Carolyn Sweetman
Carolyn Sweetman was born and educated in New Zealand. Along with her husband, Brian, she moved to Nashville in late 1966. Brian held various faculty positions in scientific/medical research at Vanderbilt University over the next 25 years.
While living in Australia in the early sixties she became interested in teaching her new baby son, Peter to swim. As she progressed with Peter, she realized that this was one of the most wonderful activities that she and her son could share together. Peter did not take to the water as fast as a lot of babies and young children do, but Carolyn was just as determined that he was going to learn to swim. Carolyn prevailed and Peter could swim freestyle and back stroke by the time he was four years old.
Carolyn grew up in a tiny farming area of New Zealand, called Nuhaka, in Hawkes Bay. She learned to appreciate the beautiful farmland and the coastline and ocean so much so, that much of her growing up years were spent either swimming in the ocean, not two miles from her family farm, or swimming in the Nuhaka river which was the summer “hang-out” for all the kids in the village.
After graduating from college she became a school teacher in Dunedin before marrying her husband of 47 years and giving birth to their son, Peter. Teaching swimming lessons was a natural progression from the classroom to the water.
Ms. Carolyn has three sons. The two youngest sons,Brendan and Gareth, became her most senior teachers. Gareth is now developing an independent program of his own in Rutherford County. Her oldest son, Peter, plays a major part in maintaining the physical and chemical parameters of the swimming pool. Ms. Carolyn also has four grandchildren, Kaira - age 9( she is the baby pictured on the home page and now helps her Dad Gareth in teaching swimming lessons), Caden - age 4 1/2, and Rangi - nearly 3 1/2. The newest addition to the family is another girl Maia, who was born in September 2007 ( daughter of Brendan and Wendy.
During the 1970’s Carolyn taught at the Vanderbilt Swim School and at the old Nashville Aquatic Center. Carolyn also became involved in the Master’s swim program, holding South-Eastern Master’s records for freestyle and backstroke swimming in her age group. Today, Carolyn remains physically active and, as well as running her swim program, is involved in competitive tennis and long distance running. She has run several marathons, where proceeds were donated to charitable causes.
The secret of Ms. Carolyn’s success is the passion she and her whole staff have for the work they do, the bottom line being that everything they do with each child is tempered with hugs and kisses, whether they are crying or happy, and much positive re-enforcement. Trust Ms. Carolyn and her wonderful staff and you will be very happy with what they will teach your child, as well as yourself as a parent, or even as an adult student.