Belmont over 55s boost their skills ahead of summer
Our recently launched Aqua Skills 55+ program is proving popular right across the metro area, with one of the most recent courses held at Belmont Oasis last month. The program teaches participants vital swimming and lifesaving skills to help them stay safe around water.
According to the most recent Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report more than half (52%) of those who fatally drowned in WA last financial year were over the age of 55, and as we head towards the summer months, when people spend more time in and around water, it’s vital that those in this age group learn or update their swimming and rescue skills.
The Aqua Skills 55+ course includes one session per week over four weeks and is suitable for people of all skill levels from everyday swimmers to those who only dip their toe in occasionally. This practical program provides participants with skills to deal with emergency situations, personal survival techniques and an understanding of water safety knowledge to reduce the likelihood of drowning.
The recent Belmont course was run by experienced Royal Life Saving Aquatic Trainer Cathie Calleja who took four seniors through their paces over the four weeks. Cathie said it was a particularly rewarding and fun course to teach. “One of the participants was a non-swimmer so she had the opportunity to focus more on the dry rescues techniques. She also taught and practiced resuscitation, different types of rescues, swimming with clothes on and search patterns.”
Seeing people take the brave step of getting in the water when they are non-swimmers is such an exciting and rewarding aspect of the work Royal Life Saving does across our community, and we’re so pleased to see these seniors learn such vital skills and enjoy the course together. The course is designed to encourage participants to enjoy the social aspect of their time together, building lifelong friendships along with important life skills, and this was clearly achieved by the recent Belmont Oasis group!
If you’d like to enjoy the fun of our Aqua Skills 55+ program you can check out upcoming dates and register your interest at the link below.
