From growing up in the sun‑drenched waters of Sydney to becoming a Water Babies teacher in North East London, Dana’s life has been shaped by the magic of water. Her story weaves together childhood memories, open‑water adventures, and the deep joy she’s found in teaching families to feel at home in the water. As part of our Love the Water campaign, Dana shares how water has grounded her, connected her to the people she loves, and inspired her passion for helping the next generation discover confidence, calm, and freedom through swimming.
Growing Up in the Water
Hello! I’m Dana, an Australian who swapped the sunshine of Sydney’s north shore for the (slightly cooler!) waters of North East London. I’ve been teaching swimming for 13 years now, though water has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I often joke that I could swim before I could walk, and honestly…that might not be far from the truth.
I grew up surrounded by water. My eldest brothers were competitive swimmers with one even being a world champion. With a backyard pool and the coastline as my playground, water wasn’t just a hobby. It was home.
I first trained as a swimming teacher with Austswim in Singapore and began teaching professionally. When I later returned to the UK, it felt natural to continue teaching, especially as Water Babies had already been part of my life; my daughter was a water baby 16 years ago. Looking back, I think teaching was a subconscious way of keeping water at the centre of my world, even when London felt far away from the coastlines I grew up on.
From Childhood Lessons to Open-Water Adventures
As a child I always loved the water, swimming whenever I could get the chance. But open‑water swimming came later, about three years ago, when my son and I started swimming together outdoors. He has the same love of water that I do, and it became a brilliant way for us to spend quality time together. We’ve also found swimming outdoors to be hugely beneficial for our mental health, we usually swim in a lake in Beckenham, but when we’re there, it feels like the city drops away.
Diving into Competition
Two years ago, my son and I took part in our first open‑water event: the Serpentine Swim. He was only 11 at the time, but he chose to swim to raise money for the Ruth Strauss Foundation after my cousin was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. It deeply affected our family, and swimming became his way of honouring them and helping others. He raised over £4,000, something I’ll forever be proud of.
Why I Love Open‑Water Swimming
For me, it’s the peace. The levelling equality, once you’re in your swimmers, everyone is just a person in the water. No pretence, no pressure.
Being outdoors brings a calmness nothing else matches. And cold-water swimming? That’s another kind of magic altogether. The way it jolts you awake, makes you feel alive, and clears your mind, it’s incomparable.
Why I Became a Water Babies Teacher
Teaching little ones to swim is the closest, most connective activity a parent or carer can share with their child. In Singapore, I worked closely with a cranial osteopath supporting babies who had experienced stressful births. Water offered them, and their parents, comfort, mobility, and calm that simply isn’t possible on land. I also worked with children who needed extra support, and watching how water opened a whole new world for them is something I’ll never forget.
Watching the growth in confidence of someone who may have had a tricky start with their little one and seeing the bond they have is just so amazing. There is nothing that beats seeing a baby’s first underwater swim, a nervous carer beam with confidence, or the pride when a little one holds on to poolside or jumps in with zero fear and comes up smiling.
Those moments? Pure joy. Every single time.
Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Water
When I teach, it feels like I’m sharing the best secret in the world, that water is a place of freedom, joy, and connection. Whether it’s a newborn experiencing it for the first time or a toddler kicking with confidence, that spark of wonder never gets old.
Water has shaped my life from a Sydney pool to Singapore training sessions, to London lakes, to the warm, wonderful world of Water Babies. Teaching isn’t just a job for me. It’s a way to spark passion and help families discover the magic I’ve always found in the water.
If this blog inspires even one person to dip their toes into open‑water swimming, join a Water Babies class, or simply reconnect with the water in any way…then I’m happy.
Feeling inspired to jump in? Whether it’s a gentle toe‑dip or a full‑on splash, Water Babies lessons are the perfect place to start your little swimming journey. Come on in, the water’s lovely! Find a Water Babies class today.
