An instructor and adult students give thumbs up in the pool

16 April 2025

Kalgoorlie community makes a splash in Term 1 swim programs

Children and adults from multicultural backgrounds in Kalgoorlie-Boulder took to the water during Term 1, participating in Royal Life Saving WA’s Swim and Survive programs at the Goldfields Oasis Recreation Centre.

In total, 33 children and 23 adults took part in lessons aimed at building vital swimming and water safety skills, supported by the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

Thanks to the employment of two swimming instructors from the Talent Pool Academy, the programs were able to expand this term to meet growing community demand.

The children's program was delivered by Di Crisp, alongside Lily Brennan, also from Talent Pool while Atefeh Mahboob led the adult program with support from Talent Pool trainee instructor Jayde Carmichael.

Swimming and water safety education is vital to our way of life as West Australians. The delivery of these programs, such as our adult and children’s lessons in regional communities, ensures that members of our community, including multicultural people who have chosen Regional WA as their new home, learn vital water safety skills.

Feedback from participants, such as the following, are a great reminder of why the work we do in regional communities is so important.

“I would like to commend our instructor Atefeh for being so patient, skillful and efficient in teaching us how to swim,” said one participant.

“We always look forward to our Sunday swimming lessons with her and can’t wait to start Term 2 sessions.”

It is alarming that culturally and linguistically diverse members of our community are overrepresented in Western Australia’s drowning statistics, with 40% of drowning fatalities in WA involving individuals born overseas. The risk is even higher in regional areas, where people are two and a half times more likely to be involved in a drowning incident than those in metropolitan Perth.

Royal Life Saving WA works closely with stakeholders including community associations in the regions to deliver inclusive, lifesaving programs that aim to prevent drowning and promote water safety for all.

This initiative is part of a three-year partnership with the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder, which continues to support increased participation and skill development across the region.

To learn more about Royal Life Saving WA’s regional and remote programs, visit the link below.

Kids smile up at the camera from the edge of the pool
Adult students and their instructor stand in the water
Students and their instructor smile up at the camera from the pool
Students and their instructor smile up at the camera from the pool
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