Hallam Pereira from the Department of Sport and Recreation, Swim Instructor Titisari Titisari, Minister for Multicultural Interests Mike Nahan, Royal Life Saving Society WA CEO Peter Leaversuch and Office of Multicultural Interests Executive Director Rebecca Ball
CaLD swimming lessons open doors for Titisari
When Titisari Titisari moved to Australia from Norway she knew that a very important part of the Australian culture was enjoying swimming in our many and varied waterways and swimming pools. As a Muslim woman born in Indonesia she had some idea about swimming for fun but had very little idea about swimming techniques that could help her and her family fully enjoy this new lifestyle that was available to them.
Soon after arriving Titisari joined Royal Life Saving Society WA’s women’s only swimming program at Cannington Leisureplex. Designed to suit multicultural women, the program aims to introduce swimming and water safety skills to those at risk of not learning to swim due to cultural barriers.
For Titisari the program was an amazing help! “These swimming lessons are really nice for multicultural women because we learn only how to swim safely and with the correct stroke but also they provide things that women need like crèche so if they have little kids they don’t have to worry about who will look after them. For Muslim women just like me I also received the correct information about what to wear when swimming because our traditional daily outfit is not safe for use in the water, so to receive information about other suitable swim suit options is quite important and I was so glad that I was able to get that from the program.”
This issue of suitable swimming attire is a very important one for Muslim women taking part in swimming in Australia, because even in water they must abide by cultural rules that say they must cover their body. Because the fabric used in their normal daily attire is quite heavy and not designed for use in water it can become a serious drowning and choking risk. Royal Life Saving Society WA recently produced a swimwear guide for Muslim women that shows the various swimwear options available and the type and depth of swimming each is suitable for.
Titisari says not only has she benefited from the CaLD swimming program, but her children have also taken part. She says CaLD swimming classes have been vital for her family. “The children’s classes have enabled my children to be able to integrate by learning how to swim, which means they can swim properly with their friends in a safe way and fully take part in the Australian lifestyle. I like to have all the family with me in the water so when we go to the beach if they have learnt how to swim I know that we can all be safe together.”
The classes made such an impact on Titisari that she decided to take the next step. “When I was still in Norway with my eldest child I wanted him to learn to swim but I was too scared to take him in the water so my husband had to do the baby swimming classes with him. While I was doing the women’s swimming classes here in Australia I got curious and wanted to know how to put the baby in the water properly so I asked the instructor, and then after a while I asked for more information about how to become a swim instructor, for babies especially. Eventually I did the course to get my certification and now here I am, I’m a swimming instructor. I really enjoy it as a job, not only having lots of cute kids around me, but the working hours are really flexible so I can still be there when my own children need me.”
Our women’s only swimming lessons have taught vital swimming and water safety skills to hundreds of women in recent years, and to see Titisari take the next step and become an instructor herself is a great testament to the impact the program is having. Titisari hopes to see more multicultural women follow in her footsteps and become confident swimmers. “To other multicultural women I would say don’t be afraid, because I see lots of them are a bit petrified about not being able to breath in the water. I would encourage them to find a swimming class with a certified instructor so they can learn the correct techniques to be safe and enjoy the water. It’s really nice to be able to have the whole family in the water, and it becomes contagious once you have mum and dad swimming the kids want to learn too and you can have lots of fun together in the summertime.”
Find out more about our women's only swimming lessons at the link below.
