Levelling the Deck is a strategic diversity initiative by SWIM Coaches and Teachers Australia.
Everyone deserves to swim
Levelling the Deck is working actively on UN Sustainable Goal 5 [Gender Equality] and Goal 10 [Reduced Inequality].
Sarah Malik – Walkley Award-winning Australian journalist and writer
Growing up in Western Sydney, Sydney’s iconic beachscape felt a million miles away to Sarah Malik. “The only time I ever saw a beach was when watching Home and Away,” she writes. “The ‘real’ Australia was on the sun-soaked beaches of TV, not in my life.”
Sarah’s parents had not grown up with swimming and did not see it as essential. Further, they viewed swimwear as scandalous. As a teenager, Sarah’s self-consciousness about her leg hair added another reason to stay out of the pool. “When I was a kid, my dad would take me and my younger sister to the local Ripples pool in western Sydney’s St Marys. I would splash happily in the shallow area and look at the lanes with awe and fear. When I entered high school, I no longer fitted into my kid swimsuit and there were no more trips to the pool.”
Sarah decided to learn to swim after moving out of home and deciding to learn to surf.
“My swim journey started with lessons in a city pool near my university dorm room with groups of mostly adult immigrants. The instructors spoke slowly and provided encouragement as we clutched boards to practise kicks, flailing wildly. I watched enviously as white people glided past in the squad lanes, sometimes pushing me out of the way or snorting impatiently if I accidentally veered into their lane.”
“In those moments I would feel embarrassed, angry at my own slowness, and cheated of the easy skill of swimming. I could ace every exam and outwit the Anglos at tests, but swimming required body memory that I imagined was passed down invisibly in infant-acclimatising ocean and pool holidays. My inability to swim was a metaphor for my Muslim-ness, my un-Australian-ness, my hirsute-ness: all the things I had been conditioned to be embarrassed by and ashamed of.”
Sarah’s most significant progress in the pool came through attending women’s only after-hours swimming sessions at the Auburn Swim Centre during her 20s. Having previously been disinterested in women-only spaces, she found this new swimming environment freeing, devoid of the threat of racial incidents or being knocked by faster swimmers.
“The idea of “safe spaces” is often derided, but in a country where friends have been spat at, yelled at and even physically assaulted in public, the question is not why we have these spaces but why we don’t have more. There is comfort and freedom in a place where you can literally let your hair down and recharge.”
In 2016, Sarah moved to Coogee and going to the beach became a daily routine. Swimming at the McIver Ladies baths was a source of tranquillity and joy. “The iciness on my nerves was an instant salve, and watching the sun rise as my body moved through the water, I felt my heart rate slow down,” writes Sarah. “When I’m in the ocean, absorbed in its rhythms, I feel I’m in the embrace of something wild and natural and free.”
This story was comprised from an edited extract in The Sydney Morning Herald from Sarah’s essay collection Desi Girl.
Sarah Malik: How learning to swim as an adult changed my life
Inclusive Sports Training
Inclusive Sports Training is a coaching business that specialises in coaching athletes with learning difficulties. Its goals are to provide fun, fitness, and sports training with like-minded peers and expert coaching; provide an opportunity for athletes to train, prepare and participate in mainstream events; and provide a sporting pathway for students during and after schooling years.
Liz Gosper started the business as an out-of-school weekend sports program while working as a PE Teacher at a school for students with mild intellectual disabilities. Now, IST members range from 10 to 35 years old, with programs catering to students with emerging abilities to world class athletes.
A familiar player in sporting communities, IST is affiliated with various sporting clubs and peak bodies, such as School Sport Australia, Triathlon Australia and Masters Swimming Australia, and is regularly represented at club, state, national, and world events. Its official Facebook page celebrates and gives testament to hundreds of member victories.
