Building confidence and saving lives through swimming
Living in Australia, learning how to swim is vital. More than 30,000km of beach surrounds mainland Australia, and that’s not including the 17,000km that surrounds our offshore islands. That’s a significant amount of beach!
Given so many of us enjoy holidays near our oceans, bays, rivers and lakes, all children need those life-saving swimming skills. Drowning is still one of the most common causes of accidental death in children.
Our Junior School Swimming Program forms an integral part of the curriculum across all our campuses.
Swimming offers a range of extraordinary benefits. First and foremost, it builds fitness, cardiovascular health, and even improves balance and posture. It’s an activity that encourages a healthy lifestyle and can be enjoyed for a lifetime.
Swimming has also proven to be good for mental health and wellbeing. It promotes the release of endorphins, which leave you feeling happier, healthier and less stressed. The structured environment of regular swimming lessons also teaches discipline and focus, qualities which can be transferred to all areas of life.
Swimming is, of course, a much-loved Australian sport. Our swimmers led the medal tally at the 2024 Paris Olympics with 18 medals, seven of them gold. Wesley’s Head Coach of Swimming, Janine Bates, has seen her fair share of gifted athletes come through the ranks, including triple Olympian Michael Klim OAM (OW1994) who she coached during his school years at Wesley in the early 90s, so she knows a rising star when she sees one.
Last year, Year 5 student Austin showed remarkable dedication to swimming. Starting in the Junior School Swimming Program at the Glen Waverley Campus in four-year-old ECLC, Austin progressed through the Junior Swimming Squad and onto competitive club swimming. His hard work paid off at the School Sport Victoria State Swimming Championships earlier this year where he clinched a gold medal in the Boys 9–10 years 50m Breaststroke, achieving a personal best time and breaking the State Record. He also placed in the top three in four events at the School Sport National Championships.
Through various Service as Action activities, Glen Waverley Middle School students engage in work that positively impacts others and fosters personal growth. One standout initiative has seen Year 8 students volunteer their time to help younger children build confidence and safety skills in the water. This not only supports the swim staff but also helps Year 8 students develop valuable leadership and teaching skills.
We encourage all parents to continue to support and motivate young swimmers. Swimming goes beyond recreational – it is a holistic exercise that enhances endurance, strength, flexibility and heart and lung capacity.
A special thank you goes to our expert swimming staff, whose dedication and expertise ensure every student progresses at their own pace throughout the Junior School years. Their passion and encouragement inspire our students to strive for excellence both in and out of the pool.
