Godmancehster, Cambridgeshire, completed the famous crossing in 29 hours, despite finding the touch of water painful.

The money raised funded a course at Lings Forum Pool, Northampton, aimed at making swimming accessible for all.

Ms Etheridge said the coaching was all about "learning to adapt".

Swimming coaches Kerry Wilson and Kasha Musial both attended the three-day course in Northampton

The course, called Starlight, was created by the Swimming Teachers' Association, to upskill teachers and "qualify them as specialist disability swimming teachers".

It was run and supported by Northampton-based Trilogy Active.

Ms Etheridge, who has had fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome since 2011, raised about £6,000 from her channel-swim, to train more teachers.

"It's learning to adapt to what you know, it can be the small things that can make a difference", she said.

She said that involved using floats differently and having smaller classes.

Sophie Etheridge said Northampton was chosen as it was a location she could easily access

Kerry Wilson, a swimming teacher who attended, said: "It's not saying they [people with disabilities] can't be part of your lesson, it's about what can I do to adapt my lesson to suit their needs?

"A child with ADHD might keep going under the water but what can I do to get that child's attention and move forward with the lesson and keep them involved with the other participants?"

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Kasha Musial, who runs an inclusive swimming school in London, travelled to Northampton as it was the nearest course to her.

She said she wanted to "learn more about disability" and have the qualifications to help her business.

Laura Williams said running the course means Trilogy Active can increase its awareness of disability

Laura Williams, swim school co-ordinator for Trilogy Active, said: "Part of running this course means that we can train and upskill our staff to be more inclusive in their lessons."

She said the aim was now to share the knowledge learnt, across all its staff and to run further courses in the future.