STA Podcast
Welcome to the STA podcast, discussing all things swimming, lifesaving, first aid and leisure operations. Join the STA team and a special guest each episode to dive deeper into a specific area or topic within the wonderful world of leisure.
Welcome to the STA podcast, discussing all things swimming, lifesaving, first aid and leisure operations. Join the STA team and a special guest each episode to dive deeper into a specific area or topic within the wonderful world of leisure.
Episodes

May 7, 2025
Cold water and ice swimming
May 7, 2025
May 7, 2025
43 min
Leon Fryer is one of the founding coaches of Swimyourswim, member of the International Ice Swimming Association and specialist cold water / ice swimming coach.
Today we are discussing all things cold water / ice swimming, how to start, what we need to be aware of, ice swimming as a sport and Leon will be sharing his top 5 tips.
May 7, 2025
43 min

Apr 23, 2025
Apr 23, 2025
1 hr 5 min
In this episode, Janine Ramsey from Trauma Informed Aquatics discusses the importance of being trauma informed and the impact we can then have within aquatics. Janine has extensive experience and qualifications in swimming teaching, swim teacher education, counselling, traumatic stress and child safeguarding. She is currently a Child Safeguarding Advisor for the Department of Health, in Tasmania, Australia and provides specialist consultancy services to the aquatics industry worldwide in the area of trauma-informed aquatics. Often the term expert can be overused, however Janine is a true expert within this field and incredibly passionate about educating people on being trauma informed.
Apr 23, 2025
1 hr 5 min

Apr 9, 2025
What it means to be inclusive
Apr 9, 2025
Apr 9, 2025
1 hr 7 min
Within this episode Antoinette Spear, General Manager at Autism Swim, discusses what it means to be inclusive, inclusive language we can use and some top tips /changes we can make to ensure we are supporting everyone within our lessons, and facilities.
Autism Swim are the world leaders in inclusive aquatics, offering high quality online specialist training in aquatics and neurodiversity and they now have Autism Swim Approved providers in over 26 countries, incredible.
Apr 9, 2025
1 hr 7 min

Mar 26, 2025
Mar 26, 2025
55 min
This episode Emma Lewis, National Aquatics Manager for GLL, discusses swimming teachers, what makes them great, how we recruit them and how we keep them motivated.
Mar 26, 2025
55 min

Mar 12, 2025
Mar 12, 2025
38 min
This episode features Chris Bateman, STA’s Pool Plant Technical Advisor, who discusses how to keep our pool water clean and best practice within the pool plant. Chris will be sharing his 5 top tips to help us keep pools clean.
Mar 12, 2025
38 min

Feb 26, 2025
Feb 26, 2025
45 min
This episode features Ali Beckman, STA President, who discusses the role adults have within baby and pre-school lessons, the impact they have and what swimming teachers need to consider in order to support adults within lessons.
Feb 26, 2025
45 min

Feb 12, 2025
All things apprenticeships
Feb 12, 2025
Feb 12, 2025
56 min
This episode features Zac Cheek, Head of Apprenticeships at Excel Me, who discusses what an apprenticeship is, who can be an apprentice, the benefits to the apprentice as well as the employer, and importantly busting some common myths which surround apprenticeships.
Feb 12, 2025
56 min

Jan 29, 2025
Jan 29, 2025
36 min
This first episode, features Kaylë Brightwell, STA’s Director of Education, and Jodie Davis, STA’s Aquatics Development Officer, discussing the importance of swimming and what makes it great.
Jan 29, 2025
36 min



