Royal Life Saving WA Community Trainer, Nicole Durrant, Wirrpanda Foundation’s Marleena McIntosh, Program participants Bonnie Kickett, Tara Garlett, Ashleigh Reidy, Tahlia Riley, Charlotte Hicks, Wirrpanda Foundation’s Judy Pickett and Royal Life Saving WA Inclusion Coordinator Emily Balcombe.
Camera IconRoyal Life Saving WA Community Trainer, Nicole Durrant, Wirrpanda Foundation’s Marleena McIntosh, Program participants Bonnie Kickett, Tara Garlett, Ashleigh Reidy, Tahlia Riley, Charlotte Hicks, Wirrpanda Foundation’s Judy Pickett and Royal Life Saving WA Inclusion Coordinator Emily Balcombe. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Deadly Sista Girlz get Bronze Medallion in Kwinana swimming program

Vanessa SchmittWeekend Kwinana Courier

ABORIGINAL children are 8.6 per cent more likely to die from drowning than non-Aboriginal children.

The Royal Life Saving Society has teamed up with the Wirrapanda Foundation’s Deadly Sista Girlz program to help curb the concerning statistics.

Royal Life Saving received funding from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries to run an Extended Bronze Medallion Course for young indigenous girls at Gilmore College, a part of the Deadly Sista Girlz program.

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The program is a follow-on from a Swim and Survive program that was run with the girls in February.

The aim of the latest program is to provide the girls with opportunities to gain the skills and qualifications needed for employment at local aquatic centres.

There are 1146 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in the City of Kwinana, with the median age of 24.

Twelve girls are participating in the three-week Extended Bronze Medallion Program which involves two hours a week of theory and fitness training at Kwinana Recquatic. Then the girls will take part in a two-day Bronze Medallion course.

Royal Life Saving WA community trainer Nicole Durrant runs the program to be culturally appropriate.

“The aim is to be flexible in our approach to ensure these groups are given the opportunity to gain employment in aquatics,” she said.