Community Trainer and Aquatics Supervisor at Karratha Leisureplex
Sandra Murphy is passionate about seeing all children learn to swim. She’s been working in the Aquatics industry since 2000 and recently received a Royal Life Saving Society WA Companion Award for the promotion and delivery of Royal Life Saving programs.
Sandra says she began as a swimming teacher in Norseman, because “There was a lack of swimming teachers within the school system and many parents had to have their turn to teach the kids, but swimming was always a passion of mine!” She then became a qualified pool operator and eventually moved to Karratha in 2009 to manage the Karratha Aquatic Centre and then
Karratha Leisureplex (Poolside).
Over her years in the industry she’s seen swimming education have a great impact on many families; “More awareness about water safety and survival has been achieved for many, many children, much more awareness for parents to supervise their kids, and parents learning how to swim and enjoy the water with their children.” She says it’s vital that all children are given the opportunity to
Swim and Survive.
“It’s one of the most important skills they will ever learn and be able to pass on to others because people do drown. It’s like learning how to add up your bills, learning how to drive a car, learning how to swim; it is an essential part of life.”
Looking to the future Sandra is determined to see access to swimming lessons not only limited to those who can afford to be enrolled in private lessons. “Swimming lessons should always stay with the Department of Education program at schools, as part of their fundamental learning. Every child deserves to have the right to learn to swim as it is a life skill. It’s a part of sport, it’s a part of life’s learning so we should never lose it from the Education Department.”