Adopt A Swimmer

In 2011, Louise Auersberg founded Adopt a Swimmer, a non-profit organisation in Plettenberg Bay, as a way to help children at risk and facing economic disadvantages. Louise's own struggles dealing with a learning disability and facing many obstacles inspired her to use water as a conduit for healing.

Being able to swim saves lives, prevents accidents, and gives joy. Swimming together creates healthy, active communities that love each other, the water and nature.

Every Adopt a Swimmer (AAS) program aims to teach swimming lessons and water safety to 36 children at risk and 14 shark spotters in our local community. It takes between 12 to 18 months for children to learn these life skills.

The program launched in 2011 with two children. By 2012, Louise was helping 30 children find their confidence. The character-building and life skills baked into the AAS philosophy can quickly be seen through the way young swimmers start working harder, improving in their schoolwork, and setting goals.

All participating children learn freestyle stroke, survival sculling, retrieving objects in 1.8m of water, how to safely enter and exit a pool, lagoon and sea, and floating and swimming in deep water.

Throughout the program, swimming lessons are accompanied with other life skills including visits to the NSRI Station, sea trips with Ocean Safaris, snorkelling with The Black Mermaid Foundation, beach clean-ups with Cape Nature, and environmental education workshops with Shark Spotters.