As Team GB Olympic swimming coach, Jamie Main has been poolside for some of our greatest triumphs – sharing the dedication, hard work and glory of athletes achieving their dreams on the world stage.
Yet Jamie, who was recently appointed director of swimming at Repton School, says the most fun he’s had at the pool ‘since he can remember’ was not at Paris ‘24 – but Derby’s Moorways Sports Village.
The event was the county championships, where the school amassed an incredible 352 podium places (153 gold, 105 silver, 94 bronze), breaking the school record by nearly 100 medals.
It was Jamie’s first competition since leaving his position as national coach at Aquatics GB, where he was instrumental in coaching Jacob Whittle, who made history as one of the youngest British swimmers to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Jamie was a big influence on Jacob Whittle, who made history as one of the youngest British swimmers at Tokyo 2020 Photo: Aquatics GB He also helped lead Kieran Bird to Olympic gold in Paris 2024 as part of the 4x200m freestyle relay team.
Although the stakes may not have been as high as the European, Commonwealth and World levels he’s more used to, the Derbyshire competition reminded Jamie of why he fell in love with coaching.
‘It was brilliant to watch their enthusiasm and passion for swimming,’ beams Jamie.
‘Seeing raw excitement and determination in young athletes is incredibly rewarding. We had some nine and ten-year-olds who’d never raced before and it was brilliant to see their reactions to winning.
‘The children here are remarkable – they’re so well organised and disciplined in what they do, to see their training pay off was great.’
The decision to leave topflight coaching to work with emerging talent in Derbyshire was both a personal and professional one for Jamie.
He’d already been in consultation with the school in 2019 when Repton created its own performance training group, which was subsequently granted fully affiliated club status by Swim England.
But he realised that there was more impact to be made working with younger swimmers, who must learn the strong values of elite swimmers – time management, discipline and being a great teammate – from an early age if they want to succeed.
‘Working with topflight swimmers often means coaching them to make the smallest changes and these are people already very set in their ways,’ he explains.
‘Working with young people gives you the chance to instil these values in them from the outset, values that will last a lifetime. Our priority is to develop the person first, then the athlete and ensuring character building goes hand in hand with sporting success.
‘The coaching team here is exceptional and the facilities and wraparound pastoral care are the best in the UK, so it is a privilege to join the school.’
Repton’s swimmers train in the pool eight times a week. Most weekdays start with a two-hour session at 5.30am, with some evening sessions too, plus two or three gym sessions a week depending on their specialisms.
Of course, the academic excellence Repton is renowned for is still a priority and there are no exceptions for the swimmers, who must fit in the same amount of homework and studying as their peers.
And Jamie believes several of Repton’s swimmers have potential for the LA Olympics in 2028, especially Lydia Cordle, who is currently in year nine and already a multiple national champion for her age group.
Repton has a long history with the Olympics and many alumni have gone on to compete in the Games. Probably the most famous is Harold Abrahams – from the film Chariots of Fire – who competed in the 1920 Antwerp Games and the 1924 Paris Games, as well as captaining the British team in 1928.
In more recent times, the school’s greatest Olympic success has been on the hockey field, with Charlotte Craddock competing in the 2008 Beijing Games as part of the women’s hockey squad, while Georgie Twigg won a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympics and Gold in the 2016 Rio games, alongside Repton alumna Shona McCallin. Shona also won Bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games alongside Leah Wilkinson.
If Jamie has anything to do with it, swimmers will be giving the hockey players a run for their money. He wants high-performance swimming at the school to have an international reputation, continuing to attract top talent, producing elite athletes and becoming a recognised force on the global stage.
‘I started coaching at 18 and my drive over the past 27 years has always been to help people reach their potential,’ he says.
‘Repton is moving in the direction of becoming the swimming school and I see no reason we can’t become one of the most respected programmes in the world.
‘A key development area is the prep school and I aim to spend a lot of time observing at the pool over there. I’ll also take sessions with them if I want to push a certain area.
‘By working with pupils from an early stage we will produce not only world-class swimmers, but well-rounded individuals, ready to excel in whatever path they choose. If we get it right from the start, we’re not just creating champions – we’re shaping future leaders, role models and lifelong lovers of the sport.
‘Time management, discipline, resilience… these aren’t just skills for sport, they’re skills for life. When young athletes learn to balance training with academics and social life, they develop a strong work ethic that benefits them in every area.’
Swim England’s goal is for every child to swim 25 meters by the end of primary school, although a third of pupils never achieve this. At Repton, the bar is higher – 25 meters in three different strokes.
He was involved in the creation of Moorways and says the facility is a game-changer for swimming in the city, providing a world-class venue that caters to everyone – from young children taking their first strokes to athletes training for the highest levels of competition.
‘I was part of the consultation group for Moorways, and when pools in Derby were closed, the council remained committed to supporting swimming in the city,’ he says.
‘Securing a 50-meter pool was a significant achievement, ensuring Derby could continue offering opportunities for performance swimming, family swims and leisure activities.
‘The vision was always about more than just a pool – it was about creating a full development pathway, from toddlers experiencing water for the first time to athletes. By building water confidence in young children and teaching them proper stroke techniques, we provide them with the foundation to not only be proficient swimmers but to potentially excel in the sport.’
Family swimming is something that has never been more important to Jamie, whose decision to put down roots in Derbyshire was in part due to the arrival of son Kobe who, at just four months, has already been in the pool.
Like many Repton staff, Jamie lives in the village and is embracing the close-knit community that comes with working at the school.
He describe the move as a ‘homecoming,’ not only because of his professional ties to the region but because it brings him back to the heart of the swimming scene where he first made his mark.
Raised in Nottinghamshire, Jamie built his early coaching career in the East Midlands, working with some of the most talented young swimmers in the region.
His time at Nova Centurion in Nottingham and Derventio Excel in Derby saw him mentor athletes who would go on to compete at national and international levels, while he also worked with Aquatics GB at the Loughborough Performance Centre.
Returning to the area with both a fresh professional challenge and a baby, Jamie is more motivated than ever to shape the next generation of swimmers – both in the pool and at home.
There’s little doubt Kobe will grow up to be a swimmer, but Jamie has no plans to teach him personally.
‘I want him to enjoy swimming in his own way, without the pressure of having a coach as a dad,’ Jamie reveals. ‘If he chooses to pursue it competitively one day, that will be his decision. For now, it’s about having fun and being comfortable in the water.
‘Swimming is such an important life skill and I want him to experience it the same way any child would – with excitement and enjoyment.’
Whether Kobe chooses to make a splash in competitive swimming or charts his own course elsewhere, Jamie knows if he is confident in the water he will have skills that will serve him well for life beyond the pool.
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