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Youngster’s back garden swimming during lockdown
25/04/2020
Inventive parents find way to allow daughter to keep swimming during stay-at-home restrictions
A swimming loving youngster has been given an opportunity to swim whilst stuck at home, thanks to her inventive parents.
11 year old Kezia Parry would normally head off swimming around six times every week. Coronavirus restrictions put a stop to that, but Kezia’s parents were keen to find a way to keep their daughter’s love of swimming alive.
Mum Barbara Parry told Banbury FM, “Since lock down she has missed swimming so much she persuaded us to let her buy a small pool”.
The problem for the family was how to fit a swimming pool in the garden of their home in Longford Park, Bodicote. The only pool the garden could accommodate was one measuring just 2.6 metres by 1.6 metres, but swimming lengths of such a small pool would provide no challenge for the Sibford School year six pupil.
The solution came through some enterprising engineering. Mrs Parry told us, “We used a stretch band around her waist, an exercise bungee attaches to that and then a wire up to the washing line fixing on the house wall”.
The clever invention means Kezia is pulled back as she swims forward, thus enabling her to keep swimming and staying in top form.
Kezia is really happy now she can once again get into the water for a swim. She told Banbury FM, “Swimming is my happy place. Not being able to swim feels like I’ve got no freedom. Just being able to get in the water in my small pool means I can imagine swimming in the big pool at school. It brings me joy!”
Kezia normally swims three times per week at Sibford School and another three times with The Four Shires Swimming Club. She also enters swimming competitions. Now, thanks to clever thinking in lockdown she will be ready to dive straight back in once the current restrictions are removed.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam