A swimmer says he was “humiliated” after being thrown out of his local pool for using a snorkel.
Kiril Georgiev, 42, has been a regular visitor at Maidstone Leisure Centre in Mote Park since December 2020 and uses a snorkel due to a disability.
Following a diagnosis of a giant cell tumor of the bone in his spine in 2014, one-quarter of his vertebrae were replaced with a metal implant and one-quarter of his spine was supported with metal screws and rods.
As a result of the procedure, Kiril can only partake in low-impact sports such as swimming but must do so without stressing his spine.
Due to his condition, the Bearsted resident has been using a snorkel at the leisure center since he joined, with the permission of the facility managers and lifeguard.
However, on December 23, he says he was “expelled” from the pool due to what he said was a blanket ban on the kit.
He said: “Ever since I have been swimming there, the snorkel has been something the lifeguards asked about.
But, when I explained I have this medical condition that necessitates using the snorkel, they were right, and I have been using it ever since without any obstruction.
“On December 23, I went into the water, started swimming, and was just stopped and told I needed to go out because I was using a snorkel.
“I explained that I had been using it due to a medical reason, and I had been swimming like this in the Olympic pool in Stratford and in other swimming pools in London where I used to live.
“He said, ‘No, we are just not allowing anyone to swim with a snorkel because lifeguards are not trained to take the snorkel out of your mouth if you start to drown’.
“This is incredibly humiliating for me, just to be kicked out like that.”
Last updated in October 2024 on Maidstone Leisure Centre’s website, the equipment policy states that snorkel use “may be restricted in general public swim sessions.”
Kiril says a blanket ban is a “discriminatory policy” and is stopping those with injuries or disabilities from accessing the sport.
He says he is pleased to waive the lifeguard’s responsibility for him if they are afraid of some recourse.
The software engineer, has since complained to Maidstone Council and Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately.
He added: “This ban means that as long as I live here, at home, I cannot practice the only sport I can, which is essential for my health.
“This will be a significant change in how I live.
“I was expelled from Maidstone Leisure Centre as I was told that the company which operates it is applying a blanket ban on snorkels.”
New York Post