WHEN Val Thorp retires after nearly 40 years teaching Derby children, she won't be putting her feet up and pottering in the gardening.
Instead Val, head of computing at Kingsmead School, in Bridge Street, will be jetting off to Canada to represent Great Britain at swimming.
For Val is taking part in the 15th FINA World Masters Swimming Championships in Montreal, where she will compete in the senior categories of the 3km open water swimming, and pool races from 50m to 800m.
The 60-year-old will be cheered on by her biggest fans – pupils at the school, which offers provision for students with behavioural and social difficulties, are hoping to watch Canadian TV's coverage of the championship via the internet.
Val, based at the school's Wisgreaves Road site, said: "The pupils here at Kingsmead have always followed my progress and, although some of them were disappointed when they found out I wasn't going to win an enormous cash prize, they are very excited that I am representing Great Britain. I will miss teaching at Kingsmead enormously.
"It can be very challenging but it also unbelievably rewarding. Most teachers know they have helped pupils get better exam results; here we know we have probably changed some pupils' lives."
Although Val will miss both staff and pupils, she does not plan to turn her back on teaching altogether.
When she returns from Canada Val, a member of City of Derby Swimming Club, plans to devote more time to coaching youngsters in her biggest passion – open-water swimming. She said: "I know I am going to miss teaching terribly, which is why I plan to combine both my loves when I retire and do some open-water coaching.
"I have a particular passion for open swimming, it's very different because you have nothing to guide you in a straight line, it can be very cold and, of course, there are fishes, which not everyone likes."
Val started her teaching career in 1975 as a PE teacher at St Benedict School, in Darley Abbey, before retraining as an IT teacher. She has worked at Kingsmead School for 12 years.
Swimming has always been Val's passion and she has travelled all over the world representing Great Britain, most recently to Sweden and Holland.
The FINA World Masters Championships is one of the biggest competitions in terms of participation. Held every two years, swimmers, divers and waterpolo players aged 25 to more than 100 years old enter from around the world.
Val is hopeful of bringing home some medals, particularly in the 3km open water, in which she is the National Masters champion.
