AFTER 34 years and more than 100,000 children taught, The Swim Factory says its mission remains as important as ever in giving young Australians the skills and confidence to stay safe in the water.
“Over the past 34 years, we have taught more than 100,000 children to swim, but our main philosophy has never changed — swimming is an asset for life,” spokesman Jonathan McMahon said.
For Mr McMahon, swimming lessons are about much more than perfecting strokes or being confident in a pool.
At their core, they are about equipping children with the fundamental skills they may one day need to save themselves.
“Teaching the fundamentals of water safety and how to save yourself provides lifelong skills that every child in Australia should learn,” he said. “Too often we hear tragic stories of children and adults drowning because they don’t have basic water safety skills.”
In a country where swimming pools, beaches, rivers, dams and waterways are an everyday part of life, Mr McMahon said learning to swim should be regarded as an essential part of growing up in Australia.
He said the swimming industry also had a responsibility to continue reinforcing that message and encouraging families to prioritise water safety education.
“As an industry, we must do better to educate our communities that learning to swim and understanding water safety are essential parts of Australian culture,” Mr McMahon said.
The message from The Swim Factory remains a simple one: Swimming is not just a sport or recreation – it is a skill for life.
