Aussie teenagers are facing a water safety crisis and the alarming stats cannot be ignored. Between the ages of 10 and 20, the risk of drowning in Australia jumps 1300%, and 15–20-year-old fatalities have surged 34% across the country in the past five years.
Royal Life Saving Australia warns that more than 10 million swimming lessons were missed during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many kids – many who are now teens – without the skills to stay safe in rivers, beaches and pools.
To tackle this alarming trend head-on, Belgravia Leisure has launched a nationwide Teens Program at 60 aquatic venues across the country. The goal? To give teens a ‘second dose’ of swimming education before high school, bridging the gap for those who ended lessons early.
“In the past, swimming and water safety education programs have largely focused on primary school aged children, however in response to the high numbers of youth and young adults drowning in Australia, there is certainly a gap that needs to be filled,” says Cheryl McLennon, Aquatics Product Development Manager.
“The alternative is that we risk creating a generation with poor swimming skills and this just isn’t acceptable.
“Our Teens Program is our chance to make a meaningful impact by providing teens with a supportive space that fosters skill development in a fun, non-judgemental and interactive setting amongst peers, and we’ve already had an incredible response given the urgency around this issue.”
Royal Life Saving CEO Dr Justin Scarr reinforces the urgency:
“Learning to swim as a child is a great start, but it’s often not enough to keep them safe as teenagers. A second dose of swimming at age 10 or before could be lifesaving.”
Parents: is your child ready?
Research shows over half of 10-year-olds and 40% of 15-year-olds can’t swim 50 metres, a benchmark for survival in emergencies. Royal Life Saving suggests this quick checklist for 10-year-olds:
- Can they swim 50 metres and float for two minutes?
- Could they survive a fall from a boat or rocks?
- Would they know what to do in a river current?
If the answer is “no” or “not sure,” it’s time to act: enrol in lessons or a vacation program, spend more time at the pool this summer or consider swimming or lifesaving clubs, bronze medallion courses, or water sports.
About Belgravia Leisure’s Teens Program
The Belgravia Leisure Teens Program provides a safe, inclusive and engaging environment where teenagers can build essential water safety skills and boost their confidence, ensuring every young person can thrive and be safer in and around water.
Three programs are on offer for various skill levels:
- TeenStart: For beginners. Students will learn floating, backstroke, breath control and to swim 10m freestyle, enjoying water activities safely and independently.
- TeenSkill: Intermediate. Students will build stamina and technique, master basic strokes, swim 400m and tread water for five minutes.
- TeenActive: Advanced skills. Students will refine their strokes, build endurance and use deep water survival techniques. This stage prepares teenagers for continued aquatic participation, lap swimming and progression to more challenging activities such as open water swimming.
Water safety at Belgravia Leisure
While everyone needs basic water skills, exceeding them can boost confidence, competency and overall safety in the water. Belgravia Leisure delivers over 221,000 school swimming and water safety lessons per year across Australia and New Zealand, partnering with peak bodies such as Royal Life Saving Societies of Australia and New Zealand, Swimming Australia, AUSTSWIM and ACSTA to deliver a wide range of water safety and squad programs for people of all ages and abilities.
GOswim is an additional swimming and water safety program for all ages, from babies to older adults – this water safety program ensures students learn swimming and water safety skills to assist them with survival in and around the water.
Enrol in TeenStart, TeenSkill or TeenActive program at your local Belgravia Leisure venue today.
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