Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award |
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Virginia Hunt Newman "The Mother of Infant Swimming" International Award The purpose of this annual award is to carry on
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2024 Newman International Award Recipient Sandra Rossi Madormo to be presented at upcoming ISHOF Ceremonies in October 4, 2024
2023 Newman International Award Recipient Amanda Gawthrope
2020 Newman International Award Recipient Patricia Cirigliano2019 Newman International Award Recipient Robert Strauss
2018 Newman International Award Recipient Johnny Johnson
2017 Newman International Award Recipient Julie Zancanaro
2016 Newman International Award Recipient Lulu Cisneros
2015 Newman International Award Recipient Jim Reiser
2014 Newman International Award Recipient Torill Hindmarch
2013 Newman International Award Recipient Beatriz Esesarte Pesqueira
2012 Newman International Award Recipient Niko Saito
2011 Newman International Award Recipient Laurie Lawrence
2010 Newman International Award Recipient Daniel Zylberberg
2009 Newman International Award Recipient Francoise Freedman
2008 Newman International Award Recipient Jose Fontanelli
2007 Newman International Award Recipient Yoko Yagashita
2006 Newman International Award Recipient Terje Stakset
2005 Newman International Award Recipient Steve Graves
2004 Inaugural Newman International Award Recipient Rob Mckay
Sandra began
her relationship with swimming at the age of 8 when her mother
secured a spot for her in a program which included swimming
lessons as part of physical education classes. She quickly
excelled and was invited to join the swimming team. Due to her
talent, she achieved excellent results, like becoming the
champion in the state of São Paulo Brazil for the crawl
stroke. Her swimming career was interrupted at the age of 15
when the swimming team was dismantled. Her last coach, José Fontanelli,
was internationally known in baby swimming, the 2008 Newman
International Award recipient, who, invited her to be his
assistant. They worked together for 3 years, and Sandra
absorbed much of Fontanelli's affectionate teaching method.
Amanda's life has been shaped by
water, since her mother, as a swimming teacher, taught her to
swim in the Cambridge River, in the UK, at the age of two. Her
first unaided swim across the river happened just before her
third birthday. At the time, this was unprecedented. Infant aquatics has been
Amanda's life calling and she has taught thousands of parents
and babies, as well as young children all over the world since
the late1990s. First, through Birthlight, a training scheme
for teachers, parents and children based in Cambridge, England
and then under her own initiative. Teaching ‘swimming better’
has been and still is her life and passion. She has a unique style of
teaching, using games and stories and helping parents to
relax, laugh and discover their babies' emotions while working
in the water with them. She has
done much for the development of infant aquatics since the
early 1990’s. Amanda’s philosophy and
inspiration started growing more rapidly after attending the
World Aquatic Babies and Children (WABC) conference in Buenos
Aires (2001) where she met many wonderful professional and
inspirational teachers from around the world. Amanda coached the Cambridge
Disabled Kids Swim Club (CDKSC) every weekend for years. CDKSC
is still going strong to this day! Some of the kids with
cerebral palsy became beautiful swimmers and engaged in
competitions. Francoise's Freedman’s Downs Syndrome
goddaughter, Rosa, who swam a lot as a baby, won a gold medal
at the Special Olympics in Germany in 2022. Amanda has been the first to
take GENTLE Infant Aquatics to Russia, continuing almost a
decade, introducing a change of culture toward a kinder
approach to submersion and parent-infant interactions. "Russian families were eagerly
awaiting her arrival at the training centres in Moscow, to
attend a workshop or to be a model during her training. Those
minutes during workshops were unforgettable. Feedback from
participating families included warm words for Amanda. She was
like a fairy opening the hearts of kids. And Amanda was
that revolutionary person, teaching instructors to listen, to
watch, to respect. She was always a hero- to bring something
new, cool for an excited, demanding Russian community, being
an emotional and passionate tutor who can inspire total trust
in babies and parents and in their abilities. We are in the
name of Russian community are thankful to her for the
CONTRIBUTION."
-Anna Shkulanova organizer of Birthlight course Russia Amanda was the first Birthlight
and the UK’s Swimming Teachers Association’s (STA) trainer to
teach infant aquatics in China and contributed to the
development of the Eureka Kids school, the first influential
swimming school. She also taught combined Birthlight training
courses for several swimming companies, before entering a
close partnership with Hi Five
Swim School, a highly successful school with franchises all
over mainland China in her role as director of training, where
she worked to design and develop the Infant Aquatics
programme, including a transition to swimming, water polo for
kids, mermaiding, water dancing, early stroke development and
most influentially, family swimming with both parents in the
water to exercise, nurture and discover their baby together. "Amanda’s humorous spirit,
personal charm, and professionalism have won over every
teacher and parent, as well as many young fans. She witnessed
and contributed to the growth of High-Five, from a small
parent-child swim club of less than eight hundred square
meters to having over eighty locations nationwide. Everyone
who has worked with her adores her and has shared a wonderful
journey with her. Amanda has always had a special affection
for special babies and toddlers. In addition to conducting
special baby and toddler swimming training, Amanda also
facilitated cooperation between High-Five and a local autism
rehabilitation institution in Taiyuan. She regularly invited
autistic children from the school to swim for free at
High-Five. She also urged the High-Five owner to visit the
orphanage and bring gifts to the children there.
-Wu, CEO, High Five Swim School, China Amanda’s most original
contribution to infant aquatics is her development of toddler
swimming with playful yet effective methods, both for beginner
toddlers and for toddlers in transition to unaided swimming. She co-authored the
toddler-early years aquatics training manual with Birthlight’s
founder, Francoise Freedman. This manual focuses on the 18
months to 4 years age group. The progression from toddler
swimming to early independent swimming, the gap between baby
swimming classes with parents and young children's swimming
classes, is still an issue worldwide, because 'baby swimming'
typically stops in the second year and restarts in school-aged
groups. Instead, she felt that there should be continuity in
early swimming. A successful transition to early
years unaided swimming is a major challenge in Gentle Infant
Aquatics and Virginia Hunt Newman tackled this challenge to
increase the confidence and safety of Californian small
children, something which must not be forgotten. Amanda
embraced “water parenting”, a concept coined by Francoise
Freedman in counter to the dominant focus on stereotyped
classes with numbered submersions in a franchise dominated
industry. She always encouraged parents to 'float relaxed'
with their babies and the videos filmed in Russia in 2014-2015
by Amanda and Francoise are a testimony to expressions of love
in the water between Russian parents and their babies and
toddlers, contrary to stereotypes Amanda has promoted the idea
of water culture. In the evolution of Birthlight,
'baby-led submersion' was adopted as an antidote to push-pull
techniques to get babies under. Amanda has played a central
part in developing transitional practices to help teachers
implement this new concept without contradicting their past
teaching, particularly in Russia and China where performance
according to parents' expectations still guides aquatic
programmes for babies and toddlers. This is a crucial
contribution in the current crossroads between gentle infant
aquatics and survival swimming skills approach for babies and
toddlers. Amanda has been vocal and
practical in the need to develop compromises that lead to
'child-led swimming' rather than focus on a baby sensory
approach that avoids the challenges of submersion. Playful
parent submersion and teaching by imitation appealing to
infants' sense of humour have been unique strengths in
Amanda's teaching throughout her life. A lack of compromise
risks pushing parents to water survival skills, which is a
great loss to everyone and misrepresents gentle/happy infant
aquatics, which was the message of Virginia Hunt Newman. Amanda has a lively personality.
