A swimming teacher who trained Olympic competitors and thousands of youngsters has died aged 94.

Tributes have been paid to Maudie Ottaway, who became one of Brighton and Hove's most familiar faces after spending 75 years dedicated to the city's swimming scene.

She was an award-winning swimmer and water polo player in the Twenties, before becoming an unpaid teacher and coach to more than 6,000 children and adults.

She spent 58 years as secretary of the Brighton Dolphin Swimming Club and its predecessor Brighton Ladies Swimming Club and taught swimmers at the Prince Regent complex in Church Street, and at the now closed pools in North Road and St Luke's Terrace.

Among her proteges was Jean Caplin, who she coached to the London Olympics in 1948. She also helped train Mike Read who swam in the Rome Olympics in 1960, and Neil Tasker, who competed at international level. She coached a team from Fitzherbert School to win the English Schools Girls' Team Championship in 1961.

Mrs Ottaway died peacefully at Partridge House care home in Heath Hill Avenue in Bevendean, Brighton, on December 10.

Her daughter Lynn MacKenzie said her mother would be remembered as a feisty character with a soft touch who was absolutely dedicated to swimming.

Mrs MacKenzie, 63, of Surrenden Road, Brighton, said: "She spent every lunchtime and two nights a week at the swimming baths. I think if my brother, sister and I hadn't taken up swimming, we might never have seen her."

Fortunately all three of her children were keen swimmers too.

Mrs MacKenzie has competed internationally in synchronised swimming, while her brother John Ottaway, 60, is chairman of Brighton Swimming Club and sister Josie Adam, 65, became a swimming coach. Mrs Ottaway, who had five grandchildren, survived her husband Fred by 27 years.

The couple, who lived for many years in Bevendean Crescent, were both nominated for OBEs - he for services to the building industry and she for her contribution to swimming.

When she retired from the Brighton Dolphin Swimming Club in 1997, Mrs Ottaway joked: "People used to come and say, You taught my mother to swim,' but now they say, You taught my grandmother to swim.' "

Former student Denise Young, from Patcham, Brighton, said: "She was a fantastic coach and it was amazing how long she did it for."

The trophy presented to the winners of the Brighton and Hove schools' swimming contest has been named the Ottaway prize.

Mrs MacKenzie said: "She always used to blow a whistle at the end of a session and shout, Everybody out', so that's what they did at the end of the funeral - someone blew a whistle and yelled it. It had everyone laughing."

andy.chiles@theargus.co.uk

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