Award-winning swim school has changed hands
A national swimming champion has taken full ownership of an award-winning New Plymouth swim school.
On Tuesday, the keys to Coastal Aquatics Learn to Swim school were handed to Daniel Fulton, a 12-time national swimming medallist, and owner of Auckland- and Wellington-based Fulton Swim Schools.
Founder of the Westown school Ayla Dunlop-Barrett has been jointly running Coastal Aquatics with Fulton for the past year. Fulton Swim School officially replaced Coastal Aquatics this week. All staff have remained employed.
While the Taranaki sportswoman’s next move was unknown, in a recent newsletter sent to the school’s customers she said she was ‘‘embarking on a new chapter in my life’’.
‘‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has been a part of Coastal Aquatics from the initial concept through to where it is today,’’ she said.
Dunlop-Barrett opened the school, which was recently awarded the New Zealand Swim Teachers and Coaches Association Most Outstanding Swim School, around 2012. Regarding the sale of the of the business, she said it was a no-brainer to team up with Fulton as he would continue to advocate the need for year-round swimming lessons and safety in and around water.
Fulton said he looked forward to continuing Dunlop-Barrett’s renowned work within the New Plymouth community. ‘‘Ayla is very well respected both in the swimming industry and the local New Plymouth community and we want to thank her for her dedication and for being such a huge advocate for learning life-saving swimming skills,’’ he said.