Linda Bennett: Mansfield's Champion Teacher!

​If you’ve ever been a member of the Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre, you’ve surely heard of a lady called Linda Bennett.

In a round-about way, the naming of the centre is even down to Linda, as she was the person who first taught double Olympic swimming gold medallist and former world record holder, Rebecca Adlington, OBE how to swim.

As a young girl of Mansfield, Rebecca first came through the doors of the then-Sherwood Baths looking to learn, and it was Linda - who herself began swimming at the pool in 1966 – who was on hand to guide the future champion.

Linda – who also ran a disability swimming programme out of the centre - also taught another champion in the making, when Charlotte Henshaw, MBE was brought to the pool by her mum back in 1991.

Charlotte was born with bilateral tibial hypoplasia resulting in her legs being amputated above the knee as a child, so Linda had to adapt how Charlotte was taught. But she was always a girl full of determination and quickly made progress.

Here Linda recalls the day Charlotte swam her first ever full length of the pool.

“I can remember it as if it were yesterday. Charlotte’s mum had brought her in to the centre as she wanted her to learn to swim and she knew we ran a disability club.

“She always worked hard on her swimming, but there’s something about doing your first length of a big pool, which is always a special moment in all learners’ lives.

“On the day, I clearly remember Charlotte pushing off and starting to swim. I’m in the water with her, mum is on the side watching, filled with pride, tears streaming down her face, but so happy at what her little girl’s achieving.

“Slowly but surely, Charlotte makes it to the other side – ‘you can do it’ I said, ‘you can do it’ – and she did.

“To have the privilege to be part of that moment was so lovely, but that’s what being a swimming teacher is like. You get to be part of so many people’s special moments.”

Over 30 years later and Charlotte is a double Paralympic medallist after winning silver at London 2012 and bronze at Rio 2016. Then in 2017, Charlotte decided to make the bold move and switch sports - and is now a para-canoeing World Champion.

But she’s got Linda to thank for those first experiences in the water that kicked off a stellar sporting career, which isn’t over yet!

“I’ve taught thousands of children and adults over the years, and of course I’m proud of the swimming stars who started off in my lessons, but I’m just as proud of anyone who tried their best and made progress, however slow or fast that was.

“I love seeing people of all ages develop their swimming skills and gain confidence in the water.”