The first-ever European Aquatics Learn to Swim Conference was hosted in Jurmala, Latvia on 11 and 12 November. The two-day conference brought together close to 200 delegates from 28 nations, including Olympians, academics, and experts from across the aquatic community. Swim Ireland were represented by Director of Operations Mary McMorrow and Head of Education Aisling McKeever. Both attended as members of the European Aquatics Learn to Swim Commission, with McKeever presenting the new European Learn to Swim Framework, while in a break-out session Mary McMorrow delivered an engaging presentation on the pop-up pool innovations in Ireland, which stimulated great interest amongst the audience.
The Conference also featured Olympians Yusra Mardini, the swimmer whose inspirational journey from refugee of war-torn Syria to Olympian in 2016 was immortalised in a Netflix movie, and Sabine Hazboun, Olympic Refuge Foundation Programme Support Officer with the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They shared personal and inspirational learn to swim journeys, describing the positive and life changing impact swimming has had on their lives.
At the conclusion of the conference, European Aquatics announced plans to roll out a 2-year pilot project as the next step of its Learn to Swim (LTS) strategy, with further engagement planned with National Federations.
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