A STAVELEY woman has taken her passion for open-water swimming to the next level and set up her own business on the shores of Windermere.

Emma Brunnning, 34, is a British triathlon coach and open water swimming trainer who wants to share her skills, knowledge and love for the great outdoors with others.

“I grew up in Brighton, right by the coast, and was always swimming in the sea — I just loved it,” she said.

“When I moved to the Lake District 13 years ago I saw it as a great chance to get more people involved in something I am so passionate about. I wanted to help them make the transition from the pool to the open water, as it can be quite daunting.”

As a result she created ‘Activeblu,’ which she stressed was a name chosen specifically to avoid making it sound elitist.

“Anyone who can swim can join in — it is for everyone from the novice to those training for a triathlon. I would encourage every level of swimmer to give it a go,” she said.

There are a variety of courses available ranging from an ‘introduction to open water swimming’ to ‘stroke development,’ as well as one-to-one coaching, group sessions, training nights and a development squad. Miss Brunning said that all sessions would be great fun.

“Open water swimming is fantastic for your health and well-being and gets people participating in sport but in a fun way.

“It gives you a sense of freedom but it needs to be done in the right way. Activeblu provides full safety cover, which is really important, and I hope the courses will help educate, advise and increase aware-ness about the possible dangers if the correct pro-cedures are not followed.”

She hopes her business will help create a sense of community.

“It’s a nice way to meet people, which is why I’ve tried to make is as inclusive as possible,” she said.

The first opportunity to take the plunge is May 3. For information visit www.activeblu.co.uk, or call Emma on 07769150154.