Swimming Australia launches app to connect recreational swimmers

With Australian recreational swimmers spending more than 10.6 billion minutes in the water each year, their ability to track that time and engage with other like-minded people is to be aided iSwim, a new app from Swimming Australia.

Free to download, iSwim allows users to log their swims and track their weekly statistics including, distance, heart rate, calories burned and time in the water while also keeping up to date on the latest swimming news content.

With the capability of integrating the app to both Apple and Fitbit smart watches, users can simply synchronise directly to their dashboards to track their fitness goals.

Advising that the app is aimed at all ages, all abilities and had no barriers for participation,

Swimming Australia Chief Executive, Leigh Russell (pictured below), stated “we have a vision to enrich and inspire the nation and iSwim plays a big role in achieving that goal. Through swimming we want to ‘build our tribe’ of swimmers and connect with those Australians who swim for fitness, health and wellbeing, or just for fun.

“We know there are an estimated 2.9 million Australians who swim at least once a week and more than seven million that swim throughout the year.

“This app is aimed at engaging those people in a meaningful way to motivate and encourage them to swim more often and build life-long connections through digital communities.

“With the ability to tailor programs to suit different levels, we believe iSwim can benefit all swimmers, whether they are young, old, recreational or elite.

“It also aligns with the Sport AUS ‘Find your 30’ campaign which promotes all Australians to get active through 30 minutes of daily exercise.”

The second release of the app, which launches in February, will provide users with technical advice from high-level coaches, while members of the Australian Dolphins team and other top swimmers in the community, including Bondi Lifeguard Andrew Reid and Ironwoman Georgia Miller, will deliver an array of training programs, aimed at fun, fitness and motivation.

In addition, version two of iSwim will allow users to create their own virtual squad and connect with friends to create challenges.

The app is being launched to coincide with the Australia Swims campaign, where swimmers are encouraged to pledge the distance they swim to one of eight teams, contributing to the collective goal of swimming a virtual lap around Australia.