Ballarat swimmer and Olympic gold medallist expands swim school as 'no drown town' pledge gains traction

Swimming instruction and water safety in Ballarat are expanding with the opening of a second swim school backed by Olympic gold medallist Shayne Reese. According to The Courier, Reese is set to open a second centre as part of a pledge to make Ballarat a 'no drown town'.

The expansion reflects both Reese's personal commitment to drowning prevention and a growing recognition across regional Victoria that water safety education should be widely accessible. By establishing multiple swim schools, the initiative aims to ensure more Ballarat children have the opportunity to learn water skills, reducing vulnerability to drowning, which remains a leading cause of unintentional injury deaths among young Australians.

For Ballarat families, the second facility should reduce barriers to swim lesson access, whether through proximity, scheduling, or capacity constraints at existing providers. The expansion also signals confidence in the region's capacity to support the business, suggesting sufficient demand from families seeking professional water safety instruction for their children.

Sources: thecourier.com.au.

This article was compiled by AI and screened before publishing. See our editorial standards.