She is an emotional and passionate person who can inspire
total trust in babies and parents in their abilities. Parents
and teachers still turn to her for guidance in the water and
defer to her long and great teaching experience. Amanda now lives in Dahab South
Sinai with her three dogs and six cats, swimming, and free
diving daily and teaching aquatics in the warm waters of the
Red Sea to the local Bedouin kids, Egyptians and foreigners
that have settled in paradise. Her retirement plan, to take
free diving lessons so she can spend more time underwater
swimming with wild dolphins. Dr. Patricia
Cirigliano started the First Argentine Swimming School for
Babies in 1960 together with her holistic method,
Matronatacion®, which is a creative and original approach to
aquatic initiation for babies that involves human integrity
and respect for the child and the family. To date, over 17,000
babies, toddlers and young children from 15 days old have
learned to swim via Matronatacion® in her swimming school,
whose motto is “Swimming is learned by playing”. Playing is at
the very core of learning she feels. The method’s distinctive
characteristics are freedom, game, active mother role,
sequential learning in keeping with child maturity
development, without conditioned response and didactical use
of toys and materials. Patricia´s observation of
inappropriate practices with babies and young children,
incapable, out of their own evolution, of confronting adult
actions powered her to urge, since 1975, an Ethical Code to be
shared, beyond particular methods or techniques, by all
teachers engaged in early childhood with the same philosophy
around the world.
As from 1991, she has been an
active member of the Argentine Pediatrics Association. She
participated in congresses and workshops having introduced
many original research works.
1987, Alicia Moreau de Justo Award
“An attitude in life” on her professional background. 1995, distinguished by UNICEF for
her background and her scientific presentations. 2000, Gold Award by I.S.A. 2000
Teacher College, on her background. 2009, Award to her professional
background by the Education Ministry. 2010, Honor Degree: An Invitation
to Life by Universidad del Salvador, Medicine College. World
Alliance for Patient Safety. 2016, NADI Award (Childhood
Swimming Schools and Professionals Association) on her
background, innovation and relevant contribution in the field
of Swimming Applied to Infant Development. Dra. Patricia Cirigliano has
written:
*Mother- child dyad Primary
Prevention - UB.Belgrano University -1982 *Baby Swimmers”. Editorial Paidós.
Buenos Aires. Argentina-1982 *“Acquatic Initiation for
Babies”. Editorial Paidós - Buenos Aires - Argentina.1989 * “Personal Child Rights at the
time of aquatic initiation”. UB. Belgrano University - 1996 *“The book for the Third Millennium
Parents” Editorial FUNDASAP – Auspicio de Sociedad Argentina
de Pediatría - 2010 *”I´m a Pediatrician”
Editorial FUNDASAP Auspicio de Sociedad Argentina de
Pediatría- 2015 *“Bye Bye Panic. Welcome pleasure!”
– (In print process) – 2020 *“Early Aquatic Survival Score”
*Parents book and *Professionals book (in print process) 2020 *“ Matronatacion Secrets” (in
print process) 2020 *“1000 games
for Babies Aquatic Background” (in print process) 2020
Professor Robert Strauss, M. Ed.
has dedicated his professional career to aquatics. Through
Aquatic Education Coach Strauss has enriched the lives of
babies, toddlers, school-age children, teens and adults,
assisting them to discover how to be safer and stronger
swimmers. Coach Robert is well known for the development of
instructional skills based on soft-touch and soft-voice; these
skills have been taught to 1000’s of teachers around the
world. Coach Strauss and life partner,
Jennie, founded swim gym in 1984; re-inventing the swim school
business in a warehouse. In 1997, swim gym relocated to the
Dave & Mary Alper JCC of Kendall until the end of summer 2018.
In the spring of 2012, swim gym was invited to restructure
and operate the Aquatics program at MAR-JCC in Aventura, and
in the fall of 2012 the Swim Gym Swim School opened its doors
at the Galbut JCC in Miami Beach, its present home and only
location. The physical plants at the JCC’s
improved conditions to teach and coach people of all ages, and
turned Swim Gym into one of the Top 25 Authorized Providers of
the American Red Cross in the S. Florida Chapter this included
certification of water safety instructors and life guards, as
well as the learn to swim program, that teaches an average 500
children per week during the school year and approximately
1000 children per week during the summer camps. At present,
Robert & Jennie spend some of their time travelling together
reinventing the science of learning how to swim and sharing
their combined 90 years’ experience of teaching and
administration. Robert’s passion didn’t stop at the
learning levels, a 1972 Olympian himself, he coached and
trained swimmers to swim fast, motivating and empowering them
to reach their maximum potential, guiding them to become
members of national and international teams, both in the USA
and abroad. Most educators teach their subject
in a classroom; Coach Strauss teaches Water Wisdom in a warm
water pool, and coaches in a semi-Olympic pool, fast swimming. From 1979 to present, Robert
Strauss contributed to learn to swim and competitive swimming
conferences around the globe: México, his country of birth,
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Guatemala, Ecuador,
Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Peru, Canada,
USA, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France, Spain, Japan, Australia,
New Zealand, Hungary, Austria, China & Iceland he is a well
sought after speaker; fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese
and German. This millennium alone reflects the cutting-edge
techniques utilized by Coach Strauss as evidenced by his
speaking engagements. Born in Mexico in 1952, member of
the Mexican national age group team from ’61 to ’67; member of
the Mexican Senior National Team from ’69 to ’73, represented
Mexico in the Olympic Games in Munich ’72; Pan American Games
’71 in Cali, and Central American ’70 in Panama; World
University Games in Italy in ’70 and in Russia in ’73; He also
represented Mexico in the World Maccabi Games in Israel ’69 &
’73. Parallel to his commitment to the Mexican national team,
Robert attended the U of Miami with a swimming scholarship
from Jan. 1971 to May 1974, studied Mass Communications and
represented the U of Miami Athletic Department, where he
lettered 3 years in a row. In 1975, he earned a graduate
assistantship to attend the School of Physical Education at
the University of Miami, and earned a degree with emphasis in
Recreation Administration, Educational Psychology and
Physiology in 1977. Robert is 1 of a few who go to college and
42 years after graduation continues to do what he went to
school to prepare for. Robert has lived in Miami, Florida
his entire professional career; married Jennie in 1975; they
have 2 sons Alan (1979) & Jonathan (1982), married to Natalie
and Danielle respectively, and 6 grandchildren Siena (2011),
Sebastian (2011), Henri (2014), Levi & Stella (2016), Kiara
(2018) Publications: November 2018: Descubre la Natación is
made available in hard copy June 2014: Discover Swimming is made
available as an E-book January 2013: Descubre
la Natación, un acercamiento con sentido común. E-book November 2011: Discover Swimming from A
to… SWIM - A common sense approach. January 2007: DVD – Why Swim, If You Can
Fly?! Re-recorded October 2003: DVD: My First 15 Months of
Aquatic Life English and Spanish September 2000: VHS - Why Swim, If You
Can Fly?! English and Spanish May 2000: Swim Teachers Handbook
Owner Blue Buoy Swim School Past President,
United States Swim School Association Past President,
National Drowning Prevention Alliance Chairman of the
Board, Stop Drowning Now Foundation Member, Orange
County Drowning Prevention Task Force Johnny also taught Chad Hundeby who held
the English Channel World Record for 11 years. Chad was
inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2012. But it is Johnny’s
love of teaching infants and toddlers that keeps his passion
burning after 51 years in the pool and still counting. He has
always advocated for a nurturing, fun and positively
reinforced methodology that provides each student with the
ability to preserve their life in the water, enjoy their life
in the water and reach their full aquatic potential.
