Our Story

Ellen founded the Taljard School of Swimming in 1987 when she started teaching from home. During 1987 both Ellen and Jan qualified through the South African Amateur Swimming Union obtaining their Preliminary Swimming Teaching Awards. In 1989 Ellen obtained the National Swimming Teaching Certificate from the same organization. Ellen qualified as a baby-swimming instructor during 1993.

Ellen started teaching from our home pool which in those days where an open pool with solar heating. During the following year the pool was enclosed with a plastic dome and the addition of an inline electrical heating element. This enabled a pool temperature of around 28 degrees Celsius.

Jan however became more and more involved with the administrative side of swimming. In 1986 he became a member of the then Kempton Park Amateur Swimming Club an organization he was to serve for many years both as chairman and vice chairman. Jan became a member of Transvaal Amateur Swimming Union’s Age Group Committee in 1988. He served the Union, which later became Central Gauteng Aquatics until 1996. During this period, he served as chairman of the age group committee, convener of the selection committee, swimming development, team manager and eventually as chairman of Swim Board of Control. During 1993 the Kempton Park Central Sports Liaison Committee awarded him the Administrator of the year award for his dedicated and outstanding contribution to the sport of swimming.