General News
20 September, 2024
Wimmera swimming school recognised nationally as an industry leader
Horsham's Prouse Swim School awarded national swim school accolade.
The Wimmera's Prouse Swim School received national recognition recently at the Australian Swim Schools Association national conference and is due to receive more at the upcoming SwimCon24.
Staff member Nikiesha Pilgrim, who was awarded Victoria's state swim teacher of the year at the ASSA national conference said the recognition is "a very big deal".
"Prouse Swim School has put Horsham on the map with leaders in aquatics," Ms Pilgrim said.
Owner of Prouse Swim School, which has facilities in both Horsham and Nhill, Kerryn Prouse said it was 'very exciting' to be recognised nationally.
At the ASSA national conference, which ran on the Gold Coast from August 19-22, Prouse Swim School was awarded both state and national swim school of the year for a school of its size, and was highly commended for its marketing and communications.
Prouse Swim School's Nikiesha Pilgrim was also awarded Victoria's swim teacher of the year.
"It was pretty exciting to win the national award for swim schools under 1000 lessons [per week]," Ms Prouse said.
"It was very exciting that Nikiesha won swim teacher of the year for Victoria, we have an awesome amount of staff that work for us, and everyone is really deserving of a nomination."
Ms Prouse, who took over the swim school originally started by her children while they were on a gap year, said every child deserves to learn to swim.
"It's not only a life saving skill, it creates awesome family holidays," she said.
"We have lots of families that go away on holidays and when they come back they say it was awesome because their child was able to comfortably swim.
"Parents have told us excitedly about their children swimming in waterfalls in the Northern Territory, or swimming in the pool or at the beach in Bali, or even swimming off the back of a yacht in Croatia.
"It's definitely a life saving skill, but it also changes the way families can enjoy time together."
Prouse Swim School is nominated for further recognition at the SwimCon convention on the Sunshine Coast from September 20-22.
The organisation is nominated in the customer service and team innovation categories, while Ms Pilgrim is a finalist for the infant and toddler teach of the year award and Nhill teacher Emily Donnell is a finalist for teacher of the year.