Gold medallist says new initiative ‘massive’ for swimming

It wasn’t that long ago that Adelaide’s Olympic gold medallist Kyle Chalmers was a ‘learn-to-swimmer’ splashing around in a pool – and he hasn’t forgotten how important those early experiences were!

Earlier this year Chalmers and fellow Rio gold medallist Mack Horton took time out from their intensive training schedules to launch the Junior Dolphins Ready Set Race program in SA.

Why did they do it, and why is the program so good?? (Or ‘massive’, as Chalmers put it?)

The initiative focuses on younger children just learning to swim and even just getting used to being in the water (in other words, children like Kyle Chalmers was not so long ago).

In a fun and safe environment, participants learn new skills to keep them safe in the water, and allow them to have fun.

Games and other activities are a key. (Competition aspects are introduced later.)

So far the program is available through swimming clubs and swim schools; primary schools will be getting into the Junior Dolphins swing of things soon.

Swimming SA says apart from helping keep kids safe, the program also provides a pathway from learn-to-swim to more advanced levels of the sport – and that’s also a great way of keeping swimming strong at the grassroots.

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