Zinkwazi Beach lifeguard gives back through free swim training for underprivileged kids
Janet Dlamini has trained many current KwaDukuza lifeguards and the group recently completed the Midmar Mile.
Zinkwazi Beach lifeguard Janet Dlamini is helping children in need find the same refuge in water that she enjoyed as a young girl.
Growing up in Shaka’s Head, she said life was difficult and the ocean became her safe place: “I was exposed to a lot of bad things, so I started going to the beach,” said Janet.
“I hung out with a group of boys, who pushed me to learn to swim.”
After leaving school, Janet (43) became a KwaDukuza lifeguard and has served at local beaches for the past 23 years.
About 10 years ago, she decided to give back to the next generation and started offering free swimming and lifesaving training to underprivileged children in the Zinkwazi lagoon. Every Saturday and Sunday from 9am until midday, the children take to the water for training, followed by an hour or two of theory and water-safety lessons. Many of her past students have gone on to become lifeguards.
A qualified instructor, Janet aims to become an examiner.
“My mission is to give back to the community. These kids love to swim, so I want them to do better in life and lifesaving is a good place to start.”
This year, Janet took her mentorship a step further, leading her swimmers to the Midmar Mile for the first time. Travelling to Howick for the iconic open-water race, the group included 13 lifeguards who swam in the Company Teams event on Saturday, and 17 who competed individually on Sunday.
The Zinkwazi Skiboat Club and the Zinkwazi Beach Residents and Ratepayers’ Association (ZBRRA) sponsored all entry fees and provided transport (Dolphin Coast Tourism Services) for both days. Remarkably, every swimmer – including Janet – was tackling the Midmar Mile for the very first time.
“It was impressive; it’s such an amazing feeling! I’m very proud of all my swimmers,” said Janet.
ZBRRA committee member Sue Bamber, who travelled to support the group, praised the dedication of the young athletes.
“It’s an incredible story,” she said.
“A lot of the children live up to an hour away, and they are walking for an hour each way to train on the weekend. Some swimmers only learned to swim two years ago – I’m so proud of Janet!”
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