 has partnered Sports Schooling to introduce the sport of aquatics to Singapore’s less fortunate children.){kind=link}
[SINGAPORE, 29 March 2024] – Singapore Aquatics (SAQ) has partnered Sports Schooling to introduce the sport of aquatics to Singapore’s less fortunate children.
Coaches from Sports Schooling, a swim school founded by Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling, will be holding a swim clinic in May to teach 20 children from Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home, a beneficiary selected by the Rotary Club of Singapore, to equip them with water survival and swimming competency skills. This marks the beginning of a promising partnership between SAQ and Sports Schooling, paving the way for future clinics and initiatives to promote aquatic sports and water safety.
The clinic is part of SAQ’s Empowering Lives Through Aquatics initiative, which aims to get participants between the ages of 6 and 14 to complete the first three stages of SwimSafer, the national water safety programme. It will also serve as a scouting platform for coaches to identify promising aquatic athletes.
Said Schooling: “Being able to play a part in such a meaningful cause is incredibly rewarding. As someone who has benefited greatly from swimming, I believe in the transformative power of aquatic sports. It is heartening to see Sports Schooling, SAQ and Rotary Club of Singapore come together to positively impact our community.”
Said Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home Executive Director, Mr Low Kee Hong: “We are deeply grateful for the collaboration between SAQ, Sports Schooling, and Rotary Club of Singapore, which has provided our children with invaluable opportunities to learn and grow through aquatics. This initiative not only equips them with essential water survival skills but also instils confidence and resilience, contributing to their overall well-being.”
Alongside the clinic, the Rotary Club of Singapore also organised their annual swimarathon, where national aquatics athletes, including Schooling and Paris Olympic qualifiers, Quah Ting Wen, Quah Jing Wen, Letitia Sim, and Levenia Sim took to the pool to raise funds. Together, they have raised over $50,000 to help bring aquatic sports closer to the community and support two significant initiatives by SAQ.
The first initiative is SAQ’s Empowering Lives Through Aquatics programme, facilitating the participation of underprivileged children in SwimSafer and creating a pathway for future aquatic athletes. The second initiative will enhance the High-Performance Sports Systems to provide better support to our national athletes.
Said SAQ president, Mr Mark Chay: “Our collaboration with Sports Schooling and the Rotary Club of Singapore represents a significant step towards making aquatic sports more accessible to underprivileged children. We are excited about the potential impact this initiative will have, not just in promoting water safety, but also in identifying and nurturing young talents in the sport. This partnership underscores our commitment to use aquatics as a vehicle for social change to foster inclusivity and empowerment in our community.”
Money raised from the swimarathon also went to support the Industrial and Services Co-operative Society Limited (ISCOS), which is an organisation supporting its members, who are ex-offenders, and their families in reintegrating into society.
Credit: Singapore Aquatics