IST is committed to creating a safe and welcoming culture for athletes with special needs. One way it does this is by employing highly qualified and experienced staff. “We are not just coaches,” says Liz. “Every group has a Special Ed 5-year university qualified leader. We employ Special Education Teachers who have an enormous amount of experience with intellectually impaired athletes”. Further to this, IST does not advertise. Its reputation is built through word of mouth, with new members joining by recommendations from other families.
One recommendation Liz has for swimming schools, clubs, and organisations looking to create a more inclusive environment for people with learning disabilities is to employ staff with a high level of skill and experience in that area, as it is a specialist field. “Know what you are talking about. When a swim teacher works with a child with special needs, they should have lots of training with qualified and successful coaches.”
IST has faced numerous challenges in its lifetime, primarily in advocating for inclusion and fairness for its athletes. Key learnings? “Be patient for change both with the athletes’ learning and progression and it is an individual process for each athlete,” says Liz. She would like to see more opportunities and inclusion for athletes with disabilities, such as Multi-Class competition at all levels of masters swimming, as well as more information about what people with intellectual impairments can achieve and increased awareness of sporting pathways available.
Angelica Oijnnaka-Psillakis – global youth affairs leader, advocate, researcher, and speaker
Growing up, swimming was an activity that Angelica felt left out of. “Water and swimming and the excitement around the pool has always been something that has fascinated me but also frustrated me at the same time,” she says. “I always wanted to swim. I wanted that birthday party at a swimming pool that my schoolmates had. I wanted to join in conversations about going to the beach on the weekends. And I wanted to go to Bondi. I didn’t even know where that was as a kid, all I knew was what I saw on tv. Because in my family, we didn’t go swimming.”
She recalls one instance of almost drowning at a school swimming carnival after jumping in the pool without knowing how to swim, and generally avoiding the pool during her school years to avoid embarrassment.
A second generation Australian of Nigerian background, Angelica did not feel, growing up, that swimming was in her cultural DNA. She was taught that the beach was dangerous, but not how to mitigate its risks other than avoiding it. Speaking of herself and friends she says, “we just [didn’t] go to the water… there’s a disconnect somewhere there and there’s a long history to that to unpack. And so my mum just never really saw the necessity to learn to swim for us.”
In her mid-twenties, having a water-loving partner from the Northern Beaches, Angelica took matters into her own hands and signed up for a new adult learn to swim class run by the Blacktown City Council. “I got really sick and tired of being on the sidelines,” she recalls. She was also strongly motivated by a need for reprieve from the rising summer heat. “I have to learn some kind of survival skill, and the water is this thing that we gravitate towards [on] those extreme heat days.”
“Just through learning to swim, I learned so much more about myself, community, and place, which was a journey that I wasn’t even expecting,” she says. Angelica recalls crying in her first lesson, overwhelmed at realising what she’d missed out on. She was also overwhelmed by starting her journey with more than ten similarly tentative strangers, but quickly began to feel in her element.
“Once we got into the water for the first lesson and just chatting to the people next to me around how they were feeling, I just felt immediately part of a community. We’re doing this together. And by the end of the bulk of the swimming lessons, we just cheered each other on. It was so motivating and there was a sense of community, connection, and feeling that access that I didn’t get when I was younger.”
Angelica believes there needs to be more information and explanation, particularly for migrant communities who face a higher risk of drowning, about the importance of learning to swim and its benefits to health, wellbeing, and social connection.
Angelica would also like to see the issue of inequitable access to swimming spaces addressed. “There’s disproportionately a smaller number of public pools, about five in the Blacktown City Council region, that’re servicing over four hundred thousand people in the region, compared to the east coast like Randwick, where there’re up to nine public swimming pools, and then there’s obviously the long coastline of the beach. And so for that many people in an area that is growing in terms of population, being able to access water is quite limited.”
Angelica has kept up her swimming, even through winter. She shares her story in the Sink or Swim Podcast, a part of the Welcome to Blacktown project that celebrates the stories of people shaping a better future for their communities in the Blacktown area.
