Sophie Etheridge: my work journey

Adaptive swimmer Sophie Etheridge reveals her journey to becoming a poolside and open water coach

When I became disabled, I didn’t realise all the challenges I would face. There were obvious challenges like getting around and being unable to visit certain places due to them not being wheelchair accessible, but something I didn’t realise was how difficult it would be to find a job when you have a chronic illness!

I tried to continue in the job I was in, but my body couldn’t cope with it and I realised that I was just surviving rather than living. Life was working one day, recovering the next and I didn’t have the energy for anything else. After a year of living that way I said I couldn’t do it anymore and I became unemployed for the first time since I was 12 years old!

I spent years trying to work out what job I could do with the medical conditions I have and during that time I got back into swimming. I gained confidence in both swimming and myself and decided to try and get back into teaching swimming. I found a course with the theory online and only the practical was in person meaning I could pace myself but, the day before the practical assessment I was told I couldn’t attend, despite passing the theory. The reason: I would need to use a wheelchair on the poolside and that would make me a hazard to other teachers and pupils.

I decided if I couldn’t teach on the poolside, I would coach outdoors instead. In April 2021, I was welcomed with open arms by the Swimming Teachers Association and completed my STA Open Water Swimming Coaching course. I discovered a love of coaching outdoors but I missed working with those that were just starting their swimming journey where I could watch people week on week building confidence and falling in love with the water. So, in October 2021 I completed my STA Award in Teaching Swimming. I still focused on coaching in open water but I was able to bring some teaching into my coaching too.

In the following years, I became more involved with the Swimming Teachers Association and marathon swimming and in 2023, supported by the STA, I swam the English Channel solo. I also completed my Level 2 swimming teachers qualification with them. What was even better, my tutor was a wheelchair user herself, giving me the confidence I needed so I could be the best teacher possible – from my wheelchair! It’s only now, writing this, that I have realised I was doing a similar thing that the tutor had done for me, but I was doing it with my English Channel Swim. I wanted to inspire and encourage more people with disabilities into swimming and to show current swimming teachers that they should never underestimate someone because of their disability.

I now work, albeit part time and not for many hours a week, from the poolside, the lake side and virtually. I love what I do so much that it doesn’t really feel like work at all. I guess what I am saying is that sometimes, things like finding work aren’t easy, you will face barriers and challenges, be that due to your health or other peoples attitude but, if you are passionate enough about the job you want to do, every little struggle becomes worth it to get to where you want to be. After all, you never know where a job could lead you – mine led me to swimming the English Channel Solo!