Allianz Opens ‘Swim Club’ For Adults Who Never Dipped Their Toes In Water
By Alexa Heah, 19 Oct 2023
As the scorching Australian summer inches closer, a significant number of adults Down Under are gearing up to tackle their fear of the water.
A recent study from insurance company Allianz Australia has unearthed some striking statistics: while a whopping 93% of the residents believe swimming is an integral part of their lives, nearly 60% of adults either can’t swim or desire greater confidence in the water.
These findings build upon previous research, which indicated that one in four Australians either cannot swim or have weak swimming skills, according to the Roy Morgan and Royal Surf Life Saving Society Community Survey in 2021.
What’s more, the latest research by Allianz suggests that nearly 20% of adult citizens “missed the boat” when it comes to learning how to swim during their childhood.
This omission may have had a profound impact on their lives—especially for the almost 30% of locals with immigrant parents who didn’t have the opportunity to learn swimming as kids.
As such, for those who didn’t receive early swimming education, just 5% claim to be confident swimmers today. Instead, a staggering 62% of these individuals experience feelings of anxiety, embarrassment, or fear at the thought of being in a pool or open water.
While 55% of non-swimmers are afraid of drowning, 44% fear big waves, and 33% dislike submerging their heads underwater. Intriguingly, 41% of all Australians admit that the fear of encountering sharks is a significant hindrance, too.
To address this challenge, Allianz Australia has joined forces with AUSTSWIM and Masters Swimming Australia to launch a free learn-to-swim program exclusively for adults.
From October, the inaugural Allianz Swim Club program will operate across 15 pools in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia.
Aside from gaining a lifelong skill, learning to swim has the potential to unlock various opportunities for those lacking water confidence.
For example, the firm’s research found that 30% of parents say their concerns about swimming hold them back from taking their children swimming as frequently as they’d like.
Gaining confidence in swimming could lead to increased exercise (46%), beach holidays (38%), and socializing through swimming with friends (29%). Head here for more information on the program.
[via LBB Online and Campaign Brief, images via various sources]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.