Listen on:
Sources:
Angelica Oijnnaka-Psillakis interview with Julian Morrow, ABC Radio National
Angelica Oijnnaka-Psillakis interview with Craig Reucassel, ABC Radio Sydney
Danielle is a Director of SWIM Coaches and Teachers Australia, and the owner and manager of Alpha Learn to Swim.
In 2019, Danielle received the SWIM Australia Teacher of the Year Award and the award for Outstanding Service to the Community – small swim school category – for Alpha Learn to Swim, in recognition of organising and delivering a drowning prevention program providing free swimming lessons for children in the region. Danielle aspires for all children in rural areas to have access to swimming lessons.
An aquatics industry professional for more than 15 years, Danielle brings extensive experience in teaching as well as community outreach, swimming development, and research and policy.
She has presented on drowning prevention at national and international conferences, including at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention.
Pamela is the Director of Himilio Workforce and Manager of Himilo Community Connect, a project that exists to improve education, employment, health and social cohesion outcomes for the Australian-Somali community in and around the West Heidelberg area. Conceived through a rigorous co-design process, Himilo Community Connect is underpinned by social cohesion themes of belonging, social justice, participation acceptance and worth.
In her work at Himilio, Pamela collaborates with a diverse array of partner organisations including local schools and various government departments to deliver impactful programs and initiatives that empower community members to thrive. She has led a wide-range of community-focused programs and initiatives, including Himilio Active, which delivers sporting and exercise opportunities such as Himilio Women’s Basketball Club and School Holiday Cup tournaments.
Matthew is a leader experienced in policy, project delivery and advocacy to achieve accessibility and equal opportunities for all. He also has experience managing Aquatic facilities and programs with proven success.
Matthew contributes regularly to multiple outlets in print and broadcast media and has a decade of experience in the Diversity & Inclusion sector. Recognized for his wide-reaching contributions to community work, Matthew was honoured with the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2014 and received the International Paralympic Committee Contribution Award (PLY) in 2022.
In his international swimming career spanning 2010 to 2021, Matthew achieved notable success, including Paralympic Gold and Bronze at London 2012, a World Championship Bronze in Montreal 2013, and multiple medals at the Paralympic Pan Pacific Championships in Los Angeles 2014. His achievements extend to the Rio Paralympics 2016 and the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games 2018.
When it comes to improving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in the aquatics industry, Matthew envisions a more structured, inclusive framework that allows people of all abilities, backgrounds, and cultures to feel welcomed and valued in aquatic environments. This would involve more visible program pathways for individuals with disabilities, not just in competition but in everyday community activities.
Matthew would also like to see swim centres and leisure facilities adopt clearer, more equitable resource allocation models to ensure that community groups, long-standing swim clubs, and newer, more diverse groups, including those catering to underrepresented communities, can access water space and have the opportunity to grow.
Additionally, Matthew is keen to see development of leadership and awareness around the inclusion maturity model to create a more sustainable, community-focused approach to DEI in aquatics, and partnerships with key organisations across the industry that drive forward changes supporting both the workforce and participants from diverse communities.
Anu is the founder and director of multiple ventures, including Swimz Guildford, CSmart Consultancy, and Impowerfull, with current board roles at BREED Australia and Swim Coaches & Teachers Australia.
Previously, as a Director with the Australian Department of Home Affairs, Anu developed a strong foundation in strategy, policy, and operational efficiency. This experience fuels her understanding of Australia’s shifting demographics, emerging communities, and new arrivals.
Driven by a desire for impact, Anu moved into entrepreneurship, founding Swimz Guildford, which became profitable in its first year, and launching CSmart Consultancy to guide businesses to success. Her consultancy experience spans industries including hospitality, education (early childhood and vocational), fitness, sports, beauty, supply chain, immigration, creative arts, and construction. She has worked closely with both commercial and non-profit sectors, transforming greenfield projects into thriving enterprises with sustained impact.
