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From: Simon Clarke

To: Steve Gershon Subject: Sculling works!

Hi Steve, just to let you know that your sculling exercises have really helped my swimming. I have found that I am now faster than some who used to leave me behind. Also, I have had comments from fellow swimmers who have spontaneously announced that I am definitely swimming faster. Cheers, Simon

Steve, I just want to touch base following our session on Sunday.

I was amazed at the range of things that you had me doing and how much we seemed to accomplish in 2 hours. I accept that my tendency is one of stress rather than relaxation, but two trips this week to the pool at my David Lloyd gym have already proved that I am becoming increasingly relaxed and at ease under water. I guess that the elusive muscle memory can only improve.

I am really motivated to move on. I will spend time "practising" and no doubt I will reach a point where I need some more help. I envisage contacting you then, to discuss what might be a sensible next step.

Sheila and I are off skiing in the French Alps in a couple of days, so you won't hear from me for at least a couple of weeks.

Kind regards, Ian

Dear Steve,

Thank-you for your swimming lessons. They have made such a difference to my front crawl. After a tiring shift at work, I like to relax with a swim in the local pool, but I only used to swim breast stroke, because I did not have the energy for the front crawl and I have certainly never found it relaxing. Not now! I prefer the front crawl, I can swim twice as far with half the energy and find it is very relaxing. When I change to breast stroke, that feels like the hard work now. I really am pleased, my front crawl feels so good and I enjoy it so much.

Thank-you from Jo Cherry

Thanks Steve - it's great to feel enthusiastic about going to the pool again - can't wait. You are a magician! Joan

Hi Steve,

I have finally got your e-mail from Simon! I promised after the lessons to give you some feedback. I never believed that at 62 years of age I would be able to learn to swim in a relaxed manner. Your calm style reassured me and I was soon able to enjoy the experience and was amazed at what I was able to achieve. It was a revelation to me that swimming could be so satisfying and not the exhausting experience that it has always been for me. I am amazed that after only five lessons I had the confidence to continue on my own and to progress.

As you suggested both Claire and I have been practising hard. I have been most comfortable with back stroke initially but have gradually got to grips with the breathing for front crawl and can now regularly manage full lengths. The next challenge will be to be able to link successive lengths but I think that we are both close to doing that. When things go wrong we have all the drills that you taught us to help us to get back on track.

On a personal note, I went swimming with Pat last week and swum 24 lengths backstroke and a few lengths front crawl without a pause and came out feeling refreshed and exhilarated. Thank you once again for opening up the enjoyment of swimming - I know that it would not have happened without the lessons.

Regards, Mick Clow

Hello Steve

I'm enjoying my swimming - thanks again for all your help and patience.

Julia

Hey Steve

Thanks so much for the other day...i really enjoyed it! and felt like i made a lot of progress, so i was really pleased. I have checked a few things, and i would love to have another three hour session on that Sunday (4th September)... so do book me in. We said 10am which is good for me !

Thanks again

Andy

Hi Steve

I did enjoy today and my first experience of swimming in the rain. The great bonus was having the pool to ourselves.   There may not have been quite so many earth shattering revelations or achievements today but I think the points of progress were maybe a bit more subtle – ie not getting in a panic when I had a cramp and being together enough even in deep water to stay on my back and talk to you. Another thing I only thought about on the way home was pushing off from the deep end without even thinking about it and I really did not think about it.   So, as ever, thank you doesn’t seem enough.

I’ve hugely enjoyed your teaching and your company.

All the best

Erica

hi Steve,
thanks for all your help. haven't seen the official Ironman time but I reckon I was around 1.18 which is 11 minutes faster than last year and with a lot less training. am going to take a bit of time off but will definitely be back for some more coaching as it really paid off.
Jonathan

   …   It’s good to hear your thoughts. As far as trust goes I think you had that within about 10 minutes, maybe less, and it has only grown from there.

See you Wednesday.

Erica

Hello Steve

I think I might be a bit slow here as I’m only now just realising that so much of the ‘mind training’ we’ve done over the past couple of months is relevant to things other than swimming. I think I’ve been hearing your voice in my head over the last few days when I’ve considered giving up on my running at the gym because it was a bit hard going.    It’s worked with the book writing too as I was getting a bit bogged down there. Thank you for teaching me to ‘kick my own arse’ when necessary (or doing it for me!).

Sorry to go on but I might not have time to share that with you on Wednesday.

