Swimming Australia’s Deadly Little Dolphins initiative to strengthen swimming skills for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

Swimming Australia’s Deadly Little Dolphins learn to swim initiative aims to ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have access to learn to swim to improve their swimming and water safety skills. Swimming Australia will partner with schools, swim schools, swimming pool operators, councils, and community groups to deliver Deadly Little Dolphins across Australia.

Deadly Little Dolphins is a key project of the overarching Swimming Australia Deadly Dolphins initiative which aims to strengthen the swimming pathway for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes, harnessing developing talent across the swimming system, and ultimately, deliver an Olympic and/or Paralympic medal by an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander swimmer at Brisbane 2032.

The first Deadly Little Dolphins learn to swim pilot program is being developed with the Thursday Island community, local schools and community members included. A suite of co-designed in- school learn to swim programs, beginner squad programs and LTS teacher and Coach education programs will be delivered as part of the Thursday Island Deadly Little Dolphins initiative.

Danny Morseu, Olympian, Deputy Chairperson of the AOC Indigenous Committee, and Thursday Island resident notes “Swimming Australia’s Deadly Little Dolphins program is a wonderful initiative and we on Thursday Island are excited by the programs potential.

“Our community is water loving and a structured sustainable in-school learn to swim program for our children, along with opportunities to develop swimming stroke competency amongst our local children and youth is exciting and is very welcome.

“We would love a Thursday Island community member to be on the Australian Olympic/Paralympic Team in Brisbane 32”.

Swimming Australia Chief Executive Eugenie Buckley explained the co-designed Deadly Little Dolphins’ Learn to Swim programs aim to improve the swimming and water safety skills for all First Nations communities.

“First Nations people are disproportionately represented in drowning statistics, and that is not good enough,” Buckley said.

“Swimming Australia is committed to help reduce drownings in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and to reduce mortality rates from drownings for First Nations children.”

The Australian Water Safety Council (AWSC), which Swimming Australia is a member of alongside Royal Life Saving Australia, Surf Life Saving Australia and a number of key industry voices, identifies in its “Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 – towards a nation free from drowning” – that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are a key community of focus with First Nations Australians representing 3% of the Australian population, but accounting for 5% of all drownings.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are also more likely to experience a non-fatal drowning, which can leave them with a long-term brain injury or other organ damage, following oxygen deprivation.

Shockingly, in Queensland, for every fatal Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drowning, there are 9 non-fatal drownings (Wallis et al., 2015).

Swimming Australia has and will continue to undertake consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, agencies, learn to swim and education delivery partners and experts to ensure Deadly Little Dolphins learn to swim programs are designed for community by community.

In addition to Thursday Island, planning is well progressed with delivery partners in South-East Queensland and regional New South Wales, in order for the first Deadly Little Dolphins programs to be ready in a range of locations for the start of Term 4 in schools.

Buckley added “Crucial to the success of Deadly Little Dolphins is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are identifying the best possible model of delivery for their individual communities. First Nations People have a close cultural connection to country, including waterways and it’s vital this is taken into consideration, including recognising that a pool may not always be the best location to deliver the program.”

Swimming Australia will address other learn to swim program barriers for First Nation communities, including cost, access, transport and culturally appropriate content and delivery. Additionally, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander coaches will be supported with tailored education and additional support and mentoring to progress their careers as coaches.

Swimming Australia will be exploring partnership opportunities with Governments and corporate Australia to ensure sustainable long-term delivery of the Deadly Little Dolphins initiative across the nation.