MICHAEL JAMIESON is fully submerged. Unlike some former athletes whose connection to a project bearing their name is often tenuous at best, the former Olympic silver medallist is undoubtedly thoroughly invested in his own burgeoning business interest.

Such is Jamieson’s commitment to the MJ Swim Academy – an organisation that teaches more than 2,000 kids a week at various locations across the Scottish central belt – that it seems to infiltrate his every thought. Conversations about his own early days in the pool, the medals won or his relationship with swimming post-retirement tend to touch the wall before then turning back to additional musings about his own enterprise and the industry as a whole.

In fairness, there is a lot for the 34- year-old to weigh up right now. The cost of maintaining swimming pools is escalating to the extent that some facilities have had to close and others are in danger of going the same way. A recent “Save Our Pools” event hosted by the Scottish Parliament highlighted the severity of the situation, and Jamieson admits he does worry about the future of swimming – both recreationally and at elite level – if facilities continue to disappear.

“It’s going to be an interesting period for the sport as a whole in the coming years as running these pools is a bit of a financial black hole at times,” he concedes. “And, personally, I don’t have the expertise to know why that’s the case. The cost is in the energy, maintaining the chemical balance in the water and heating the water.

“I know of one venue where their running costs are usually £70,000-80,000 a year. And this year that’s expected to be north of £200,000. Where does that shortfall come from? If small businesses are renting your pool for £40 to £60 an hour, you’re not making a dent in that even if you’re in there every day of the week.

“I was relieved to see some allocation of budget and new funds to try to help leisure centres but I’m not really sure whether that amount is enough to help the sector as a whole. As it does seem quite bleak just now speaking to local swim clubs and other providers.

“At a number of our facilities over the past year, pool rental costs have gone up massively, in some cases by more than 100 per cent. Then you’ve got the choice as a service provider. We can’t absorb all of those costs so then your margins are squeezed and then it becomes a real challenge to make it sustainable. In that respect I’ve learned so much.”

Jamieson’s academy delivers lessons predominantly in private pools – at venues as diverse as Radio Clyde and Glasgow University – and there has been a substantial increase in demand for lessons in the post-Covid era. He recalls his own childhood experience of learning to swim and believes that Glaswegians will put up with more than most when it comes to facilities.

“My folks are in Robroyston so I grew up swimming in Springburn at the pool at St Roch’s,” he adds. “I was in there recently and it’s not the most glamorous location! But the thing about people in Glasgow is we’re not a fussy bunch. As long as we tick the basics, there’s a decent level of cleanliness and you’re consistent with your delivery, people will support you. That’s what we’ve found.

“It’s been really positive for us with the backlog created over the last few years. We’ve got 2,000 kids a week now across the business at different sites. The demand is there so the challenge is to find facilities and to negotiate our place at them. It’s been a challenge for me dealing with that side of things but I’m delighted with the way that it’s going.”

The Herald: Michael Jamieson with his silver medalMichael Jamieson with his silver medal (Image: Getty)

The clutch of medals won – Olympic, world, Commonwealth and European – still come out from time to time but it is mostly for the parents’ benefit rather than for the pupils, many of whom were not born when he was making a splash of his own.

“Those numbers [interested in his story] have dropped off a cliff in the last few years! The stories and the medals are getting so old now. But there is still a connection there. I’m 34 now so a lot of the parents who bring the kids along still remember the Olympic Games in London or Glasgow 2014. So there’s still an affiliation there that I think helps us. They can definitely see the care in how we’re trying to deliver our courses.

“Drawing on my own experiences in sport I felt like we could offer something that was stronger in the market currently. A lot of our USPs have come directly from those experiences. At the age these kids are it’s not about performance it’s about safety, education and building important personable skills that will help them down the line.

“We want people to feel they’re getting real value from the lessons. Everyone is feeling the pinch just now so you have to add value everywhere that you can.”

Jamieson is back living in Glasgow for the first time in 17 years, an ancillary benefit of which is the opportunity to get along to Celtic Park to watch his team on a more regular basis. The main reason, however, was to support the business as it grew out of the pandemic.

“I was in London for a few years but came back up about nine months ago now. It’s strange as when I came back here at the start of last summer, it was the first time I’d been back since I left school. I’ve never actually lived here as an adult so it’s quite cool. I’m in the west end and just getting involved in everything around this area which has been good.

“Coming out of Covid, the demand for after-school sport and swimming lessons in particular was just through the roof. There was an opportunity for us to hit the accelerator on our growth plans. So I’ve been working full time on it over the last year, although I’ve also got a couple of other wee things going. I’m looking at opening a fitness studio on Great Western Road so I’m juggling the two just now. But it’s been good fun.”

Jamieson stays out of the water these days, instead finding other ways to scratch that competitive itch while keeping fit.

“I’m enjoying exploring different sports. I’ve been doing a lot of cross-fit recently and competing in things like that. And it’s been quite good fun. The first event I did I turned up and the place was littered with ex-athletes from different sports. One of the winners of a recent competition was Sylvain Distin, the former Man City and Everton defender. So there are a lot of battered old athletes still looking for a purpose and exercising that competitive edge.”

For more details on the Michael Jamieson swim academy visit: https://mjswimacademy.com/