Armadale makes a splash for water safety

Last November, the team at Armadale Fitness and Aquatic Centre embarked on a mission with a purpose – the Laps For Lessons challenge!  

They swam a collective 563.8 kilometres to support the Royal Life Saving WA Swim and Survive Fund. 

The WA Swim and Survive Fund provides swimming and water safety lessons to those who would otherwise miss out. 

In many communities, swimming and water safety education is simply not accessible. Children and adults who are affected by disabilities or are from lower socio-economic families, Indigenous or multicultural backgrounds, or regional and remote communities, are more likely to miss out – making them extremely vulnerable to drowning. Research shows that those in the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas drown at rates 71% higher than those from the most advantaged areas, and multicultural communities are significantly over-represented in drowning data. 

In the first week, the team swam an impressive distance of 73.7km, before completing 109.8km, 125.8 and 100km in the following weeks. By the end of the month, they had swum a distance equivalent to driving from Armadale Fitness and Aquatic Centre to Yallabatharra, which is in between Geraldton and Kalbarri Western Australia. 

Their team participated in the challenge by swimming laps or walking around the pool during their breaks, and in the end, they were able to raise $810 for the WA Swim and Survive Fund. This is enough to provide more than 50 swimming lessons to vulnerable children.  

“We are beyond proud to have been part of this. When we were looking for a charity that was in line with what we do every day [and] could help us give back to Swimming and Water Safety and promote the message we preach every day, we all agreed that the Swim and Survive Fund was the partnership and chosen charity for us,” said Armadale Fitness and Aquatic Centre Swim School Officer, Karly Brooks. 

The team at AFAC believes in the power of learning to swim and wants to extend their impact beyond their regular lessons. The Laps for Lessons challenge was their way of giving back and supporting the broader WA community and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to learn vital swimming and water safety skills that could one day save their life. 

If you are interested in setting up your own Laps For Lessons challenge, you can fill out our Expression of Interest Form.