About CoachLee
“Believe you can and you are halfway there.”
Echoing the words of Theodore Roosevelt, Coach Lee Suen Woon
(also known as Mr Lee) believes and has seen in his 28 years as a swim coach, that overcoming fears and challenges not only is a constant in life, but also one that can lead to a fulfilling journey and a positive outcome.
Coach Lee became a certified swimming instructor in 1984 when he was only 17. Fueled by his belief and passion for swimming and in teaching and making a difference, Coach Lee has been coaching since 1993. Having clocked more than 20,000 hours in the pool, Coach Lee has coached and mentored swimmers and non-swimmers of all ages and from all walks of life. Amongst them are children of special needs, who are very close to his heart.
“I have always been interested in working with children, especially those with difficulties, and I have had experience over the years with many children with special needs, including many with autism. I know the difficulty such children face. In the course of my career, I have handled over 20 verbal and non-verbal children with varying degrees of autism. I know how important swimming is for such children from a therapeutic perspective.”
- Coach Lee SW
An advocate for an inclusive society, Coach Lee has developed a programme for children of diverse needs, diagnosis and difficulties. He has successfully worked and journeyed with these children and their caregivers, enabling them to reap the benefits of swimming like everyone else. Coach Lee wants to make swimming accessible and available to everyone, no matter what their diagnosis and/or challenges are.
An engineer by training, Coach Lee is methodical and structured in deriving methods and solutions to challenges and situations. He understands that everyone is made different, and learns differently. His calm and positive demeanour also enables him to listen and understand the needs and challenges faced by individuals.
“Many asked why I do what I do, why I gave up an engineering career to teach swimming. My reason is simple - it is the joy and fulfilment in seeing an individual overcome their fear - their fear of challenges, their fear of water. I take pride in being able to guide and journey them through a structured, thought-through curriculum to do so.”
- Coach Lee SW
As the saying goes, every drop makes the ocean. Firm yet patient, Mr Lee sets small incremental targets for participants and strives at every lesson to have each participant achieve a sense of achievement that they can and have overcome the swim movement/technique taught to them.
His guiding principle is this: believing in oneself, and making the best of any situation.
“I believe that making the best out of any situation, no matter how difficult, is essential in overcoming fear. This means having a positive attitude and being receptive to new opportunities and experiences. Self-belief is important in this process - it allows us to have confidence in our abilities and decisions. Keeping an open mind allows for the consideration of different perspectives and the ability to adapt to new circumstances. Put together, I believe we can overcome our fears and approach life with a sense of curiosity and determination.”
“Try. You will only be able to do it when you try.”
- Coach Lee SW
What students and caregivers say:
“Mr Lee took on my son when many other coaches refused to. My son was 5 years old then and an autistic child with behavioural issues. Mr Lee made a massive difference. Today, my child is confident in water. He enjoys his time with Mr Lee and has expressed that he hopes to continue swimming with him always. It has been 7 years and I cannot recommend him highly enough.” - Som N. Chakravarty
“Mr Lee is patient, understanding, and a compassionate coach. He helped Vivaan overcome his fear of water by creating a comfortable and supportive environment to feel safe and secure, and gradually teaching him how to swim. As Vivaan progressed, Mr Lee encouraged him to take on new challenges and try more advanced techniques like swimming longer distances and learning different strokes.” - Mrs R, Grandma of Vivaan
"My child Jayvier started his swimming lesson with Mr Lee when he was in K2. He had sensitive nose and was always sneezing throughout the lesson. On top of coaching Jayvier weekly, Coach Lee also introduced a few thermal swimwear that would keep him warm thus reduced his sneezing. Today, Jayvier had completed his Swim Safer Stage 4 Bronze Test and is working towards his Stage 5 Silver Test. He enjoys his weekly lessons." - Mrs Tan