News & Updates

Safety Training Awards, the awarding organisation of The Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA), has reached the finals at this year’s FAB Awards in the category of ‘Collaboration of the Year’ for its Level 2 Open Water Swimming Coaching qualification.

Now in their fourth year, the FAB Awards recognise the contributions made by awarding organisations and their employees to education and skills in the UK over the past year. On hearing the news today, Dave Candler, STA’s CEO said: It is fantastic to be recognised by the FAB Awards this year, and not only for us as a team but also for all the collaborators who have been involved in the development of the Open Water Swimming Coaching qualification over the last 12-18 months.

Launched by Safety Training Awards in March this year, the new Level 2 Open Water Swimming Coaching qualification marked a first for this growing and diverse industry. This was the first time so many organisations had collaborated and combined their knowledge, methods and practices to create an all-encompassing qualification for the open water swimming world.

Led by Safety Training Awards, the collaborators included Olympic Silver Medallist Keri-anne Payne, FINA open water consultant Colin Hill, Triathlon Champion Rick Kiddle, Channel Swimming Association, British Long Distance Association, International Ice Swimming Association and many more expert open water swimmers.

Dave adds: By sharing knowledge and expertise, we have together created a first-of-its-kind professional coaching programme; one that reflects world-class practices and leading coaching techniques, while also matching the demands and growth this diverse sport offers to people of all ages and abilities. I’m proud to say that thanks to this collaboration, the qualification is a game-changer for the ever-growing open water swimming world, and in the long-term will serve to improve safety standards and promote coaching excellence across all areas of this sport.

FAB, the trade association for professional and technical awarding organisations, will announce all the winners at an awards dinner on 18th October at the Marriott Hotel in Leicester.