Techniques Swim and Triathlon Coaching

Swim and triathlon coaching in Rochdale

Techniques Swim and Triathlon Coaching is a swim and triathlon school based at Castleton Health & Leisure Centre in Rochdale (United Kingdom). Its activity focuses on teaching adults to swim and on triathlon preparation, with private sessions and video analysis as its main working tools.

The company presents itself as a project born from the personal experience of its founder, Neil Hollingsworth, who began swimming and competing in triathlon at the age of 41, without a bike and struggling to run. As the website itself recounts, he went from not being able to complete more than two lengths of front crawl to becoming an ASA Level 2 Swim Teacher and qualifying to represent Great Britain at the 2024 European Middle Distance Triathlon Championships, held in Portugal.

Private lessons and video analysis

The main service consists of private swimming sessions, one-to-one (1 to 1) or for two people (2 to 1), aimed at both beginners and high-performance athletes. The company also offers video analysis of swimming technique, a tool it uses to detect inefficiencies and correct the stroke.

Among the services advertised are adult swimming lessons, specific front crawl training, and technical advice for triathletes. The website also mentions follow-up sessions for those who have already had a previous analysis.

Triathlon preparation

The company has incorporated personalised triathlon training plans, tailored to each athlete's goals, both for those new to the discipline and for those looking to improve their performance. The website indicates that, due to high demand, places for this service are limited.

The school's stated approach is based on its founder's experience as a self-taught swimmer, which, according to its presentation, allows him to understand the difficulties of those learning to swim as adults and adapt his teaching to each case.

Founder's sporting career

The website details some milestones in Neil Hollingsworth's career that underpin his method. In 2012 he completed his second triathlon, the Tatton Park Sprint, with a time of over 15 minutes for the 750-metre swim. In 2017 he swam the Windermere One Way, an event that was extended to 11 miles that year, in under six hours. In 2021 he completed his fifth full-distance triathlon, the Lakesman, with 57 minutes for the 3,800-metre swim, compared with the one hour and twenty minutes it took him on his first attempt at that distance in 2014.

The company attributes these results to consistency and technical correction, and notes that a video analysis was the turning point that allowed him to cut 30 seconds off his 400-metre time.

Student profile

The testimonials collected on the website describe the progress of adult swimmers of different levels: from people who did not dare to swim in the deep end of the pool to athletes looking to improve their triathlon times. Several of them mention improvements within a few weeks, such as going from not completing two lengths to swimming 70 lengths in seven weeks, or reducing their 400-metre time by 15 seconds in a month.

The school caters both to swimmers starting from scratch and to triathletes who want to refine their technique, and offers individual or small-group sessions.

Location and contact

Castleton Health & Leisure Centre - Manchester Road, Rochdale, OL11 3AF · Phone: 07717826505 · Email: neil@techniquesswimschool.co.uk