ACES (Academy of Excellence In Swimming) has now opened a Spanish-style 5 lane 25 metre sky pool with FINA specifications in Chennai for the first time, allowing swimmers to receive exceptional training in a well-equipped and specialised setting. Established by a family that is passionate about the sport, ACES is ideal for children who want to train to a professional level, as well as for both adults and children who want to learn how to swim non-competitively. ACES is established by Laavanya Ishwar and Ishwar Prasad, who are the parents of two national medalist swimmers.
Along with the state-of-the-art pool, the academy also has a fully equipped gymnasium and innovations such as underwater stroke video analysis technology. The Head Coach, Arvind Nainar, has ASCA-5, USA Swimming and AUSTSWIM certifications and the assistant coaches are national medalists with NIS certifications. A trained lifeguard is also present during classes. Hygienic changing rooms and the use of RO water in the pool ensure a better all-round experience.
In addition to regular classes for swimmers of all skills and age groups, the academy offers special courses and events such as customised one-one-one training; cross-sport fitness swimming; race clinics by renowned swimmers; hydrotherapy for special children; and summer camps and visits by nutritionists, physio therapists and mental conditioning experts.
Speaking on the launch of ACES, Ms. Laavanya Ishwar says, “Our overall focus is on athletic development and integrated fitness, with water safety being a key priority. Children with an interest in competitive sports will find that the ACES experience gives them all the support they need to excel. However, even those who wish to learn to swim for leisure or exercise purposes stand to benefit from the superior facilities and grass-root level training that we provide. Our focus will always be on sound technique.”
Mr. Ishwar Prasad adds, “We created the academy based on our own experiences as parents of competitive swimmers. While seeking facilities in the city, we observed that many centres had a lot of room for improvement. Keeping these observations in mind, we designed a unique space that truly fulfils the needs of children and adults with a keen interest in the sport. Towards this, we are constantly aiming to equip our facility with the latest in technology to aid our elite swimmers.”
ACES’ Head Coach and Partner – Operations, Mr. Arvind Nainar, says, “Facilities of the standard that we offer are difficult to find in Chennai, and the fact that we can offer the same greatly improves the quality of training available in the city. Talented swimmers no longer need to look beyond Chennai for an academy that can help them shine and even pursue a professional career if they so wish.”
ACES is located in Akkarai, ECR and operates on annual, half-yearly, quarterly and pay-per-use models. The Academy has started classes with its first batch of 30 State and National level elite swimmers and invites registrations