Johnny believes in developing a foundation of breath and
balance control, followed by control of movement. All this is
made possible by a bond of love, trust and fun! Blue
Buoy’s slogan is: “Great beginnings…lead to great finishes!”
As a young Paediatric Occupational
Therapist, Julie Zancanaro of Sydney Australia, would never
have imagined she would one day receive the Virginia Hunt
Newman Award and be recognised in the International Swimming
Hall of Fame. Marrying Deny, an accomplished swim coach, she
soon became involved in his successful swim schools, and in
1987 decided she needed to learn to swim properly! Quickly
proceeding to her lifeguard certification, her next challenge
was to train teachers for the rapidly expanding Zancanaro Swim
School.
Trained in developmentally based therapeutic approaches in
education and health, Julie was shocked to see swim programs
where babies and young children were forced and distressed.
Julie sought guidance from the international learn to swim
community. Virginia Hunt Newman’s book was a refreshing
change, as was the guidance of Laurie Lawrence, Forbes and
Ursula Carlile, Claire Timmermans, Cookie Harkin, Sharron
Crowley and Rob McKay. Julie could not understand how force
had any place in learning to swim, and strongly believed in
child centred approaches and learning through play.
After publishing
numerous articles on developmentally based approaches, Julie
was soon being asked to speak at National and International
Swimming Conferences. In 1995, she presented at her 1st
International Conference in Melbourne. She was the Australian
delegate to the World Conference in Oaxaca in 1997; and a
speaker in Toulouse 1999, Wellington 2007 and Vancouver 2009.
The attack on the World Trade Centre prevented her from
presenting in Argentina in 2001.
In 1996 Julie was
an inaugural recipient of the Meritorious Service to the
Teaching of Swimming in Australia Award. She was a major
contributor to the two Australian accreditation courses for
baby and preschool swimming. A contributing author of the
first AUSTSWIM Manual for Infant and Preschool Aquatics, and
the more recent Swim Australia Teacher of Baby and Toddler
Swimming. Since 2014 she has contributed to the first
Curriculum and Teacher Training Program for indigenous
communities in the Pacific, Let’s Swim.
Julie produced a
video on a Developmental Approach to Baby Swimming in 1998,
and has made over 100 presentations at Australian national
conferences in 25 years. She has directly facilitated the
accreditation of thousands of swim teachers in Australia, New
Zealand, the Middle East and the Pacific.
In 2001 Deny and
Julie built Hills Swimming, a customized Indoor Swim Centre to
cater for children from 3 months to National Swimmers,
focussing on world's best practice in Early Childhood Aquatic
Education. Of the 2500 students each week over half are under
5, and many have Individual Learning Programs to cater for
Sensory Processing Disorders and other learning challenges.
The team of 65 at Hills Swimming inspire her, and allow her
time to assist national accrediting bodies to raise standards
in early swimming.
A champion of
Respecting the Rights of Young Children in Aquatic Education,
Julie is continuing to campaign for stronger industry
self-regulation. She delivers accreditation courses for Royal
Life Saving Australia, AUSTSWIM and Swim Australia, and has
always remained bipartisan. Sitting on national committees and
working groups across the industry helps achieve the best
outcome for the children they serve.
Having withdrawn
from her Master of Science at the University of Sydney to open
a new swim school, Julie is now resuming her studies,
undertaking research into developmentally appropriate
practices in early aquatics.
Julie is very honoured and proud to
continue the legacy of Virginia Hunt Newman, promoting gentle
and developmentally sound swimming pedagogy for our most
vulnerable little swimmers.
The career
of Monterrey Mexico’s Lulu Cisneros has flowed from
competitive swimmer, to teacher, to coach, to model swim
school owner/director, to spokesperson around the world for
joyful aquatic programs for babies and young children.
Lulu began teaching at 13 under
swim coach and mentor Dionisio Dominquez as she went on to
become state and national champion in 100 and 200 butterfly
with the Monterrey Dorados. She was an exchange student and
swim team member at Clearwater High School in Florida USA.
While working toward her degree in
business administration including studies in pre-school
education and infant psychology she was the first swim coach
at University of Monterrey and lead her team to a national
championship among private universities. She met her husband
to be, Mauricio Hernandez, during this time and together they
founded Lulu Cisneros Educación Acuática in 1989.
For her swim school she has created
a system for babies and toddlers called “Early Aquatic
Stimulation Program” that combines water, music and games to
learn to swim in a cheerful environment putting the youngest
children together with their parents in the pool. She was also
among the first to create a video in Spanish on teaching
babies to enjoy the water and inevitably learn to swim. A life changing trip to San
Francisco for the 1991 National Swim School Association (NSSA)
Conference made a big difference in her professional life.
With much excitement she began making friends and exchanging
teaching-learning strategies with other owners including
Beatriz Esesarte from Oaxaca Mexico and Robert Strauss in
Miami – all became her teachers. More travels to conferences,
and exchanges followed.
With the support of Australian,
John Bainbridge, Beatriz Esesarte and Nelson Vargas, Mexico
City swim school owner and former Mexican Olympic swim team
assistant coach, Lulu brought an NSSA Infant-Toddler teacher
certification course from the NSSA in 1994 creating a course
book entitled “Natación Para Bebés, Una Propuesta De
Acercamiento Afectivo”
Knowing how much she benefitted by
meeting with others Lulu was instrumental in bringing the 1997
World Aquatic Babies Congress conference to her home country
which sparked much interest and growth in baby swimming. She
followed that by hosting the 2002 Annual NSSA Conference to
Monterrey – the only time it has been held outside the United
States to date. Her swim school received the 1996
Nuevo Leon Quality Award (Mexico), being the first swim school
to receive this honor. This gave Lulu the opportunity to meet
with Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo. In 2002 Lulu received
the Guiding Light Award from the USSSA, and in 2011 she
received the Kelly Ogle Memorial Safety Award from the World
Waterpark Association (WWA). Lulu has conducted teacher training
and certification courses as well as being a featured speaker
at conferences in the United States, Canada, Brazil,
Argentina, Guatemala and Costa Rica. She still
finds time to train as a masters competitive swimmer and is a
state, national and world champion. Recently she participated
in her first triathlon.