Anu is also an active lecturer and public speaker, with a passion for sharing knowledge across a variety of fields, including business, social impact, and community development. This diverse background allows her to bring unique insights, inclusivity, and a drive for excellence to every project she undertakes, impacting individual lives and strengthening community connections.
Maia is an experienced athlete and coach with a demonstrated history in the sports industry and the multicultural sector, specialising in increasing access to sport and recreation for young people from refugee, asylum seeker and migrant backgrounds and non-traditional member groups.
She is the Manager of Welcoming Australia’s Welcoming Clubs, an initiative supporting sports clubs and codes to be proactive and successful in their efforts to increase inclusion and diversity, and managed its predecessor, Welcoming Sport, a program designed to assist young people and families from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to access sport and physical activity as a way of connecting with their new communities.
Maia is a former NZ KiwiFern and NZ Rugby League Player of the Year and has played Rugby Union semi-professionally in Canada, England and Spain. She has also been involved in Sport for Social Development programs in Kenya, Uganda and Laos.
A Health and PE Teacher and Level 2 World Rugby Coach, she has coached rugby at state level. and worked in Malaysia and Laos with the Laos Men’s and Women’s National 7s teams. She currently coaches Rugby 7s with the University of Queensland, Tribe 7s and Mako 7s.
Maia believes that everyone, regardless of background, should be able to enjoy sport and physical activity, feel a sense of belonging, and contribute to their community. She is committed to working towards greater diversity and inclusion in sport and is particularly passionate about women and girl’s advancement in all sporting and leadership roles.
Sarah Scarce is the Director of The Aqua English Project. Co-founded by Sarah as a drowning prevention program for refugees, migrants, and new arrivals to Australia, the program takes a broad approach to aquatics education, with a focus on social inclusion and empowerment. More than 33,000 people from more than 44 different cultures and backgrounds have learned to swim through the program.
In addition to the Aqua English Program, Sarah works with multicultural communities through her role as a refugee lawyer. She has extensive experience in law as well as intergovernmental relations at local, state, federal, and international levels, and has been active in developing major projects and programs including:
Sarah is actively working to break down barriers facing refugees, new arrivals, and migrants, to promote safety in aquatic environments and extend opportunities for social inclusion and cultural participation that many Australians take for granted.
Swim 4 All
Swim 4 All was founded to provide an environment where children with autism could learn to swim. As a parent of a child with Asperger’s Syndrome, as a swim teacher and coach, and through her involvement in a support group for children with autism, founder Natalie Fintrop-Clarke was aware that there was a deficit of swim schools accommodating children with autism.
Swim 4 All’s philosophy is that everyone is welcome, no matter what abilities or disabilities they may have, and aims to help all students reach their swimming potential.
A large proportion of its students are neurodivergent. Natalie has found that many of her students learn best in one on one classes but supports students joining mainstream classes when they are able. When staffing allows, Swim 4 All offers private classes and mainstream classes at the same facility. The idea is that the whole family can come and have swimming lessons, and children starting out in private lessons have an option to later join mainstream classes.
A major focus for teachers at Swim 4 All is to get to know each student. “How do they learn and how do you adapt your teaching to help that student? If a student has a special interest, engage with them about their special interest. Use that in your teaching of them.”
“It’s just getting used to each student, find out all you can about them and then read up on that. If they have autism, read up on the characteristics of autism and what you might expect so that you’re informed. Don’t assume that every kid on the autism spectrum is the same either but have a bit of understanding.”
Natalie encourages parents to be forthcoming with information about their children’s needs. “Lots of parents don’t want their kids to have a label, or think they’ll change, or don’t want to give that information. Every parent is different, and their choice is their own. But I say to them, any information you give me is only accessed by reception and the teacher, and the more information the teacher has, the better the job they’re going to do.”
She encourages parents to bring their child to the teacher on their first lesson and chat to the teacher about their child. “Our first lesson should always be gaining information and having a great time with the child, so they want to come back. Instilling rules like you can’t run, you can’t jump, you must stay in your space so as not to impact on others. But while we’re in our space, what would you like to do? Do you like getting things off the bottom? Do you like the noodle?”
