Regional kids Swim for Fruit

It was a busy school holidays at Wyndham and Fitzroy Crossing swimming pools, as the local kids took part in our popular Swim for Fruit program.

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, and the kids love it! 

The Swim for Fruit program 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. Programs such as this are also extremely important in regional and remote areas of WA in general, with the latest National Drowning Report showing that people in these areas of WA are almost four times more likely to drown than those in the metro area. By encouraging regional 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. 

Wyndham Aquatic Centre’s aquatic and recreation officer Jake Ticconi said 40 kids participated in the program over the school holidays. “Our Swim for Fruit program was a great success over the course of the school holidays, with some of the highest numbers we’ve had for a while!” 

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