JOAN O’SULLIVAN

Gill Sherry

Joan O’Sullivan is the founder of Jets ASN Swim Academy (formerly Jets Swim Team) in Kilmarnock, providing water-based learning and activities for those with additional support needs. She was recently recognised by Scottish Disability Sports with a Service to Sport Award and took time out of her busy life to talk to Ayrshire Magazine.

Can you tell us how Jets ASN Swim Academy came about?
I was involved in supporting Dr Elizabeth Murray at Crosshouse Hospital with referrals for children, young people and adults with additional support needs. When the Galleon Centre opened in 1987, I was Centre Attendant and Lifeguard and in addition to the dry side activities at the hospital, I was able to get people swimming when the doctor referred them for rehabilitation purposes.

And it just progressed from there?
Yes. Because I worked at the Galleon Centre, I helped structure the sessions. I became more involved in the voluntary side of things, and it just grew from there. We transformed it into Sports for Special Needs and provided sports and swimming activities. I was on the committee and also a swim instructor in the early stages. Part of my role on the committee was to help grow the club and train volunteers. As it grew, we came up with the idea of Jets Swim Team.

When did it change to Jets ASN Swim Academy?
Before lockdown we had 17 volunteers. After lockdown we came back with seven, so we struggled to provide the same service. We had a transition period and went into a pause to help us develop volunteers enabling us to relaunch and rebrand in 2025.

Tell us how it works.
We’ve been working with schools within East Ayrshire, and now we’re back in the Galleon Centre. We’ve also been doing holiday activities at Loudon Pool. The idea is to get people to be able to swim, and then transition them into the Jets. We do upskilling in the community for volunteers. Once they’re trained, they can use their qualifications externally to gain employment, which is fine, as long as they commit so many hours to us.

Presumably, it’s proving to be successful?
Yes, it benefits everybody. We’re in the process of launching a parent and baby ASN group to get that progression from parent and baby, preschool, school, and afterschool. We teach them to swim, train them, some then volunteer with us, and we put them out into the community to sustain a programme of events.

But people can just swim for fun if they want to?
We teach people to swim and be confident in and around water, allow them to either keep doing it socially, recreationally, or for fitness, or they volunteer with us, or we guide them through the competitive route. We go to local, regional, national and international events. Several of our swimmers have represented West of Scotland at the Special Olympic National events.

Is that how you became involved with The West of Scotland Federation of Swimming Clubs for People with a Disability?
As Coach and Secretary of the Jets I started to get swimmers involved in competition. That’s what linked me to The Federation. I eventually joined them as a volunteer and a member of their board, so we could grow the network of opportunities for children, young people and adults to compete.

And you’re also involved with Ayrshire Sportsability?
Yes, I was on their board as a voluntary committee member and still support them in their annual swimming festival. I’m also Chair of East Ayrshire Sports Council which is another voluntary role.

All of this, plus a full-time job?
I wear two hats in my full-time job. I’m a Group Qualifications Manager for Swimtime UK Ltd, (National Franchise Swim School covering the UK & Northern Ireland) and a Director of Skilltime Training Academy (facilitating the delivering of training courses throughout the UK). That role helps the Jets to deliver training courses. We work with a lot of organisations within Ayrshire, delivering first-aid, lifeguard and life-saving courses.

Where does your love of swimming come from?
When I was seven, I nearly drowned. The lifeguard at Auchenharvie swimming pool pulled me out by my hair. After that, my mum got me lessons and I went on to swim competitively at Auchenharvie Swimming Club. That’s what got me into leisure. I worked at the Galleon Centre for 17 years, working my way up to Deputy General Manager. Then I lectured for 14 years at Scottish School of Sport. It’s all interlinked.

You must enjoy your involvement with the Jets?
There’s a lot of honour and satisfaction in seeing how people grow and develop. But it’s not about what we can do for them, it’s about them owning what they can do. It’s about their mental health and wellbeing, their skills and their ability, and what they can achieve. It’s about creating opportunities to let people be the best they can be. One young man who was highly autistic went to Camp America and stayed for 12 weeks! The interaction and involvement helped give him that confidence.

And you’re able to help their families too?
We create a network for them, allowing them to talk and have social interaction and to discuss their problems with each other. A lot of the children have similar issues, so the parents have similar challenges, and it allows them to get that respite time. Although it’s for those with additional support needs, we do have siblings as well, to make it easier on the parents.

Are all disabilities catered for?
Yes. It could be medical or physical, a learning disability, Down’s syndrome, amputee… We don’t just focus on the disability, we focus on the individual person. We provide groups sessions and also one-to-ones for those with more complex needs.

So, what’s next for the Jets?
It’s frustrating that we do this as a community group and deliver community programmes and cannot get access to swimming pools. We are a not-for-profit organisation which benefits the members and also the parents. I’ve got a waiting list because I can’t accommodate everybody. I could run this seven days a week, eight hours a day, but we don’t have the facilities or the venue to do that. That’s the ultimate dream.

Finally, tell us about your recent award.
What I do, I don’t do to be nominated. It’s great to get recognition, but it’s about the young people that I work with more than anything… and the volunteers. The programme only exists because of the commitment of the volunteers.

What Joan was too humble to say was that she won a Service to Sport Award following 38 years of inspiring, motivating, and developing hundreds of swimmers with disabilities as well as supporting countless volunteers and coaches by utilising her extensive knowledge of swimming. Well done, Joan!
For more information send an email to kilmarnockjetsswimteam@hotmail.co.uk