Ex-Olympionic Sandra Völker teaches children to swim!

Ex-Olympionic Sandra Völker teaches children to swim!

Ludwig-Jahn-Straße 5, 23611 Bad Schwartau, Deutschland - Bad Schwartau. There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the Bad Schwartau swimming pool! Over 20 children diligently practice swimming and striving for the coveted seahorse as well as the badge in bronze and silver. At her side is the former world -class swimmer Sandra Völker, who learned swimming here 44 years ago. "It is a special feeling to return to the place where it all started," beams the 50-year-old, who started her career at VfL Bad Schwartau and later competed for SC Delphin.

With an impressive career that includes more than 60 medals at EM, World Cup and Olympic Games, Sandra Völker shaped the swimming world. She holds eleven world records and was named “swimmer of the year” three times. But life was not always a swimming festival. After her sporting career, she experienced financial difficulties that resulted in a private bankruptcy. She recorded her moving story in her book "You can't swim on land".

A new beginning with the Sandra Völker swimming school

Now Sandra Völker has dared to start a new start and offers swimming lessons in Bad Schwartau. Soon she will start as a sole trader with the Sandra Völker swimming school. "It is a place of wellbeing for me," she says about the swimming pool, while she is upset to the little swimmers. Every child who masters the 25-meter railway receives applause-"the joy of swimming is the most important thing," she emphasizes.

With her team, she also plans including courses for people with restrictions and online offers. The demand is great, and Sandra knows that her name helps with first contact, but the quality of the work counts. "If we don't do a good job, nobody comes back," she explains. The children appreciate their experience, even if they don't know much about their glorious past. "I want to go to the DLRG as a lifeguard," says the ambitious Lotte, inspiring the former Olympionician.