Splish splash for a worthy cause
With the hope of sparing others the grief and sorrow he and his family had to endure, Shane took it upon himself to host free swimming classes to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Sometimes community growth stems from a place of loss and despair. After losing his nephew due to a drowning incident, Shane Maitland vowed to create a space where youngsters are taught about water safety and how to swim properly.
“My nephew nearly fatally drowned in 2013 when he was only three years old. It took 45 minutes to revive him. But he very sadly left us in Junie 2015. He inspired me to open my own swimming school, which eventually materialised in March 2018,” the qualified lifeguard said.
According to Shane he has always had a love for swimming, scuba diving and other water sports. With the hope of sparing others the grief and sorrow he and his family have to endure, Shane took it upon himself to host free swimming classes to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
With the help of Florida Lake Canoe Club and Make Florida Great Again (MFGA), Shane and his team of dedicated instructors have been teaching approximately 30 children how to swim properly at the Little Munkis Children Swimming School since the beginning of September.
“I wanted to give back to the community, and this is the best way I knew how. Thanks to the canoe club helping out with transport, we’ve been able to host workshops for the children once a week on a Saturday,” Shane said.
He went on to say that he, together with the canoe club and MFGA as well as swimming instructors Ricardo Kleinhans, Anita Rotteglia, and Tawqeer Ariefdien hope to continue empowering the youth by hosting more workshops.
If you would like to know more or if you want to get involved, the swimming school can be contacted on 084 519 4969.
