Little Lolah Manning was 5 in September. On the October half term Crash Course Lolah began in the “backstroke” group having achieved her 50m award, two lengths of the baths using the backstroke. During the week the class improved the stroke and began to learn the basic frontcrawl, known to the children as “Blow, Blow, back and breath”. On the final, hectic day, the pool is divided up into lanes and the children attempt distance awards, anything from 5m to 2000m. Lolah’s teacher Phil had not started Lolah’s badge yet. He later said that was because he expected Lolah to only swim 100m and at the start of the week she had been most unhappy. One of the other teachers, drafted in for the day to help out, got Lolah started and she was soon giggling her way down the pool.
Despite her tiny frame, Lolah glided elegantly along on her back with straight, slow arms and showed good control of her breathing as she swam frontcrawl, turning all the way onto her back to breath.
At the end of most lengths, Lolah would declare, if anyone was watching ” I’m going to be a mermaid” and promptly swim to the bottom and along the base of the pool into the next lane to start the return length. The extra energy consumed did not seem to effect her performance.At each marker point, 400m, 600m ,800m and 1000m Lolah was offered the chance to stop or continue to the next badge and she always declared with a big grin “I’m going to keep going”.
Lolah Manning was chosen by the the Swimming Teachers as the “Star Swimmer” of the course. Well done Lolah.