A mother commented about Jim
Reiser: “It’s like
having Mr. Rogers teach your child to swim. Only a
parent could teach with that much love.”
A 3rd generation teacher and coach,
Jim Reiser of Columbia, South Carolina USA began teaching in
1982. As a teenager, Jim taught under the supervision of
his father in Johnstown, Penn., ironically, just minutes away
from the “Home of the original Tarzan,” ISHOF’s Johnny
Weissmuller. After teaching
under his father’s supervision for eight years, Jim went off
to get his college degree. By his sophomore year, the
ambitious undergrad was leasing the California University of
Pennsylvania pool to run a swim lessons program that taught
over 1400 children to swim from 1990-1993. During this
time, he also earned an undergraduate degree in Business
Administration. While his undergraduate degree in
business would serve him well, Jim’s true passion was in
teaching, coaching, and water safety.
Because of Jim’s
outstanding swim program at the Pennsylvania college, graduate
director Dr. John Spurgeon offered Jim a Teaching
Assistantship in Aquatics and Physical Education at the
University of South Carolina. Jim gratefully accepted
the honor and moved to Columbia, South Carolina to earn his
master’s degree. From 1993-1995,
Jim studied at one of the most highly regarded Physical
Education Departments in the country. His advisors and
mentors would afford him with the opportunity to apply all his
research to skill acquisition and the development of young
swimmers and athletes. During this time Jim served as a
graduate assistant to Dr. Richard Hohn where he would learn
how to train, develop, and assess the effectiveness of the
undergraduate physical education majors. Jim also taught
all of the undergraduate aquatic courses. After earning
his master’s degree in 1995, the department hired Jim to be
its’ “Swim Professor” where he served as a faculty member
until 2005.
While in graduate
school, Jim also launched The Swim Lessons Company, and he
began to design a template for training swimming instructors
which would eventually become known as Swim Lessons
University. The Swim Lessons Company not only has four
locations, Jim’s swim school has also been teaching nearly
2000 second graders every year since 2005 through a contract
it reached with Richland School District One in Columbia, SC.
Jim says he will
be forever grateful to people that went out of their way to
give him words of encouragement and really inspired him to
stay the course as a non-traditional venture like this hasn’t
always been easy. People like former USC Football Coach
Lou Holtz and USC Basketball Coach Eddie Fogler both gave him
words of inspiration and praised his teaching as I taught
their grandchildren and children to swim.
In 1995, Jim wrote
and produced his first video, Teaching Swimming Effectively as
his master’s degree project. A few years later,
Steve Graves became another one of those people who had a
profound impact on Jim’s career. Steve, the founder of
NSSA and a close friend of Virginia Hunt Newman, came across
Jim’s video and was impressed. Steve invited Jim
to speak at the 1998 NSSA Conference in Orlando and their
relationship developed from there. “Steve Graves
has been one of the most influential people in the direction
that my career path has taken. I will be forever
grateful for Steve as both a mentor and friend.” In 1999, Jim
convinced a local banker to loan him $35,000 to produce “Home
Swim School,” which eventually became what’s now known as
“Swim 101,” a video-based certification course for teaching
preschoolers to swim. Some of the biggest names in
swimming gave it rave reviews. From the late, legendary
Olympic Swimming Coach, Richard Quick to world-renowned coach
and author Dr. Earnest Maglischo who wrote:
“Jim Reiser has
produced some of the most interesting and innovative
techniques I have ever witnessed. His methods will cause
children to look forward to their swimming lessons rather than
fear them, because his methods stress fun as well as skill
mastery, they will signal a lifelong love affair with the
water for young swimmers.”
Jim’s creation of Swim Lessons
University, now a world-renowned swim instructor training and
certification agency has earned him respect from around the
globe. Swim Lessons University is the official
Learn-to-Swim Program of the World Aquatic Babies and
Children’s Congress. Most recently, AAU Swimming (Amateur
Athletic Union) has partnered with
Swim Lessons University
to train their coaches,
and help AAU grow the sport through swimming lessons in
traditionally undeserved communities. SLU is also
recognized by the American Camp Association (ACA) and USA
Swimming’s “Make a Splash” program.
In the United States, SLU is now the
Instructor Certification Training Program of choice by
recreation departments, YMCAs, pool management companies, and
swim schools in 41 states. Swim Lessons University can
also be found in 52 countries from the U.S. to New Zealand.
Jim Reiser has been honored over the
years by several organizations. He has been the
recipient of the Adolph Kiefer “Water Safety Person of the
Year” award by USA Swimming, the “Community Lifesaver Award”
by the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, and the
“President’s Award” by the World Aquatic Babies and Children’s
Congress.
On receiving the Virginia Hunt
Newman Award at the International Swimming Hall of Fame,
Reiser says, “It’s such an honor to be mentioned along with
the other recipients and it’s so humbling to receive an award
named after Virginia, “The Mother of Infant Swimming.” She
pioneered and focused worldwide attention on the non-forceful,
non-traumatic method of teaching infants and preschool-age
children to swim, and I plan to continue to influence others
the way she has influenced me.” Jim is happily married to his
wife Heather and they have three children, Jeb, Nolan, and
Rex.
