When life takes you down a different track – from Crossrail project manager to baby swimming teacher!

33-year-old Andreea Piciorus, who lives in Heath and Reach, near Leighton Buzzard, has swapped a taxing career with the British Crossrail project for a vocation which is very close to her heart – the Mum of one is now a full-time baby swimming teacher! After spending much of her working week commuting in and out of London’s infamous Canary Wharf, Andreea is now just a quick hop, skip and splash from the pools she teaches at in Luton, Milton Keynes and Bedford.

Originally from Romania, Andreea used to live in London, before ‘running away’ to the beautiful Bedfordshire countryside to start a family! The busy working Mum of one – soon to be two! – previously enjoyed a varied, and rather hectic, career in operations, culminating in a job as an Assistant Project Manager for the British Crossrail project, here in the UK.

Despite enjoying the variety involved in a job ‘on the railways’, Andreea made the decision to change track after feeling frustrated with the increasing amount of time she was spending away from her little boy. Although she had only recently joined the Water Babies Bucks and Beds team, Andreea knew this change would be perfect for her and her young family.

“I started swimming with Water Babies when my little boy was a newborn. I came away from those first few lessons thinking I would love to join the Water Babies team, so I applied to be a teacher. After rigorous training, I passed the necessary qualifications and started teaching on a Saturday and Sunday, meaning I could still work as an Assistant Project Manager from Monday to Friday. The weekends fast became the highlight of my week! I found I was getting much more satisfaction from my job teaching little ones to swim, than commuting back and forward to London for work, so the time came for me to reassess my priorities.

“I was also missing so much of my son’s life! I was beginning to resent my career and would spend the week wishing the weekend would hurry up. The only time I was really spending with my little boy was when I would get him ready in the mornings, before I dropped him at nursery. So, I made the leap and resigned from the Crossrail project. It was a bittersweet day, but I knew I was on to bigger and better things!”

Andreea now teaches with Water Babies full-time and couldn’t be happier. Just weeks away from welcoming baby number two into the world, Andreea admits she can’t quite bear the fact that she’ll have to soon say goodbye to her little swimmers – even if only for a short while!

“I’m going to miss them all so much. I think taking maternity leave from my job with the Crossrail project would have felt like a much-needed break but the thought of saying goodbye to the little ones for an entire term is going to break my heart. Teaching with Water Babies has offered this incredible opportunity that not many people have in their lives – to do what I love and call it work. More often than not, we’re stuck in a job from the age 20, until we retire, and we don’t seem to enjoy a lot of what’s in the middle. Not me – I’m excited to go to work every day. One thing’s for sure – my career is definitely headed up the right track now!”

For more information, visit www.waterbabies.co.uk/contact/bucks-and-beds

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To speak with Andreea Piciorus, contact Kelly Ayres at Rev PR on 07895 876745 or email kelly@revpr.co.uk

Images attached – Hi-res shots of Andreea during her Crossrail days and Andreea in the pool, wearing her Water Babies uniform. Further photos of Andreea with her family available.


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About Water Babies

In a nutshell, we teach water confidence and safety skills to babies and toddlers. However, we're about so much more besides. Our classes are great for making new friends, helping to enhance the bonding process, having fun... and seeing the utter thrill of your little one gliding underwater towards you. In the last three years alone we know our lessons were directly responsible for saving the lives of ten little ones who otherwise might have tragically drowned. That makes us very proud. And we like raising money for other babies. To date, we've raised over £750,000 for Tommy's. And we're aiming to raise another £200,000 for them (possibly!) this coming summer.