14-05-2025
Stirling pensioner at front of swimming lessons drive - and says age no barrier
The 74-year-old says an early experience of almost drowning as a youngster shaped his attitude - and has spoken of the benefits of getting into the water.
A 74-year-old who swims every week at Stirling University is backing a campaign telling people it's never too late to learn the skill.
John Nicolson is a real advocate of learning to swim - but an early experience almost shaped his attitude for life.
'I nearly drowned when I was three years old in a pond and it put me off swimming for many years – my school experience was not great either.
'I came back to swimming later in life and now gain huge amounts from swimming every week.
'Once I came to the first class I found it really challenging. The whole coaching process was excellent and I began to realise I was doing things and it just clicked. It was an improving journey all the time and I've still got a lot to do, but the journey has been fantastic.
'Swimming enables me to be fitter, it enables me to have a sort of platform and that is my way of keeping fit, keeping healthy and being able to do all the things I couldn't do when I was arthritic.
'I think if anyone's got doubts about learning to swim because of age or capability or health, I think they've got to try it.
'They will find learning to swim will enable them to do other things as well that you want to do in life like getting about, and that I think is essential.'
Scottish Swimming has seen a 152 per cent increase in adult swimming programmes as reported by National Learn to Swim Framework lesson providers across the country.
On the back of the launch of #NeverTooLate last year – a campaign to get more adults learning to swim and taking up aquatic sports - lesson providers delivering the National Framework (a partnership between Scottish Swimming and Scottish Water), have reported a substantial increase in adult involvement from 729 adults in 2024 to 1840 in 2025.
Staggeringly one in three adults in the UK cannot swim the length of a pool yet 63 per cent of Scots say it is important to them to have access to a swimming pool, the sea or a loch on holiday.
Learning to swim is an essential life skill and never more so than in the summer months.
John Lunn, CEO of Scottish Swimming said: 'The recent good weather makes water all the more appealing for a swim or paddle and this is when people need to be fully aware of the dangers.
'Our drowning statistics in Scotland are more than double those of the UK and our unique geography with 11800 km of coastline and 30,000 inland waters means that danger is never far away.
'My hope is that the #NeverTooLate campaign continues to have an impact and persuades even more adults to learn this vital life skill.
'Swimming is a fantastic activity, when done safely, for family enjoyment, individual fitness and all round health.
'It's great to see John and others like him gaining so much enjoyment from swimming as well as the important health benefits.'
According to the Scottish Household Survey in 2023, 13 per cent of adults swim regularly – the highest participation sport after going to the gym and weight training. For women participation rates are even higher - 14 per cent of women swim regularly – the same percentage who do keep fit and aerobics, and for adults with disabilities swimming is the highest participation sport.