Torill Hindmarch first started with
baby swimming in 1975 in Bristol England. She believes her
most important work was done in Norway in the early 1980’s
when she pioneered aquatic activities for babies and toddlers
in the Oslo region. In 1982 Torill developed a teaching
program for her local branch of the Norwegian Lifesavings
Society (NLS) that moved away from “training” babies. Since 1988 she has worked to promote
and change the methodology in Norway away from the dive
orientated methods that prevailed at that time. Torill was
strongly influenced by Daniel Zylbeberg and his work in Paris
after the conference in 1988. This led her to rethink the
practice in Norway which created quite a stir at the time. She
saw that not all babies were happy in classes and the approach
was still too forceful for the more sensitive
families. Torill was putting tools into
the hands of inexperienced parents with little background in
aquatic education. This lack of experience and understanding
meant that parents were exceeding the limits of safe activity
which resulted in negative reactions from babies and children
with lasting consequences. She had to change their approach
even if it alienated her from many swimming instructors at the
time. Torrill Hindmarch has a Master’s
Degree in Early Years Education and has managed two preschool
and child care centers in Norway, promoting Forest School
methodology. Her passion and knowledge of the advantages of
movement in water was instrumental in developing programs in
these centers for weekly sessions at the pool for the
preschoolers, and in particular, those children that were
developmentally challenged. This pedagogical approach was
effective and enhanced speech and motor skills development as
well as social skills. This background has been a great
advantage in developing a child centered approach in baby
swimming. Early Childhood Education has been an
important part of Torill’s working life; her experiences gave
her an appreciation of the importance of strong relationships
between teacher and pupil. By listening to the pupil, the
teacher becomes a more effective teacher. The advances in
research into child development and learning have been central
to the development of her teaching philosophy in aquatics for
young children in Norway. From Vygotsky through Meltzoff, Kuhl
and Gopnik to the work of Trevarthen, she found inspiration
and wonder at the power of social interaction and the child’s
desire to communicate. The tiniest baby is ready from birth to
communicate with its closest careers and is ready to learn if
only we take time to make that connection. This interactive
communication is an important part of the aquatic learning
process. This and the sheer joy of being at one with the
aquatic environment is the cornerstone of her pedagogical
approach. Torill now works for the Norwegian
Life Saving Society as an education consultant at the head
office in Oslo with responsibility for education in water
safety and drowning prevention (Section for families and
children), curriculum development, instructor qualifications
and teacher support. Torill has a background in competitive
swimming and lifesaving, and parallel to her work with babies,
she has been educating swimming and lifesaving instructors for
the NLS and the NSF since the 80’s. She helped establish sport
lifesaving in Norway, serving two terms as chair of the sports
committee and was the national coach for life saving for four
years. She has also gained inspiration from several teachers
in the field of antenatal aquatics, following programs from
France and Australia that focus on preparing the mother for
birth, breathing and relaxation exercises and encouraging the
connection between mother and child at this early stage.
Torill believes all this has helped her develop a holistic
approach to teaching swimming, survival and water safety to
young children and their parents.
Beatriz Esesarte Pesqueira
Beatriz is the founder and director of Acuarela Natación Formativa begun in
1988. She has since worked continuously to find better ways to teach to swimming
by applying scientific research in psychomotor learning. Over the past 25 years
she has developed Acuasomatic Education that combines human evolution and the
learning process with the naturally stimulating water environment.
Respect for water is necessary to be
“waterwise” she says.
Beatriz developed a specialized learning pool for different age groups and
physical conditions. The design enables her to control the level of stimulation
that is part of learning to swim by providing different depth platforms that
enable anyone, despite their height or age, to explore initially the water from
the upright position, which is the better way to empower the trust and
confidence of the individual she feels. Once having overcome the initial
inhibitions, students can adopt the horizontal position in water as a result of
spontaneous experimentation.
The multidisciplinary approach Beatriz uses brings together findings and
theories from recognized scientists and experts -
Wallon, Winnicott, Spitz, Piaget,
Bowlby, Freud, Reich and especially Vitor da Fonseca who came to collaborate
with her in 2010 validating her teaching process based on the Psychomotor Human
System and the Tritemporality of Human Motricity that involves the sociocultural
process as an important element of learning.
The presence of the mother in the baby swim classes is a must Beatriz states
because of the seven phylogenetic competences: sustained attention, interaction,
affiliation (human interaction with immature beings), gesticulation, and
imitation.
Beatriz is a recognized for her success in building her swimming instruction
business as well as sharing her philosophy and methods with other swimming
professionals as she is frequently a featured speaker at educational conferences
on swimming around the world.
Niko Saito
is among the first to introduce baby swimming in Japan. She studied baby
swimming with Ester Williams and Crystal Scarborough in Los Angeles in
the 1960s then established her own program for babies, young children,
and pregnant women under the name Saito Aquatic Academy in Nagoya,
Japan.
In the years following, she put a title to
her aquatic instruction philosophy and methods calling them “Aquamics”.
This system makes use of the water and rhythm to help children develop
mentally as well as physically. Class activities pair swim activities
with other learning and child development activities..
Live
music flows as a musician plays a special keyboard poolside
during classes. Students focus on special cards called
“Pettanco” as they learn their colors, shapes, and musical
notes as they also move about and swim around the pool. Songs
are sung to the happy music, games are played among parents
and their children, and toys grasp the attention of even the
unsure student. There is plenty of pleasant stimulation for
students during their Aquamics class.ive
music flows as a musician plays a special keyboard poolside
during classes. Students focus on special cards called
“Pettanco” as they learn their colors, shapes, and musical
notes as they also move about and swim around the pool. Songs
are sung to the happy music, games are played among parents
and their children, and toys grasp the attention of even the
unsure student. There is plenty of pleasant stimulation for
students during their Aquamics class.
Aquamics has brought forward in Japan the use of
aquatic activities including baby swimming as a beneficial part of early
child development. A
child’s physical development as well
as his or her personality and
vitality can be enhanced by participating.
Niko has authored
numerous books.Niko has authored
numerous books. She wroteeShe wrotee
Baby Swimminggg(1976) which received designation as a “Book of the Year” by the Japan
Library Association. She authoreddd
Baby Swimming and Maternity Swimminggg(1987). She is also aaa
respected author of history books in Japan –
she has 10 to her credit!!!
Niko has made presentations at scholastic meetings and conferences
including the Japan Physical Pedagogical meeting, the Pediatrician
Symposium for Pediatric Sports, and several times at the World Aquatic
Babies & Children Network conferences.Niko has made presentations at scholastic meetings and conferences
including the Japan Physical Pedagogical meeting, the Pediatrician
Symposium for Pediatric Sports, and several times at the World Aquatic
Babies & Children Network conferences.
As a youth, Niko was a
competitive swimmer and held a Junior National Freestyle record in
Japan.As a youth, Niko was a
competitive swimmer and held a Junior National Freestyle record in
Japan.. She earned a degree
in nursing which has help in working with handicapped children in the
pool as well with those with conditions such as asthma and autism..
She earned a Graduate degree from the School of Humanities and
Social Sciences at the Nagoya City University..
Niko has always had an affectionate way of teaching. Virginia Hunt
Newman, an ISHOF Pioneer in baby swimming, said, “Aquamics is a
brilliant way to teach babies and young children with care and
gentleness.”
Laurie Lawrencee
It seems that Laurie Lawrence may just
have a touch of chlorine in the blood and was always destined
to be a teacher of swimming and a coach. As a young boy his
father managed the Tobruk pool in Townsville. The family lived
in a small unit above the pool entrance. There he was exposed
to Australia’s dominance of International swimming when the
Australian Olympic team trained there prior to the 1956
Olympic Games. In those early days he hunted and treasured
autographs from Australian swimming legends Dawn Fraser, Jon
Henricks, Murray Rose, Lorraine Crapp, David Thiele, and other
Australian Olympic team members. Laurie fondly remembers
giving his bed to Jon Henricks when the Lawrence family
billeted Henricks during the 1956 Olympic training camp in
Townsville.
As a young man he left the pool to
complete his studies a Bachelor of Arts, a Diploma of
Teaching, and a Diploma of Physical Education. He represented
Australia in Rugby Union and toured New Zealand with the
Wallabies in 1964 before becoming a swimming teacher and
coach.
