Swim and Survive Fund grant recipient Jason Lee

Swim and Survive Fund opens doors for young boy

12-year-old Jason Lee was struggling in mainstream swimming lessons because of a disability which affected him from birth.

“Jason has had multiple surgeries since birth, and it has affected his posture and gait. It does affect his swim style and he could not progress for the longest of time as he was not getting the attention he needed,” says Rendy Lee, Jason’s father.

After hearing about Royal Life Saving WA’s Swim and Survive Fund, Rendy applied for a grant to help fund one-on-one lessons for Jason.

“The group lessons were often taught at the pace of the most capable learners in the group, while individual swim lessons cater to different learning styles and needs,” says Rendy.

In many communities, swimming and water safety education is simply not accessible. Children and adults from lower socio-economic families, those affected by disabilities, from Indigenous or multicultural backgrounds, or from regional and remote communities, are more likely to miss out, making them extremely vulnerable to drowning.

Royal Life Saving’s Swim and Survive Fund helps ensure that everyone, including children like Jason, have the opportunity to learn vital swimming and water safety skills that could one day save their life.

After being approved for a Swim and Survive grant, Rendy has been able to sign Jason up for weekly lessons at Beatty Park Leisure Centre. Jason started lessons at the onset of Term One and is well on his way to mastering both freestyle and breaststroke under his coach’s guidance.

“This grant allows Jason to access the specialised instruction that he needs with a fantastic swim coach. It has also opened doors to an underwater environment otherwise closed off from him,” says Rendy.

“I would like to sincerely thank Royal Life Saving for this opportunity. Australia is surrounded by water and the skills he’s learning will help him stay safe in an aquatic environment and give him the ability to access different sports.”

If you'd like more information about Royal Life Saving’s Swim and Survive Fund or to make a donation to help make water safety education a reality for more children please click the link below.