Olympic swimming hero encourages everyone to dive in

A gold-medal winning Olympic hero from the 2021 Games is inspiring people of all ages and abilities to learn to swim.  Scottish swimmer Duncan Scott is supporting an initiative to help children and adults to become safe and confident swimmers as part of his role as Learn to Swim Ambassador.

Scott was the first UK athlete to win four medals at one Games - taking four silvers and a gold. He is now inspiring people through Learn to Swim – a partnership between  Scottish Swimming  and  Scottish Water, which has already seen more than 100,000 young people take up regular swimming lessons since it launched four years ago.  September is Learn to Swim Month in Scotland and will focus on encouraging older children to return to lessons, as well as appealing for adults to seek out lessons and inspiring more people to become swimming teachers.

Duncan has been an ambassador for Learn to Swim for four years and alongside Paralympic medallist and fellow swim-ambassador Toni Shaw, has played a vital role in inspiring and motivating the next generation of swimmers.

He said, “I hope everyone gets behind Learn to Swim Month. I know people that, because of Covid, haven’t been able to get in a pool for a very long time, so this might encourage them to take their kids at a weekend. Learning to swim is a life skill and it’s so important for everyone to learn how to be safe and confident in the water.

"I’ve always enjoyed swimming and while not everyone will have ambitions to be an Olympic athlete, it’s an essential skill to have and fun to learn too.”

Scottish Swimming chief Euan Lowe said, “Now that pools are opening up again, we want to see lessons full once more, with kids excited to be back in the water. We are particularly keen to get older children to return to the pool to finish training that would have been halted or affected during lockdown. And we have always ensured that disability is no barrier, so no child should ever miss out.  

“Learn to Swim month is the biggest drive we’ve had to focus on all that’s good about swimming. Core skills such as floating, treading water and sculling could even save your life.”

Brian Lironi from Scottish Water, said, “Scotland is known for its coasts, waterways, lochs and reservoirs and being able to enjoy these places safely and with confidence is at the heart of the programme.  There should be no barriers to any child learning to swim so we’re delighted to have a month dedicated to the initiative.

“Beyond the safety benefits of learning to swim, it’s also a great way to show how water is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, from keeping hydrated with the clear, fresh drinking water at your taps, to taking the plunge in your local pool as the ideal form of exercise.”

A Learn to Swim digital toolkit has been sent to all providers and a series of promotional videos are being created by Scottish Swimming to help encourage more children into the programme. Scottish Swimming Learn to Swim programme providers are also recruiting swimming teachers and can offer training opportunities.

Duncan Scott was a double-relay Silver medalist at the 2016 Rio Olympics, but he first entered the record books in Tokyo 2021, alongside Tom Dean, as they became the first British pair to win Gold and Silver in the same swimming event since 1908.  His Silver in that 200m freestyle was quickly followed by Gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay. He made it three medals with Silver in the 200m individual medley before winning his record-breaking fourth, a Silver, in the 4x100m medley relay.