He represented
Australia as a coach at Los Angeles Olympics in 1984 and has
been an integral part of the Australian Olympic team at every
Olympic Games since and has been selected to assist the AOC in
London as well. London will be his eighth Olympic Games living
in the village and being part of the Australiann
Olympic team.
His passion for baby
swimming began with the birth of his first daughter Jane in
1975. He purchased Virginia Hunt Newman’s book and the journey
began. After seeing how good Jane became he documented Kate
his next daughter’s progress on film. Emma his youngest
continued the passion and research into baby swimming and now
as young women Jane Kate and Emma all work in the family
business.
Emma and Laurie spent
five years documenting and creating worldwideswimschool.com as
a resource for swimming teachers all round the world with a
particular emphasis on infant aquatics based on progressive
skill development determined by the growth and development of
the child. The first grandchild,
Evie, has inspired the creation of a newly released iphone,
ipad app for swimming teachers and parents. This app will add
to the three video DVDs , three books, and online swimming
teaching resources already created by Laurie.
His internationally acclaimed Water Safety Program "Kids Alive
Do the Five" has seen drowning in Australia plummet from 63 in
the 2000 to 33 in 2010.
His latest Kids
Alive Water Safety DVD “Living with Water” has been done in
conjunction with the Australian Government as a drowning
prevention measure for children under five. It is being given
to the parents of every newborn in Australia for four years as
a drowning prevention measure. To date more than 800,000 DVDs
have been distributed in Australia. He eagerly awaits
Australia’s drowning statistics later in the year to judge the
success of this latest project.
Daniel Zylberberg
Daniel Zylberberg is a clinical psychologist in Paris, France.
He works with children in a psychiatric hospital
and teaches infant psychology at the Medical University of
Paris XIII.Daniel Zylberberg is a clinical psychologist in Paris, France.
He works with children in a psychiatric hospital
and teaches infant psychology at the Medical University of
Paris XIII.
In the early 1980's he put his education and experience to the
aquatic field by establishing an experimental babies swimming
program. At the time in France there were few such programs or
awareness of their benefits. He
conducted research focused on observing the natural and
spontaneous behaviors in infants while participating in
an aquatic classroom environment. With friends, doctors,
teachers and students, programs were established at
additional aquatic centers and were well received.
Zylberberg was the
moderator and lead organizer of the 5th WABC conference in
Toulouse, France (1999) - attended by over 500
professionals from 27 countries and injected also
presentations on young children swimming. He has given consult
on teacher training programs in Italy with the WISP
organization, in Spain with the SEAE, and in Argentina with
FAEP - all national swim teacher education organizations.
He's also lectured in Norway, Finland, United States and Germany.
Daniel is the author of numerous books and articles. "The
babies in the pool" (title translated in English) has been
translated also into Japanese, "The Ages of Swimming" has
published in French and Italian. He has been seen
on numerous French television programs featuring swimming
babies. Since 2008 Zylberberg has served as expert member and
advisor to the French Swimming Federation’s special commission
on baby and children's learn to swim programs.
Inspired by Dr. Maria Montessori's learning philosophies
theories especially that teachers and parents should shape the
learning environment to help the baby or child do things for
themselves. Daniel
Françoise Freedman
José Fontanelli
Swimming teacher José Fontanelli has a passion for baby swimming.
And the word ‘affectionate’ describes his manner in having taught
tens of thousands of young pupils over the past 40 years in his
homeland of
Fontanelli uses research and techniques in a variety of disciplines
to speed their development and enhance the comfort of students and
their parents who accompany them in the pool.
Research has shown that children in utero recognize different people
outside the womb and their mother’s reaction to those people.
Applying this, Fontanelli was among the first in the world to
extend the ‘starting time’ for a baby swimming to the pre-natal
period – where expectant mothers come to the pool for movement and
exercise experiences. Mother
benefits and at the same time becomes comfortable with the pool
classroom and with the teacher. After
baby is born the mother returns for ‘baby & parent’ classes, and
mother is well at ease and can concentrate on baby and the class
program.
Research has shown that special difficulties during gestation and
child birth are associated with future problems of socialization
within children. Fontanelli asks mothers about their pregnancy and
delivery to better know the child.
Both parents join baby in pre-natal and beginning classes at his
Fontanelli Swim Club. Classes are relaxed.
It is not common for babies
to be breast-fed during class again a blending natural ways within
his aquatic classroom.
Laughter, song and activity are primary components.
The joy created makes learning to swim inevitable.
Fontanelli has authored the book
Between Pleasure and
Technique – focusing on aquatic development of babies and
toddlers. He has been
featured in newspaper and magazine articles and is often a presenter
at swim teacher conferences throughout Latin and
Yoko Yagishita
Yoko Yagishita exemplifies the spirit of the Virginia Hunt Newman Award and the pioneering, innovative spirit of Virginia herself. Both are little dynamos. Both share a special heart for babies. Both share the foresight, intelligence and conviction to foster teaching methods that allow the tiniest swimmers to grow and learn in their aquatic environment in tear free and positive lessons.
Yoko graduated with two college degrees, the first from Nihon University and the latter from Keio University. She is also a licensed Japan Counseling Association Psychological Counselor. It was during baby swim classes that she realized what a wonderful experience it was to spend precious time with her son enjoying the water. So in 1980 Yoko was trained to become a baby swim teacher and received “Baby Swim Instructor “qualification from the Japan Swimming Club Association. In 1990 she was inspired by Virginia Hunt Newman at the World Aquatic Babies conference (WABC) in Tokyo. Yoko adopted a,”wait until the flower blooms” swimming program. In Japan, Yoko introduced her style of teaching in a joyous manner in a parent/child group class format, never forcing her tiny students to perform skills. Furthering her credentials, Yoko again attended the WABC conference in Melbourne, Australia in 1995. Yoko was inspired by a video showing smiling babies, above and under the water. She was so moved that she eventually made 12 overseas trips to the United States to study, observe and absorb these gentle methods. During her first several years she studied; during the 8 remaining years she acted as a guest teacher in the United States. To finance these two week learning journeys, Yoko worked all night long driving a delivery truck etc. for an entire year, all this in addition to teaching her beloved baby students during the day. According to Yoko, the Melbourne conference and her broadened perspective on baby swimming world wide changed her life completely. Having been able to reach Virginia Hunt Newman, the mother of baby swimming, and be exposed to those programs that considered the whole child started a new chapter of life for Yoko. She was a woman on a mission to be a part of something wonderful in the lives of children, their parents and in training gentle, patient teachers. Yoko began to realize her dreams. In America, Yoko, speaking only several words of English her first years, communicated with her smile, playfulness and gentle manner. Nothing could stop her, even a bout of cancer which she fought and survived with typical strength and an optimistic attitude. Her positive teaching techniques for babies, while also integrating special needs children into her classes, slowly began to spread to clubs and aquatic programs though-out Japan. She has combined the best of Western technique with Eastern to make a culture and community of nurture, joy and fun for mothers, fathers and their babies. Today, Yoko has been featured in many Japanese media, including many mothering and baby magazines, such as “Akasugu”
and NHK Educational Journal, as well as appearing on “Good Morning Japan”. Yoko
now swims three days per week and practices yoga. Yoko is opening baby swim programs for the Tipness group of sports clubs. She has revamped or begun baby swim programs in multiple locations in Tokyo, and in Nagoya, Osaka, Yokohama and Kanto. She is scheduled to open a new program in the prestigious Tokyo National Gymnasium. Yoko has trained over 500 teachers in Japan, creating positive shockwaves through-out the country with countless thousands of happy babies and their parents smiling in the water from coast to coast.
