Cultured Views

Swimming…for survival.

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Two days ago my four year old son had a trip to the local swimming pool with his nursery school class. It was his first time in a pool. At four years of age?. Well, he has suffered from eczema since the age of 9 months so we have kept him away from anything likely to irritate his skin, including chlorinated water. Until now.

I was glad to see that the majority of children there could handle themselves in the water without swimming aids. James, on the other hand, was ,nervous and not too confident. Understandably as he had not been in a pool before. But, with my presence and the well organised activities, he waded in and took part. I was so proud of him. He will be commencing swimming lessons asap.

My parents took me to swimming school when I was 18 months old. It was at a pool centre at Castle Cove, near Willoughby, and from then on I learnt the skills of surviving in the water. My partner, Arnold, grew up in Belfast and to this day cannot either swim or enter water beyond his knees. Ok. So Northern Ireland is not given to ’swimming weather’, but having lived there, I noticed that many children are taken to swimming lessons. He never was, as his parents are terrified of water. So, they never bothered to have him taught to swim. This is something I intend to correct.

Because my parents made such an informed decision for me, because they wanted to ensure that I would be safe in a pool/beach/river, they took the time to have me taught the most basic of survival skills…how to swim.
Throughout my childhood I was able to enjoy the wonderful beaches of Sydney; to paddle a boat at Lane Cove River Park without fear of drowning; and to join and swim for not only my school but Freshwater and Dee Why Swimming Clubs each Saturday and win ribbons and medals for my efforts.

I intend for James to have the same opportunities. To enjoy a swim during the summer, in a river, a gorge or the beach.

Australian culture is based mainly on our lifestyle. The outdoors. And swimming is a major part of our culture, afterall, we have produced the worlds greatest olympic swimmers…Annette Kellerman, Dawn Fraser(the Goddess of the water), Shane Gould(my hero), Murray Rose, Lisa Forrest, Ilsa and Jon Konrads, Keiran Perkins and Ian Thorpe.
Yet, despite our ‘water culture’, small children, toddlers, continue to drown in backyard pools in Australia. Why? because people install pools in their backyards and do not bother to have their babies taught to swim. They fall in and…

Being able to swim is as basic a survival skill as being able to walk and talk yet so many parents ignore this.
Are you a parent? can you swim?, no?, then get taught. If you don’t have the guts then at least allow your children to attain this skill.

It may save you one day…but it will definately save them.

Teach your children to swim!.

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