Indian instructor urging locals to learn to swim

Rotorua Aquatic Centre swim tutor, Amardeep Singh.

Following the tragic drowning of a local Indian migrant on Lake Tarawera in 2010, Rotorua Aquatic Centre was keen to educate the city’s migrant community on keeping safe around water.

And when Amardeep Singh applied for a swim tutor position three years ago, the Rotorua Lakes Council’s aquatic facility saw the benefits of having the Punjabi-speaking man on the team.

Mr Singh has worked at the local swimming facility since June 2012. Before learning the ropes at the Aquatic Centre his swimming ability was limited to what he described as just “survival swimming.”

“Swimming is not a big sport in India,” he said. “The pools are open six months during the summer, and while people go to play around, very few actually swim.”

He arrived in Rotorua from Panchkula, India, three years ago as an international student, studying Hotel Management at Waiariki Institute of Technology. It was there that he saw a poster advertising swim tutor positions at the Aquatic Centre.

“I received training for two months and also shadowed swim tutors before I started teaching basic swimming to three to 11 year olds. After six months, I wanted to work more during the summer holidays so I underwent lifeguard training, and became a casual lifeguard as well, while also completing my tertiary studies.”

After graduating, Mr Singh was given an opportunity to work in a hotel but decided he wanted to continue to teach people to swim.

“It’s a great job because I enjoy sport and I’m always training in a fun and friendly environment. Many people from my country come to New Zealand and work in hotels or shops but I haven’t heard of any Indian swim instructors in the Bay of Plenty and this makes me feel proud.

“I’ve heard of a few Indian drownings in New Zealand and it makes me feel like I should train people so that when they go to the beach and lake they’ll be confident. They’re often afraid because swimming is not normal to them.

“With summer approaching, I encourage local people of all cultures to learn to swim. Swimming is a life skill and everybody should stay safe around water.”

Mr Singh has gone on to become a qualified Unison Lake Safety Programme instructor and has helped train two Indian men for the New Zealand Police recruitment swimming test. He is currently training for a December race against his manager, mentor, and former competitive swimmer, Noel Gulliver.

The race involves swimming four lengths of the centre’s outdoor pool - 50m butterfly, 50m backstroke, 50m breaststroke and 50m freestyle. While he was pipped at the post in their first race in the indoor pool – in 25m freestyle and 25m butterfly – he is confident he will come up trumps the second time around.

“I’ll get him. He’s lazy these days and doesn’t swim,” he teased.

For more information on Rotorua Aquatic Centre’s Learn to Swim programmes go to www.rdc-aquatic.co.nz.

ENDS

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