Terje Stakset
Terje represents
Virginia's Newman's philosophy not only in the pool as an instructor, but also in
his conference presentations and uniquely in the theater as the
producer of his one-man stage show of the evolution of gentle baby
swimming. This ingenious production pays tribute to
Virginia, and follows her vision of using play and kindness, not force
and tears to teach babies to swim. His father was a swimming
teacher for 25 years.
Terje traveled from his home in
Norway to receive the award in Fort Lauderdale, Florida at the Swimming
Hall of Fame's annual ceremonies, on May 12, 2006.
Terje, a graduate of the Business Academy
of Oslo, is currently manager of the Norwegian Lifesaving Federation in
Oslo and Baerum. He has been an instructor in swimming and life
saving for 27 years and a teacher of baby swimming for 15 years.
Moreover, he trains instructors in swimming, baby swimming, lifesaving,
CPR and first aid and for 27 years he was the vice-president of the
Norwegian Lifesaving Association.
In 1990 and 1991, his team won the
Norwegian National Lifesaving Championship for male teams. In
1992, he represented Norway in the World Championships in Sweden.
Terje's baby swim school is part of the
Oslo and Baerum District of the Norwegian Lifesaving Association.
He has been an advocate of Virginia Hunt Newman's gentle approach to
teaching babies to swim. He has been an international speaker at
Newman's World Aquatic Baby Congress conferences in France and Hawaii as
well as a international conference in Helsinki, Finland. In
October 2004 he was Director for the Nordic Conference on Baby Swimming
in Oslo. In 2002 he produced a baby swim video "The Truthful Face
of Baby Swim". In April 2006 he completed a second DVD titled:
"How to Teach Young Children to Swim."
Terje is a wonderful example of Virginia's
gentle methods of teaching babies to swim, giving voice to those not yet
able to speak for themselves. Terje's leadership and commitment
represent Virginia's philosophy not only in the pool as an instructor,
but also in his conference presentations. Through his use of
poetry and unique theatrical acting when producing his one-man stage
show, he "shows off" the evolution of the gentle baby swimming approach.
This ingenious production - entitled "Baby Swim Fro the Very Start
and Into the Future" pays tribute to Virginia, and follows her vision of
using play and kindness, not force and tears to teach babies to swim.
Using a poetic verse to describe his
feelings for Virginia's method of teaching Terje writes:
Virginia Hunt Newman was a
Pioneer,
And She Made It Quite Clear,
Non-Forceful is the Only Way,
And in That Direction it Has to
Stay,
Be Gentle from the Very Start,
If You're Going to be Smart.
Steve Graves
2005
Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient For many years, Steve Graves has
been helping to improve aquatic programs for young children on local, national
and international levels. Steve's leadership and promotion
of Virginia Newman's non-traumatic style of teaching has been felt worldwide.
In 1998, Virginia selected Steve to be President of her World Aquatic Babies
Congress (WABC), the professional organization for swim teachers working with
infants and toddlers, which Virginia founded in 1993. World conferences on
baby swimming followed on baby swimming in Toulouse, France (1999), Buenos Aires, Argentina
(2001), and Honolulu, Hawaii (2003), which were attended by representatives from
34 countries. He developed WABC's website using it to send electronic,
around-the-world newsletters on the subject of infant-toddler aquatic
instruction. Hundreds of instructional articles were archived in several
languages on the WABC website. In 1988, Steve founded the
National Swim School Association (NSSA), a trade association for swim school
owners in the United States. He served as the association's
President for the first five years, then as Executive Director through 2001.
During this time, annual conferences included presentations by the leading
international authorities on designing aquatic programs for babies and young children. In
2000 Steve received the Paragon Award at the International Swimming Hall of
Fame. He had promoted aquatic safety by facilitating a large research
study on the expectations of parents with regard to their expectations and
results in having the children enrolledcreating infant-toddler teacher
certification and public awareness programs in drowning prevention for NSSA.
These programs greatly benefited NSSA's 1500 member swim teachers and the
160,000 students taught each year. 1997-2006 was a part-time Executive Director of
the Florida West Coast Chapter of the Florida Swimming Pool Association, an
affiliate of the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals (formerly NSPI). He
brought attention to pool industry leaders on 'right thinking' with regard to
backyard pool safety - that it wasn't just the parents job and it wasn't just
learning to swim (which takes time) - that there is a collection of drowning
prevention strategies that need to be applied to be a more complete
preventative. When it comes to teaching young children to swim, Steve
like Virginia, feels that the gentle, positive approach is best.
A Danvers and Normal, Illinois native and a former college
All-American freestyle swimmer for Coach Archie Harris, at Illinois State
University also in Normal, Steve was a swim coach, teacher and aquatic program
director from 1969 to 1993 in Illinois, Arizona and Florida. Beyond his current
WABC activities, Steve still finds time to teach swimming a few hours a
week. Says his university swim coach Archie Harris, "Steve did it on just
plain hard work. He is a go-getter."
Rob McKay
Rob McKay of Boca Raton, Florida USA has been
named the first recipient of the Virginia Hunt Newman International
Award. McKay accepted the award May 8th at ceremonies at the
International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) annual awards ceremonies
May 8, 2004 in Ft. Lauderdale. The newly created award to the
person is presented to that person who "exemplifies the teaching
philosophy of Virginia Hunt Newman" said Ed Newman, Virginia
Newman's son.
Virginia Hunt Newman, considered
the "mother of infant swimming" is a pioneering advocate of
the gentle, positive approach to teaching babies to swim, author of
the first book on infant swimming, "Teaching an Infant to Swim" she
is honored into both the International Swimming Hall of Fame
and the National Swim School Hall of Fame.
McKay commented that "Virginia Hunt Newman is a "shining light" for her work
with very young children. Virginia's love and respect for children,
her support and consul to those seeking to teach babies to swim in a
gentle manner has been constant inspiration to me. I treasure her
friendship, her insight, her ethics, her vision."
The Newman Award will be Rob's second award housed in the perpetual
awards area of the ISHOF. In 1999 Rob received the Paragon Award
"for outstanding contribution to Aquatic Safety". Rob McKay has spent 26 years of his adult career devoted
to teaching infants to swim. It is no accident that it
was also 23 years ago that Rob first met and was
inspired by Virginia Hunt Newman.
