Creating healthy water for Australian children
Margie’s Swim School in Far North Queensland
Some days I am in the pool for seven hours and, before Hydroxypure, that meant losing all of my body hair
says Margie Thorpe, Margie’s Swim School owner-operator
- Swim teacher says chlorine caused loss of body hair and possible pneumonia
- Hydroxypure solves common problems associated with swim school pools
- Advanced filtration system free from chemical by-products
Setting: A family-friendly swim school located in tropical Far North Queensland
Swim school owner-operator Margie Thorpe (not related to Australian swimming star Ian Thorpe but clearly, they share a similar passion!) is a long-term resident of Mareeba, having lived in the area for 30 years – 20 of those teaching youngsters to swim, ranging from babies aged as young as four months through to early primary school children.
Swim school owner-operator Margie Thorpe and her Hydroxypure
12-metre x 6-metre indoor heated pool.
Located on the junction of three waterways in Far North Queensland, the town’s name is derived from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘meeting of the waters’. It’s certainly an apt name for a local business that uses water to bring the community together.
In 2011, after years of working in backyard pools, Margie and her husband Shane decided to build their own pool on a 2.5-acre parcel of land. The key feature of Margie’s Swim School is a purpose-designed, 12-metre x 6-metre indoor heated pool to cater for the “very young, easily distracted, an d special needs” customers. It includes a shallow area for toddlers and fearful learners to experience the fun and safety issues about being in and around water.
The pool caters for the “very young, easily distracted, and special needs” customers. It includes a shallow
area for toddlers and fearful learners to experience the fun and safety issues.
Qualified by AUSTSWIM in Swimming and Water Safety and Infant and Preschool Aquatics, Margie is also a licensed Swim Australia Teacher of Swimming and Teacher of Learners with Disability. Her pool offers a private and safe environment, with small classes allowing individual attention. Only one lesson is conducted at a time, so there are no distractions – for Margie or her young students.
Challenge: Finding a healthier alternative to chlorine for Margie’s salt water swimming pool
Chlorine is notorious for its side effects and, for someone like Margie who spends up to seven hours a day submerged in chemically chlorinated pool water, that meant losing all of her body hair.
“I didn’t even have eyelashes,” she says. Margie believes the combination of corrosive pool chemicals and the fumes produced by the heated water in the enclosed space not only caused significant hair loss, but potentially triggered the two bouts of pneumonia she has suffered from since building her swim school pool.
“I constantly smelt like chlorine and I do think it was getting into my lungs because I’ve had pneumonia twice in three years,” she says.
Solution: Waterco’s chlorinefree Hydroxypure swimming pool chlorination solution
After installing a saltwater chlorinator in her custom-built swim school pool – “that was about the only way we could get water in the pool and get it up and functioning” – Margie’s husband Shane read an article about Hydroxypure in Splash Magazine.
“Shane spent years researching different systems and he kept insisting that Hydroxypure was better than all of the others,” she says. “He was constantly looking, because, as the pool is basically in a large tin shed, he wanted to preserve the shed as well as me.”
Instead of spending most of the day in chlorinated water, Margie is now able to teach her young students in an aquatic environment that is free of impurities and the side effects associated with chemical sanitisers. Not only is Margie’s pool water sparkling clean but also enriched by the extra oxygen molecules generated by Hydroxypure’s hybrid ozone technology.
The use of ozone and Perox in harmony increases active oxygen levels in the water.
This synergy ensures the safety of water environments without creating harmful chemical by-products.
“The most pleasing aspect of this installation has been the multiple problems that Hydroxypure has solved for the owners at this site,” says its inventor Nick Briscoe. “These problems are common within most swim schools. Many operators are not aware that there is an alternative to chlorine now that is proving that they no longer must be subjected to an uncomfortable environment to work within an industry that they are passionate about.”
Conclusion: An advanced water filtration system free from nasty side effects
The Hydroxypure system continually sanitises your swimming pool by
testing the water and automatically maintaining optimum levels of residual sanitiser.
Since Hydroxypure was installed at Margie’s Swim School in April 2016, Margie says not only has all of her hair grown back but she has had positive feedback from her clients.
Perox (H202) is a specially formulated blend of hydrogen peroxide –
which is simply water with an extra oxygen molecule – that has been developed to work in unison
with the Hydroxypure system to ensure perfectly sanitised water at all times.
“I teach a six-month old infant, who has dreadful eczema, the poor thing, and the mother told me that she doesn’t have to apply any medication for two days after swimming in Hydroxypure,” she says.
Hydroxypure is endorsed by the NationalAsthma Council of Australia and
approved by its Sensitive Choice® program.
Margie teaches many children diagnosed on the autism spectrum and interestingly, she says they are fascinated with the texture of the water.
“The ozone that’s coming into the pool produces tiny bubbles, and the kids are fascinated with the texture of the water and how soft it makes their skin feel,” she says. “It shimmers like silver.”
“The ozone that’s coming into the pool produces tiny bubbles, and the kids are fascinated with the texture
of the water and how soft it makes their skin feel,”
Margie’s Swim School has received rave reviews from parents and invigorated its owner-operator. When asked what inspires Margie to wake each morning to teach kids to swim, her answer is simple: “their smiles”.
“One of the joys I get from my work is seeing the mums, dads and grandparents
spending one-on-one time with their young children and grandchildren”
“I am now teaching the children of the children I once taught – that’s two generations of swimmers in the one family,” she explains. “One of the joys I get from my work is seeing the mums, dads and grandparents spending oneon- one time with their young children and grandchildren, without worrying about the daily duties that come with parenting. Seeing their smiles is why I wake up every morning.”