“It’s very much talking to them- communicating with them, communicating with their parents. For example, “if they’re non-verbal, [asking] “what can your child understand? How do I make them feel safe?”
The program is designed to give students the same space and teacher for every lesson, so the environment can be consistent as possible.
Natalie says that it’s important for teachers to understand kids’ abilities as well as any disabilities they have and allow them to excel in what they’re good at, in addition to correcting what they’re not yet good at. For example, if a child is skilled at breaststroke, which is normally taught after freestyle and backstroke, the teacher could start the lesson with a few laps of breaststroke.
Swim 4 All’s focus on welcoming everyone, encouraging communication, and knowing the individual applies to staff as well as students. Staff are encouraged to contact Natalie or the manager as needed, and to communicate their needs so that they can be supported. Support can include reformatting lesson plans for a teacher with dyslexia, repeating information as needed for a teacher with a learning disability, or giving teachers as much time as needed to complete their training hours. Some of the staff who have taken the longest to complete their training hours have become the best teachers.
Natalie is proud of Swim 4 All’s achievements. In teaching countless children to swim, there have been moments that stood out, such as seeing a student with no movement in his legs and limited movement in one arm gain the ability to swim across the pool and delight in the sense of freedom. Some swimmers who began in private lessons at Swim 4 All have become staff members. Another former student has become a world champion triathlete and credits his achievements to the confidence he gained at his former swim school.
Sue Sweeney – Aquatics and fitness professional
Throughout my life, there have been many times when I have felt like I didn’t belong, that I didn’t “fit”, that my voice wasn’t being heard. From bullying throughout my schooling for being the “wrong” colour and being teased for being adopted, to being a girl and then a woman whose opinions didn’t matter. Now, after finding my biological family and discovering that I am Aboriginal, feeling sometimes like an imposter who doesn’t quite know where I belong and trying to make sense of it all.
The impact of not feeling included or belonging left me with feelings of unworthiness. While I am still working my way through all of this, I have felt incredibly supported by the people around me who do make me feel valued- My new extended family who are amazing people who have welcomed me with open arms. My children who have encouraged me and listened to me. Close friends who have shared my excitement and fears. Even complete strangers who have listened to my story and empathised with me. As a woman, I have grown to understand that my voice is as important as anyone’s, that I have knowledge to share. I know that I have experienced life and that I have ideas and opinions that hold value. That my story is just that. My story.
If I can say this to the swimming community that I have been a part of for many years, it is to keep an open mind. No matter who you are and who you are speaking to, give people the respect of listening. Remember that we all come into any situation with our own personal experiences and biases. Be kind, be calm, and try to see situations from the other person’s view. Support your teachers, be compassionate with your parents and swimmers, and make your centre a place where everyone feels comfortable on their swimming journey. Never forget that we all have our own story.
Glamourhead Sharks
In 2001, a group of swimmers in Melbourne got together to start the Glamourhead Sharks and prepare themselves to participate in the 2002 Gay Games in Sydney, following in the footsteps of Wett Ones, their sister club in Sydney which formed in 1991.
They began with a few sessions a week on the south side of the Yarra River and one coach. As at the beginning of September 2024, the club offers five weekly sessions, north and south of the river, has a pool of coaches, and just over 100 members.
Club President and long-time member Paul Whelan shares more information about the club.
What is your mission/ purpose/ goal?
Health, fitness, community and inclusion.
Whether you want to swim to get fit or improve your swimming for competition, we cater to a wide variety of skill levels.
We aim to create a welcoming place for swimmers of all ages and genders to participate. We also recognise the value of social events outside of the pool and the camaraderie built when the team get together to compete locally and away.
Can you tell me about the philosophy/culture of the club?
