STA is proud to announce that Meghan Willis, its first ever youth Water Safety Ambassador and para-swimming athlete, has officially qualified as a swimming teacher after successfully achieving the STA Level 2 Award in Swimming Teaching this month.

Born with no right hand and a partial right forearm, Meghan was first enrolled into swimming lessons by her parents simply to ensure she was safe in the water. She learnt to swim at Llantarnam Leisure Centre, Cwmbran, with STA Swimming Teacher and Tutor Chris Bateman – who, in a special full-circle moment, recently co-delivered her teacher training through CB Training Services alongside STA Tutor Ross Othen in Cwmbran. Following the course, Meghan has since been recruited by Chris as a swimming teacher, completing her return to the instructor who first taught her to swim.

Neither she nor her family could have imagined that these first lessons would lead to such an extraordinary story – from early medals at para national events, through selection to the British Para Academy Squad, to representing Team Wales at the 2022 Commonwealth Games – and now, to becoming a fully qualified teacher herself.

In 2019, at just 11 years old, Meghan joined STA’s inaugural Water Safety Squad and became the charity’s youngest-ever Water Safety Ambassador a year later. Since then, she has continued to inspire through her swimming success, her openness about disability, and her passion for helping others.

Now aged 17, Meghan has come full circle once again by training with CB Training Services, an STA Approved Training Centre and winner of the 2024 Aquatic Excellence Award for ATC of the Year, to successfully achieve her qualification.

Meghan said: “Achieving the STA Level 2 Award in Swimming Teaching is such a proud moment for me. Swimming has given me so much – confidence, resilience, and opportunities I never thought possible. Growing up, I used to hide my arm because I didn’t want people to stare. But in the pool, I realised people cared more about what I was doing than how I looked. Now I hope to be that role model for young swimmers, showing them that whatever their ability, they can achieve great things.”

Chris Bateman, Director of CB Training Services, added: “It was an absolute privilege to support Meghan on her path to becoming a qualified swimming teacher. Having first taught her to swim at Llantarnam Leisure Centre, it was incredibly special to now co-deliver her STA Level 2 Award in Swimming Teaching all these years later. She approached the course with the same dedication and positive spirit she brings to her swimming, and she was an inspiration to everyone on the programme. Meghan will be an incredible role model for her learners, and we couldn’t be prouder to have helped her reach this milestone. Following the course, I was also delighted to offer Meghan employment as a swimming teacher with our team – completing a remarkable chapter in her story.”

Over the last few years, Meghan has made waves both in and out of the pool as part of the Torfaen Dolphins Performance Squad. A member of the Welsh Elite Squad and Team Wales’ youngest swimmer at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, she continues to train and compete at the highest level. In April this year, she set another Welsh S9 Para Record in the 200m Individual Medley (LC) with an impressive time of 2:44.35 at the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships. Alongside this, she has balanced her sporting career with GCSEs, training up to 40km a week, and inspiring others as an ambassador for Reach – the UK charity supporting children with upper limb differences.

Dave Candler, STA’s CEO, said: “We are incredibly proud of Meghan. To see her progression from a young Water Safety Ambassador to now achieving the STA Level 2 Award in Swimming Teaching is truly inspiring. She represents everything STA stands for – using swimming as a platform to build confidence, break down barriers, and create opportunities. Meghan shows future generations of teachers and learners that disability is never a barrier to success in aquatics.

Her story also highlights how swimming with STA can be the first step on a lifelong journey – from learning to swim for safety, to achieving success on the national stage, and even qualifying as a teacher to inspire others.”

As she continues her pursuit of a place at the Paralympic Games, Meghan now adds qualified STA swimming teacher to her growing list of achievements – further underlining her commitment to the sport and to water safety.