Children rewarded at remote pool

Royal Life Saving WA’s Swim for Fruit program is proving a huge success at remote community pools!

At Yandeyarra Remote Community Pool, pool manager Jacqui Forbes is rewarding keen swimmers with cute Healthway plates.

“The deal is that if the children swim 100 laps across, they get plate,” Jacqui says. “On Thursday, four of the older girl just kept swimming until they hit 100!

“They were pretty stoked to have done it, as they also achieved a PB!”

According to Jacqui, the girls are now keen for another challenge, proving that the Swim for Fruit program is a big hit with the kids.

The “Go for 2 and 5 Regional and Remote Aboriginal Communities Swimming Program” (or Swim for Fruit) encourages children to participate in aquatic physical activity with a healthy afternoon or morning tea at the end of each session. It’s part of Royal Life Saving WA's commitment to encouraging physical activity and promoting healthy lifestyles.

Swim for Fruit is particularly important in Indigenous communities, as the drowning rate amongst Australian Aboriginal children is three times higher than other Australian children aged 0–14 years, and is ranked the second-most common cause of injury death. 

By encouraging regional and remote kids to participate in aquatic-based sports such as water polo, competitive swimming, aqua aerobics and pool lifesaving, it’s hoped that these figures can be significantly lowered.

Swim for Fruit is part of RLSSWA’s Aboriginal Communities Regional & Remote Swimming & Lifesaving Program, funded by Healthway.