Virginia's pioneering advocacy of a gentle, positive
approach to teaching infants to swim instilled in Rob a
passion to create the most stimulating, child-friendly,
educationally sound and developmentally appropriate swim
school possible.
Rob's mission along with his wife Kathy has resulted in
his nationally acclaimed Lifestyle Swim School in Boca
Raton, Florida and their instructional video series, "Diaper
Dolphins". DK/Penguin Publishing of London/New York announces the world wide spring 2005 release of
Rob and Kathy McKay's
book, "Learn to Swim".
The 128 page book outlines the couple's philosophy
and features step-by-step how-to's for parents and teachers of
children 6 months through 4 years old. As with all DK books, visually appealing
photos and unique graphic layouts draw the reader to the
page. Rob and Kathy's small swim students and their
parents grace the pages of "Learn to Swim" as techniques
and tips are shared for each age and stage. Learn to
Swim is available at many stores including Barnes and
Noble,
Borders Book Store, Amazon.com, Target, Wal-Mart and
Books a Million. The McKay's have also created an
informational web site, "Baby Swimming-the Gentle
Journey" at
www.babyswimming.com
.
The McKays have authored and been the featured subject
of numerous newspaper and magazine articles nationally
and internationally. Rob and Virginia were featured in a
video press release on infant swimming for the national
product release of Huggies brand "Little Swimmer's"
diapers. They also appeared together in the Discovery
Channel's "World of Wonder" program which aired in 50
countries during a 5 year period. Japan's Nippon TV
network recently featured Rob, Kathy and their baby
students in a special entitled "Charismatic Teachers".
A frequent speaker at national and international
conferences and workshops, Rob is a board member of the
World Aquatic Baby Congress and a member of the Congress
of the ISHOF. He is a charter member of the National
Swim School Association. McKay has trained numerous
teachers in his gentle, child-paced, non-traumatic
methods both from across the US and around the world
including Great Britain, Norway, Sweden, Japan,
Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the Philippines.
A former high school All American swimmer from Cedar
Rapids, Iowa and a collegiate scholar-athlete for
Florida State University, Rob also held records as a
Master's swimmer and continues to swim for health and
fitness.
Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award
The purpose of this
annual award is to carry on the name of "The Mother of
Infant Swimming" Ginny Newman and her philosophy of teaching
babies to swim in a kind, loving, caring, and gentle way
so
they learn to love the water!
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Sandra Rossi Madormo
2024 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Honoree
to be presented October 4, 2024 at ceremonies at the
International Swimming Hall of Fame, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida USA
Amanda Gawthrope
2023 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Honoree
She inspired a new generation of infant toddler aquatic
teachers in Russia and remains a loved and trusted trainer.
Teachers came to train with Amanda from all over Russia
including countries of the former Soviet Union between 2008
and 2016.
She was the light, and her love of kids was in the air every
time she visited our swimming centre. All loved her.
Patricia Cirigliano
2020 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
*Gymnastic Games for Parents and Children- Editorial
Paidós-Buenos Aires-Argentina.1986
*Therapeutic Swimming for Babies Matronatación®.. Editorial
Médica Panamericana. Auspicio UNESCO - 1997
Robert Strauss
2019 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Johnny
Johnson
2018 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Julie Zancanaro
2017 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Lulu Cisneros
2016 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Jim Reiser
2015 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Torill Hindmarch, M.A.
2014 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Beatriz Esesarte Pesqueira
2013 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Niko Saito - Japan
more. . ..
2012 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
2011 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
2010 Virginia Hunt Newman International Award Recipient
2009 Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Françoise Freedman, with a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, has more than twenty years experience teaching and educating instructors in water babies programs from her London area home base. She founded and operates Birthlight - an organization focusing on a holistic approach to pregnancy, birth and babyhood that includes an original water babies program and a pre and postnatal aquanatal program.Françoise Freedman, with a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, has more than twenty years experience teaching and educating instructors in water babies programs from her London area home base. She founded and operates Birthlight - an organization focusing on a holistic approach to pregnancy, birth and babyhood that includes an original water babies program and a pre and postnatal aquanatal program.
Growing up as a competitive swimmer in the central region of France Françoise credits her coaches with instilling a drive for excellence without losing the fun of swimming. As a teen she spent summers teaching reluctant children and learned that gentle progressions got children happily relaxing and floating in preparation for more learning more advanced skills.
Later as a young fieldworker in Peruvian Amazonia, swimming was again a useful and natural activity – whether to dive down to catch fish in the streams that flow from the Andes or as a daily recreational treat for all children or for bathing. She saw older children teaching little tots to swim as part of looking after them as well as parents crossing rivers with babes on their backs. Francoise was very much in a natural water environment and thereby also
observed the movements of pink dolphins, otters and other water creatures swimming with their young.
Returning to London to continue her education academically as well as aquatically, she set up a small group of families who were interested in ‘swimming with their babies’ and incorporated the gentle playful ways witnessed in the Amazon. The water sessions became the highlight of each week in Cambridge – Françoise then having children of her own. She states that Virginia Hunt Newman’s book Teaching an Infant to Swim was an early inspiration to teaching babies and young children.
The presentation of her first film ‘Water Parenting’ in 1995 launched the Birthlight approach to infant aquatics with a focus on affective communication between parents and babies in a water environment. The film conveyed the message that water could be conducive to an easier birth, in the water or not, and that it could also help parents bond with their babies at any time by finding ease together in the water.
Her video ‘Swimming with Babies’ came next and then her book ‘Water Babies’. Also working at the time as an academic medical anthropologist at Cambridge University Françoise says that her university colleagues were surprised to see a double page article on Birthlight baby swimming in the Times, and then on the front page of the Daily Mail – the leading UK newspapers.
Françoise continues to impart gentle ways through her Birthlight organization - making sure teachers always create a wave of warmth and a good time in the water for children and parents.
2008
Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award
Recipient
2007
Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
2006
Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Selected
for as the 2006 recipient for his commitment and being a
wonderful example of Virginia Newman's gentle methods of
teaching babies to swim, giving voice to those not yet able to
speak for themselves.
2004
Virginia Hunt Newman
International Award Recipient
Virginia Hunt Newman Award Nominations
Nominations for the next Virginia Hunt Newman Award given annually to a person who exemplifies the philosophy
of Virginia Hunt Newman may be emailed to WABC for
consideration. The recipient traditionally selected is
a disciple of Newman in his or her activities and accomplishments
as they carry on her name and her philosophy of teaching babies
to swim in a kind, loving, caring way so that they learn to love
the water. Students to be taught in a non-forceful and
non-traumatic way as was Virginia's style and philosophy.
Nominations are
written communication explaining the nominees qualifications for
this award along with the nominees complete contact information to
WABC
office@WABCswim.com by
January 15th of the award year.
* Nominations from previous years are carried over to the current year and considered along with ones submitted for the first time.
For further inquiry contact Steve Graves at office@wabcswim.com
The award is presented at ceremonies of the
International Swimming Hall of Fame,
on a Friday evening in
October each year.