Deadly Sista Girlz learn Bronze Medallion skills

Royal Life Saving has received funding from the Department of Local Government, Sport & Cultural Industries to run an Extended Bronze Medallion Course for young indigenous girls at Gilmore College, a part of the Wirrpanda Foundation’s Deadly Sista Girlz program, to complete their Bronze Medallion over the next 3 weeks.

This program is a follow-on from a Swim & Survive program that was run with the girls in February this year, which highlighted how well these girls learned the more basic swimming skills. The aim of the latest program is to provide them with opportunities to gain the skills they need to get qualified and employed at their local aquatic centres.

The City of Kwinana is home to 1,146 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, with the median age of 24. There is a strong need for programs like the Bronze Medallion to assist the local community in enabling these youths to get qualified and gain employment.

12 girls will participate in the three-week Extended Bronze Medallion Program, a new initiative by Royal Life Saving WA to cater for youths who are more ‘at-risk’ and face barriers to participation. Participants will receive two hours a week of theory & fitness training at Kwinana Recquatic before commencing their two-day Bronze Medallion course.

Royal Life Saving WA Community Trainer, Nicole Durrant will run this program, tailoring it to be culturally appropriate. The aim is to be flexible in our approach to ensure these groups are given the opportunity to gain employment in aquatics.

The funding will soon also target the Deadly Brotha Boyz at Southern River, enabling them to participate in a Swim and Survive program before taking on the Extended Bronze Medallion Course.

For more information on the Society’s Access and Equity program involving indigenous participation, please click below.