Erica

Steve
I just wanted to say thanks for the last 12 weeks, it's been a real eye opener and I feel like I've almost cracked it although I still need a lot of practice, which I think is the key. Hopefully, you will be organising some more lessons for the autumn.
Thanks once again for all your guidance.
Mark



Hi Steve

I don’t think I can bear not to have one last visit to the Lido before it closes. How is next week for you? It’s looking unlikely I’ll be away so I might be able to fit something in. It may have to be a slightly shorter session depending on what I can organise here. Let me know if there are any days you can’t do.

Today was great once again – thank you. I’m angry with myself that I was a bit of a wimp at the underwater, deep end stuff. I’ll have a think about that.

Erica

Hello Steve and thanks for another good day. I really enjoyed all of it even the difficult bits which is amazing considering that I think I was the most stressed and anxious ever first thing. Still, I think you managed to knock that out of me in about 5 seconds flat!

I’m looking forward to Monday already.

Have a good week and thanks again.

Erica

Thanks Steve, very kind of you...

I'm finding swimming in a wetsuit much, much easier and hoping to do OK in the swim. I think after the triathlon, when there's no time pressure I'd like to start having lessons again, if you're up for it?

Anyhow, thanks again for the best wishes and the lessons, my swimming has improved immensely !

Cheers,

Laurie

   …   a significant improvement - thank you.
Paul, Caroline & Sophia

Dear Steve

Thanks for a fun couple of days.

John

Hi Steve

Just to say how much we've enjoyed the Monday night sessions. We've both really learnt a lot.

Thanks very much,

Julia and Bill



Hi Steve

Thanks for another great day. I’m not quite sure what powers of persuasion you used to get me to dive into the deep end as I thought the shallow end was a bit of a big moment! So, as ever, I am hugely grateful to you for your patience and understanding.

John

Hi Steve

Thanks for your patience today. I feel happy with what I managed to achieve – especially the bottom of the pool bit!   I think by the end of the 3 hours I was pretty spent and was having trouble remembering what I was supposed to be doing. Still I am keen to carry on and I’m looking forward to Friday already. See you then.

John

Went to the lake on Sat. and it went really well. As long as I relaxed, I could cruise quite easily and I was sailing past people that used to be along side me.

Georgie

In the meantime, please accept my thanks for your assistance and considerable patience.

Regards, Reg.



At the Cambridge Triathlon Club AGM, Tim Williams, CTC Chief Coach reported

"I didn’t mention then Steve but I will now. He lets me know months in advance if he won’t be able to come and, most importantly, provides great swim sessions which are loads of fun and loads of use for the kids. He’s absolutely outstanding !"



Hi Steve,

Oli is really enjoying lessons and we are happy to see him making progress!

Thanks,

Abi



Hello Steve

Thank you again for yesterday – I really enjoyed it! And I promise I will practice my drills when I am away.

So maybe we could book another lesson.

Kind regards

Rachel Hotchkiss

Hi,
I see you haven't lost your sense of humour ! I am grateful for all your help and particularly impressed that you dedicate your working life to getting the rest of us horizontally mobile. I'm sure Dincer will take a lot from the lesson. Andrew is still in awe of you, by the way and is looking forward to seeing you again. All in all you have a sound fan base and this is only one small set of your clients.
Rebecca

Steve

Gregory will be continuing on Monday nights, both Kay and myself feel he has progressed far more in the short time he has had with yourself, than in the last few terms that he had at Haileybury.

Laurence Campbell

Testimonial

Steve is an excellent instructor and offers genuine insights into a new way of swimming

C Kirby 1/2005



Dear Steve

Sophia has been really enjoying her lessons with you, so thank you.

Paul & Caroline Pledger

Hi Steve
   …   thanks - great session today. Definitely felt a lot more natural in the water. Am definitely up for some more and will get you some possible dates in the next couple of days. Meanwhile if you have some drills you can send me that would be great.
Jonathan Reeve



Steve

Thank you for the lesson. There has been many a cheer from family members who have heard you got me under water!

Andrew is thrilled his turns are coming along nicely.

Perhaps I could contact you again to arrange another lesson?

Thanks again

Becks



Steve
Thanks once again for all your help in the past.

It is testament to your training that such a poor swimmer as myself has progressed this far in such short a time.