As queer people we have spent lifetimes fighting for equality and inclusion. We also recognise and celebrate our queerness as a point of difference. It is our difference as queer people that is the basis for our club’s culture. You can find us at swim comps in colourful togs, cheering for each other, waving to the camera from behind the blocks, and generally being visible queer folk in the masters swimming community.
When we host our own swim meet (every two years) we have a little opening ceremony with dancers and drag queens and after the races are swum, we host a big buffet dinner with our famous trifle competition. We are often told by the (quite straight) masters swimming community that it is their favourite competition in the calendar. Visibility in pride is very important to us.
What are some barriers to LGBTQIA+ participation in swimming?
There have been a few studies that have investigated queer people’s participation in sport and what barriers, homophobia and discrimination they have faced. One that springs to mind is titled ‘Out on the Fields’. We know implicitly and now empirically that young queer people tend to avoid participating in sport, especially team sport, forvarious reasons.
Having dedicated queer sporting clubs enables those people (albeit later in life) to rediscover sport in a safer, more welcoming environment. We can be ourselves at the Glams – can throw off the day and be a bit silly together while also getting fit and improving our swimming. But taking that initial plunge can be pretty daunting. I often say to new members at the club who are a bit nervous that they have already taken the biggest step – just showing up for the first time.
How do you create a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ people within your club?
It can be a daunting prospect to turn up for your first session with a queer swim squad. Getting down to your togs and trying to fit in with an established groups of friends is not easy. We have members who take the lead on introducing new swimmers at their first session and we make sure that the coach gets some one-on-one time with them before they jump in. There is often a bit of cheeky banter between the coaches and the swimmers which breaks any illusion that we’re all there being serious athletes.
We always have club announcements during a training session and that’s when we will introduce and applaud swimmers at their first session. Then we know they’ll be taken care of in their lane.
What do you do to ensure your members’ voice are heard/ their needs are met?
We have a volunteer committee that runs the day-to-day of the club and is made up from the membership. As well as informal feedback directly to coaches or committee members, we also seek input from our membership through surveys or direct communication.
What do you look for in a coach? Do you provide any special training?
There are minimum training requirements for coaches of a masters swim squad. Many of our coaches have actually come from the squad itself. They see coaching as a way of giving back to the club. This helps to reinforce our culture a bit too.
What strategies do you use to reach LGBTQIA+ identifying swimmers and get new members? How do you promote club visibility?
The Glams are a regular feature at Midsumma events with a booth at Carnival every year and you can often find us in the pride parade. In 2023 we ran a very successful ‘Give Swimming a Go’ event as part of Midsumma and participated in a number of pool party events to promote the club.
We have reached out to other sporting codes in the past to promote the club, but we often find that people find us organically. As we are not a ‘learn-to-swim’ club but a club for people who swim, the kinds of people that are suited to us are usually on the lookout for a masters club to swim with. Some of our members hear about us on the grapevine, otherwise they have been specifically seeking out a queer swim club directly.
Do you participate in any LGBTQIA+ events?
Oh yes! Apart from the Midsumma events, we regularly have groups of Glams jet off to interstate and overseas competitions. One of my most cherished memories was to attend the Gay Games with a big group of Glams in Paris in 2018.
We hosted the IGLA championships in Melbourne in 2020 and are keeping our fingers crossed that Melbourne wins its bid for the Gay Games in 2030.
Do you have any partnerships with other LGBTQIA+ groups?
We are connected to other queer swim clubs in Australia and overseas through formal and informal channels. We are a member of the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) association and Masters Swimming Australia. We have working relationships with other queer sporting clubs in Melbourne through shared fundraising ventures and competition focused committees (IGLA and Gay Games).
What advice would you give to other swimming clubs/ organisations trying to create a more welcoming/ inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+ swimmers?
Listen to your members – there are definitely some queer ones in there. If they are not outwardly vocal, ask them about inclusivity. And remember that language matters. Sometimes it is the words that you use that reinforce whether queer identities are included or excluded.
Can you share any future plans?
Just keep swimming!