She Runs The Game – Michelle Whytcross & Tommy Eylon

How do you maintain your passion and commitment to sport and swimming in particular?

Swimming has always been a part of my life and something I’ve been passionate about. It’s a sport that I have always enjoyed and participated in – it felt like a natural progression to become a swimming teacher and share my passion at the age of 18. It’s not something I need to maintain as my love of swimming and teaching water safety and swimming to all levels is a part of me. I can’t imagine my life without it.

How do you approach designing swimming programs that cater to the needs of diverse swimmers, including those with different skill levels, ages, and abilities?

Swimming is a sport that is suitable for everyone. It’s a sport you can do your whole life. Every human has the ability to learn to swim and love the water. Programs are designed to be building blocks of skills that lead to progression in technique. It’s not a sport that is necessarily age-based; everyone learns at their own pace, and we adapt out teaching methods to suit how each swimmer learns skills.

Can you share a memorable moment or achievement from your time as Head of Aquatics for Maccabi Aquatics?

Being part of the team that opened Maccabi Aquatics has been the most amazing experience. The Board are fabulous to work with and extremely supportive. To see the growth of Maccabi Aquatics and the rebuilding of the Maccabi Ajax Swimming Club since its opening in Nov 2021 has truly been phenomenal and I feel blessed to have been a part of it and continue building its bright future.

What are some of the most important qualities and skills that you look for in a successful swimmer, and how do you help them develop these attributes?

I believe everyone can be a great swimmer, it comes from hard work and dedication, coupled with drive and passion. This doesn’t just come from the swimmer, it’s a sport that needs the support of family.

What is your vision for the future of swimming at Maccabi Aquatics and how do you plan to achieve it?

Maccabi Aquatics will continue to grow and provide a vital service to the community. Teaching our children to swim can saves their lives – it makes it unique from other sports. My plan to achieve this involves eventual expansion, teacher training to have the best staff in the industry and by continuing to provide a fun, friendly and safe environment for people to come and learn to swim, as well as competitive pathways for swimmers to achieve their personal goals.

How do you use swimming as a tool to empower young women and promote gender equity in sports?

Swimming is not a gender-based sport. We don’t separate into male and female teams; the only separation occurs in competition during the race. Swimming taught me many great things that can help young women – I learnt to have confidence in my abilities, self-discipline, time management and that dreams can come true. Swimming doesn’t have to lead to competitive swimming, it led me to teaching and the desire to share my knowledge, drive and passion for a sport that I love.

How do you maintain your passion and commitment to sport and swimming in particular?

I was always inspired watching the Olympics and other large scale swimming competitions growing up. My family is very connected to swimming, and it has been a part of who I am since I was a child. I have always had a deep love of sport especially when it comes to swimming. My passion has constantly grown from my time as a swimmer and as a coach I can now share my love of swimming with younger kids who are just as passionate and committed to swimming.

How do you approach designing swimming programs that cater to the needs of diverse swimmers, including those with different skill levels, ages, and abilities?

When designing squad swimming sessions, you always need to take into account for differing levels of abilities, understanding and drive from the swimmers. I was able to get to my level of knowledge and skill in coaching through trial and error, asking for feedback, seeking the advice of fellow coaches, and watching their approaches and opinions.

Can you share a memorable moment or achievement from your time as coach at Maccabi Aquatics? 

A memorable moment for me as a coach of Maccabi Ajax Swimming Club was at our first club-run event, where we held a ‘head-to-head’ competition against another club. To see the swimmers using the skills they had learnt from training and supporting one another during wins or losses was a proud feeling. There was a real sense of community amongst our swimmers, parents, and coaches which we are proud to have been able to build in a relatively short amount of time.

What are some of the most important qualities and skills that you look for in a successful swimmer, and how do you help them develop these attributes?

Any person can learn to swim, but to be a swimmer is a skill that is hard to teach. Successful swimmers have drive, self-discipline, and a love for the sport. When swimming, although you are a part of a squad, it is just you and the pool. I try show my love for swimming to the swimmers to help inspire them to love the sport too.

What is your vision for the future of swimming at Maccabi Aquatics and how do you plan to achieve it?

My vision for Maccabi Aquatics is to continue to grow in numbers, for our squads to continue to create connections and community, and for swimming to be something that all our participants look forward to attending. I want to see swimmers of all ages and abilities experience the challenging yet rewarding sport of swimming.

How do you use swimming as a tool to empower young women and promote gender equity in sports?

As a very athletic kid, I loved all sports especially swimming and I was always told that I can do anything I set my mind to. I try to empower young female swimmers to believe in themselves and to know that their coaches and all of us at Maccabi Aquatics believe in them too. No two children are the same, but everyone appreciates being supported and having someone who believes in them.