If I need any fine tuning I will contact you asap.
Mark

Thanks for the instruction on swimming.... so far. I was just beginning to feel like I was getting somewhere ... from hating swimming and only doing it because I couldn't run... to looking forward to a Monday night (and my practice sessions in between)... At the latest session I got the impression that it was to be the last... and I don't want that to be the case ... so... can we do something about it.

Adrian

Hertford

Hey Steve, please feel free to use anything I ever email you on your website.

My speed/confidence/learning curve definitely jumped up at the time you helped me out!
   ………
Hey Steve thx 4 ya email.
I managed 3rd in my age group

I wanted to say a huge thank you for the help you have given me with my swimming! I'm finally starting to get (significantly!) faster and the best part is that I've done no 'hard work' to achieve the extra speed.

I'm loving every stroke and learning something every session.

The sessions we had in the UK have really paid off; most importantly, for my confidence! I now believe that I'm an OK swimmer and that one day I might even be good!
I don't think I've ever felt as calm, relaxed and purposeful in the pool as I did whilst you were coaching me. You've clearly got a profound but dynamic understanding of the principles and practise of Total Immersion, but you also add useful ideas from your own extensive experience. In particular, the tips to avoid 'throwing away' my breath and the work on turns have been really useful, although I have a long way to go with the turn! My swimming is flowing far more than it ever has and feels really smooth. I know that I'm expending far less energy.

Dunstan Bertschinger

Cambridge Triathlon Club

GB World Championships Age Group Captain, NZ 2003

Steve took me for a couple of long individual sessions, and it was great to get some individual attention. As a relatively new swimmer (2 and ½ years), I was finding it hard to get any faster in my 200m modern pentathlon races. Although I found total immersion a little frustrating because I didn't get faster despite (apparently) doing the exercises very well, I'm sure it has helped my swimming technique to some degree. What I perhaps found the most useful from my sessions with Steve was his explanation of the leg to cause body roll, which Total Immersion doesn't really explain. I found this really hard at first, but I worked at it on my own, and I suspect that was what helped me to knock a huge 5 seconds off my PB in my most important race a month or so after Steve's teaching.

Thank you Steve!
Laura Davidson, Cambridge University Modern Pentathlon Team

Despite having tried swimming lessons on and off over the past 20 years I remained a reluctant and nervous swimmer. Recently, however, I was delighted to have the good fortune to find Steve Gershon, an inspirational instructor who has the ability to coach with the perfect mix of humour, patience, rigour and reassurance.

As a result of one-to-one lessons with Steve during recent months I have, finally, learned to trust the water and myself. I sometimes wonder who faced the bigger challenge!

Thanks a lot Steve.
Margaret Crilly
Hertford, June 2003

To Whom It May Concern

Swimming has been my obsession since I started Total Immersion swimming with Steve Gershon. In January this year I thought it would be a good treat to have some private swimming lessons, so I could learn front-crawl once and for all. I am very pleased to say that my goal has been achieved after such a short period of time thanks to Steve’s teaching. During the past few months I have learnt to swim fish like in a painless way and at quite high standards.   Steve Gershon is reliable, conscientious and very professional. He is a good communicator and is able to motivate, therefore I would have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone.

Gabriela Porter

I have acquired a skill for life and I’m very grateful for that.

I would definitely keep it going and I’d love to teach my children too. I’m going to miss your coaching; I used to really look forward to my swimming lessons. Anyway, I have to move on and concentrate on my next goal of going back to Spain.

“You will be pleased to hear, that as a beginner I have knocked over 1 minute off my 400m time since I began applying the principals of Total Immersion and my lessons with you; and am happy to offer that as a testimonial. (Down from 10-30 to 9-09.)” - Darrin Robinson - novice swimmer/triathlete

I’m sad that my lessons have finished, But I am happy to have been taught by you. Your teaching has been well above all my expectations and I never thought I would be able to swim as I do in such a small period of time. Thank you, I had a great time learning with you. - Gabby

hi steve..before i go i just wanted to say thank you very much for the session today. I really enjoyed it. For some reason i was really awake and up for it!! I thought it was a good combination for drills and aerobic work! I was pleased to see lots of faces..a good turnout! I hope we get to try more of the short axis drills as it was fun..even   …………   Thanks again, see you tuesday morning!!
best regards, vicki (Hoddesdon Swimming Club).

i really mean this when i say i really enjoy the morning training sessions. its so invigorating    ....   your combination of aerobic and drill work is great! see you soon! vicki

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