A local swim school has launched a new program to help ensure all children have access to swimming lessons and the ability to live their lives to the fullest. After a successful trial run with one young student, Jump! Swim Schools Fyshwick is offering three 12-week swim scholarships for children with congenital heart disease (CHD).

Three-year-old Marcus was diagnosed with CHD before birth and has already undergone multiple surgeries. Usually, the chance to learn to swim would put him at risk of catching a common illness from another child, but this one-on-one scholarship means he can learn without the fear of getting sick.

Created in cahoots with HeartKids ACT, the idea was originally born from the spirit of festive giving. Last Christmas, the swim school wanted to support a local charity and swim teacher and manager Hetty Toze, a HeartKid herself, quickly suggested the organisation. Soon, Hetty reached out to Adele Jurd from HeartKids ACT who helped find their first scholarship swimmer.

“He is the best little kid I’ve ever met. We started from basics, he is getting the hang of the safety skills as well, swimming to the side of the pool, and is starting to swim out to me independently. He likes to splash Mum who sits up on the deck, he is a little superstar, an inspiration,” Hetty says.

Born with CHD, Hetty knows how great an activity like swimming can be for someone who struggles with other cardio activities.

“Swimming was a sport that was so easy for my heart. I played netball and everything, but I would notice the breathlessness a lot more and swimming was always there for me.”

More than just swimming lessons, the one-on-one classes also safeguard the children from exposure to common illnesses that can take a toll on their bodies.

“Our immune systems are lower and when we do get sick, it tends to hit us a bit harder, especially if it’s a respiratory illness. We don’t want anything in our lungs, we’ve already got sometimes breathlessness,” says Hetty.

To ensure that the space is as safe as can be, the lessons are conducted during the school closing hours and extra precautions are taken before the HeartKids arrive.

“We have a two-part cleaning system to the pool; the water goes through a sand filter first and then it goes through a UV light and then pumped back into the water. My boss also does a big vacuum of the pool before our little HeartKid jumps in the water.”

The 12-week scholarships will be offered year-round allowing for the opportunity for more HeartKids to join or those who have done 12 weeks to reapply.

The low-impact nature of swimming is an ideal pace for enhancing cardiovascular health, building muscle strength and improving endurance while minimising strain on the heart, explains Hetty.

“Physically, we get a little more tired, we run out of breath easier but we also adapt really well to it. The same as someone without an arm, they adapt to life without an arm, we might have limitations and we know how to work around those limitations.”

The continuation of these scholarships brings Hetty one step closer to her dream of introducing new programs for HeartKids in our region.

“It fills me with pride to know that we’re paving a new path for children with CHD that wasn’t available in previous years. Providing them with opportunities and support that were previously lacking is truly rewarding and signifies progress in the care and inclusion of individuals with congenital heart conditions.

Hetty was lucky to have a relatively undisturbed childhood, not needing to undergo surgery until she was 20. At age 12, Hetty started getting more involved with HeartKids and attending the team camps, where HeartKids from around the country would come together for four days. The camps remain a positive core memory for her, she has even volunteered at the camps as an adult.

“I met all my lifelong friends there. HeartKids provided me with a support system and a community that I didn’t realise that I needed until I got to the point in my life when I started having surgery. I knew I had people in my life who had been through it and were able to hold my hand, guide me through it, and be there as a supportive community who understood.”

Learn more about Jump! Swim School Fyshwick; jumpswimschools.com.au

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