Interview with Swim Rotorua's Alastair Johnson who has signed on for another four years.
Swim Rotorua head coach Alastair Johnson has high aspirations for the club after signing on for a further four years.
Johnson, originally from Durham, England, fell in love with swimming after being introduced to the sport by his mother as a 4-year-old.
Since moving to New Zealand in 2009 Johnson, 50, has become one of the top ranked and one of a small number of gold-accredited coaches in the country.
And since joining Rotorua's swimming club in 2012 he has helped put Rotorua back on the swimming map - leading the club to many successes with a number of New Zealand representatives, a top-15 place at the New Zealand Age Group Champs, and a Westpac Business Excellence award in 2014.
Johnson is ambitious for the next four years and said a key area to tackle would be encouraging more youth into the sport, emphasising the importance of swimming as a "life skill".
"Just look around this area, here especially we are surrounded by lakes and rivers. If I can get more young people in this may even help reverse adverse drowning statistics."
Johnson has started this process after filling the role of technical adviser to the new Rotorua Lakes Swim School operating at the Rotorua Aquatic Centre.
And he is also part of Swim Rotorua's Making a Difference programme, started this year, which includes working alongside local schools such as Owhata Primary School and Horohoro School.
Johnson, who recently coached the New Zealand Age Group team in Australia, also has eyes on improving the elite pathways for top performers, including building on the partnership with the Rotorua Aquatic Centre to establish Rotorua as a swimming centre of excellence.
He would like to see Rotorua athletes on the podium at national and international events including the Tokyo Olympics in four years.
Johnson said the "sky is the limit" - taking inspiration from Rotorua swimmer Kane Radford who competed in the 10km open water marathon at the Rio Olympics in August.
Olympic swimmer Kane Radford still has plenty of contact with his former club Swim Rotorua. PHOTO/FILE.
"We have some very talented athletes here and I want to have local swimmers competing at the very highest levels," he said.
"The coaching style I use is very strict but fair and I have seen great results through this - I want each swimmer to reach their full potential.
"For inspiration youngsters need look no further than Kane. He may not be training here at the moment but he has been a part of this since the year dot.
"He comes back to mentor the swimmers several times a year and I hope this encourages our swimmers to also reach for the highest level."
