Geographe Leisure Centre has successfully delivered its third multicultural swimming program, thanks to support from Royal Life Saving WA’s Swim and Survive Fund.
The seven-week program welcomed eight participants from diverse cultural and swimming backgrounds. Delivered in partnership with South Regional TAFE and coordinated by Swim School Team Leader Jodi Kelso, the initiative offered weekly 60-minute in-water lessons followed by 45-minute dry sessions.
Participants learned vital swimming and water safety skills, including floating and recovery, freestyle breathing techniques, survival strokes, underwater swimming, rescues, and use of personal flotation devices. Jodi said the participants made remarkable progress and embraced the lessons with enthusiasm.
“At the beginning, no one could perform a handstand or forward roll, but by the end of the seven weeks, every single participant was able to achieve those skills! That was a big achievement as that taught them a ‘feel’ for the water,” Jodi explained.
The dry sessions were equally important, allowing participants to learn key terminology, reflect on their progress, and share their experiences. These conversations often brought up past traumas and near drowning incidents but also celebrated new-found confidence and joy in the water.
“Because of these programs, we now have participants saying things like: ‘I never thought I’d be able to swim’ and ‘Swimming calms my busy mind.’ That is just a tiny drop in the ocean of all the amazing realisations that our group experienced,” said Jodi.
The impact of the program extended beyond the pool. Jodi observed positive changes not only in the participants but in the broader centre environment.
"Exposure to diverse cultures has greatly benefited our members. I’ve observed a remarkable shift in body language – from being closed off and sticking to separate groups, to becoming open, engaged, resembling a more cohesive community. These Swim and Survive sessions do way more than teaching people how to swim."
Programs like these are essential for at-risk communities, particularly multicultural groups, who 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.
This program was made possible through Royal Life Saving WA’s Swim and Survive Fund, which delivers accessible lifesaving education to at-risk communities across the state.
For more information about Royal Life Saving WA’s Swim and Survive Fund, and Access and Equity programs visit the link below.
