REAGAN SQUIRE
Cape Town - Swimming is not just a fun activity for children but its also an important skill.
Founder and director of the AquAzzurra Foundation, Mina Barbara Manoussakis, says that swimming is an important skill that we need to teach our children from a young age.
“Really, if it’s something as simple as being able to swim and then being part of a squad, where good habits and discipline mould a child into a well-adjusted young adult, then it should be encouraged by parents and teachers’’.
The AquAzzurra Foundation is an NPO formed through collaboration between Italian and South African Aquatics. They fund the Aqua Dolphin Swimming Club, with the aim of creating future Olympians across all the communities.
Their community-based programs teach children and adults how to swim. They do this by making sure the swimming clubs’ have the best trained coaches as well as qualified instructors. Those who are not able to afford the swimming classes are still able to partake, but they have to go through an application process to determine whether they qualify for the fully-funded lessons over the subsidised version.
Manoussakis said: “With all the positive elements of sport, swimming in particular can add value to the lives of youngsters. We're doing our best to ensure the proper platforms and facilities are available”.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused problems, she said, as the, ‘’training schedules is something many youngsters have unfortunately been struggling with since the beginning of the pandemic.”
Ethan George, 18, has been a part of the Aqua Dolphin Swimming Club since Grade 9. With the help of the swimming club, he has been granted the opportunity to attend multiple galas, travel and meet new friends all around the country.
He says he loves swimming.
“Swimming takes away the stress, keeps the boredom at bay and helps psychologically. The biggest challenge for me was starting at a later age than some of my peers. That meant I had to work harder to improve my time.”
Weekend Argus