Elegant, innovative and resilient.
Amid the warm, misty embrace of the indoor pool, she glides effortlessly through the water, her movements graceful, neither rigid nor unsteady. Each motion flows seamlessly into the next, transforming her swim into a mesmerising performance.
This lady, who moves with such ease and grace in the water, is Caron, a founding member of Wellington College Hangzhou and an artistic swimming coach. Artistic swimming, a sport that blends speed, elegance and technical precision, seems to embody her very essence: the harmonious balance of strength and flexibility, and her fearless spirit in embracing challenges.
Our conversation with Caron made us realise that the path one is destined to follow is always there.
With over 30 years immersed in the world of artistic swimming, Caron's journey began at the age of ten. By thirteen, she had become a professional athlete, and after retiring, she coached the Singapore national team before transitioning into teaching.
What appears to be a natural outcome is, in fact, the result of her ongoing journey of self-exploration and acceptance.
“To be honest, I never imagined myself stepping into the world of education, because competitive sports and school sports are fundamentally different. It was perhaps a twist of fate that, in 2018, I began this journey into education, a path I’ve remained committed to ever since.”
As a founding teacher, Caron has now spent seven years at Wellington College Hangzhou. What has kept her grounded and driven throughout this journey is her deep passion for artistic swimming and the profound fulfilment it brings her. She is deeply grateful to the school for providing her the opportunity to nurture a love for the sport in the hearts of so many young learners.
To Caron, artistic swimming is so much more than a sport; it's an integral part of her existence. As she puts it, “Even when I'm driving and listening to music, I find myself choreographing routines in my head; when I watch a stage play, I can't help but envision how the actors' movements could be translated into water.” She is constantly inspired by this magical fusion of artistic swimming and everyday life.
To her, artistic swimming represents both the elegance of art and the challenge of pushing technical boundaries.
"I believe anyone who has seen artistic swimming would be fascinated by its elegance and artistry. Behind every remarkable performance lies the swimmers' commitment and unwavering determination. But it's more than just effort—this sport also requires a spirit of innovation. Every routine is thoughtfully designed to blend the music's theme with the athletes' technical abilities. After repeated fine-tuning, a unique artistic creation emerges."
Having started with dance in her early years and later moved to artistic swimming, Caron has been deeply inspired by the artistic and athletic elements of both worlds. She seamlessly merges the elegance of dance with the strength of artistic swimming, combining gentleness and resilience in her approach. Her coaching is highly personalised, tailored to the distinct qualities of each child, ensuring they thrive in their own way.
"In simple terms, artistic swimming is dancing underwater. While the two share many artistic connections, they also possess distinct characteristics - blending grace and power in a way that mirrors the harmony of yin and yang in the Tai Chi diagram."
This philosophy shines through in her teaching as well. She adjusts her coaching methods to suit each child's individual personality, skill level and mental state both before and after competitions.
For instance, when working with introverted children, Caron focuses on offering encouragement and supportive guidance to nurture their confidence; with extroverted children, she designs more challenges and incentives to inspire them to constantly strive for self-improvement. This tailored approach enables Caron to help every child discover the pathway that aligns with their unique potential.
More than just imparting skills, Caron places a strong emphasis on building children’s mental strength. She uses team-oriented training activities to teach them how to support their peers and progress together. Through numerous competitions, she inspires them to confront failure with courage, draw lessons from setbacks and come back even stronger. This unwavering resilience is the greatest treasure that sport can give to children.
Caron once worked with a pupil who was distant, timid and hesitant to interact with others. Though the girl showed significant improvement in her technical skills over time, Caron noticed she still felt out of place in group settings. To address this, Caron sat down for an in-depth discussion with the girl’s mother, finally uncovering the underlying cause of her struggles.
It turned out that she had a sister who was a strikingly attractive and highly accomplished rhythmic gymnast who had claimed almost every medal and trophy in the family. As relatives and friends lavished attention and praise on her sister, the girl felt increasingly overshadowed and suppressed by the constant comparisons. Over time, she ‘shut herself off’ from the world and was later diagnosed with autism. At her worst, she stopped speaking to her family entirely, relying on a maid to bring meals to her room.
Once Caron understood the reason, she promptly adjusted her training methods, praising her strengths in class and showering her with encouragement. The breakthrough came before an international competition, when the girl volunteered to compete in the individual event. Through determination, she went on to win a medal. This achievement marked a profound change in her personality—she became more outgoing, willing to express herself and actively sought ways to support her teammates and contribute to the group.
Last year, while Caron was in Singapore with the school team for a competition, the girl travelled to the hotel just to meet her. She reached into her pocket and handed Caron a small brooch, asking, “Coach, do you remember this?” Fifteen years had passed, yet the girl had kept the brooch all this time, a gesture that profoundly touched Caron.
Caron observed that the critical thinking abilities of Gen Z and Gen Alpha often render traditional training methods inadequate. In response, she has shifted toward more communication and a more individualised and caring approach, guiding each child to uncover their unique potential, grow in confidence and cultivate a deep love for sports.
For Caron, training driven by passion is the key to helping children push through difficulties and stay committed.
Competitions are an integral part of sports and they hold significant importance in shaping a school's sports culture. Caron believes that competitions not only spark pupils' passion and improve their athletic abilities but also cultivate teamwork and a positive, healthy mindset, ultimately aligning with our broader mission of holistic education.
"Every competition is a priceless learning opportunity," Caron shared. "It teaches pupils how to manage pressure and work together as a team, skills that go beyond classroom learning." She actively encourages and guides pupils to take part in competitions both inside and outside the school, helping them grow through real-world experiences. This active participation has further enriched and strengthened the school's sports culture.
Under Caron's leadership, the children have made impressive strides and achieved outstanding results. At the 2023 and 2024 Singapore Open Artistic Swimming Championships, the Wellington College Hangzhou Artistic Swimming Team effortlessly secured gold in the Mixed Duet event and performed exceptionally well in the free combination and team events.
For Caron, artistic swimming is not just an aquatic performance; it helps one get ready for future life. Whenever she witnesses the children's success in competitions or observes their steady progress in training, she is filled with a deep sense of fulfilment. “It's incredibly rewarding and makes all the effort worthwhile.”
For pupils aspiring to pursue a professional career, Caron provides straightforward advice: start by evaluating your natural talent before committing to hard work. Talent sets the ceiling for your potential, while hard work is the essential bridge to achieving it. She carefully identifies true potential by assessing both ‘hardware’ and ‘software’ qualities.
"First, examine the hardware, i.e., physical traits such as knee and foot shape, leg length proportions, muscle type and a natural feel for the water," Caron elaborated. "But don't overlook the software, i.e., skills like rhythm and coordination." She is convinced that only those who excel in both areas can progress further on the professional journey.
While talent is vital, hard work is just as essential. "Even the most gifted individual cannot achieve greatness without persistent effort," Caron frequently tells the children. It is only through continuous hard work that talent can be transformed into tangible success.
Caron has always believed that the qualities nurtured through training and competitions, such as perseverance, teamwork, responsibility, self-discipline and confidence, are the most valuable lifelong asset she can impart to the children. These traits will guide them through life’s challenges, giving them the strength to move forward with courage and resilience.
