Sue's Presentations

BUSY MONTH FOR SUE PRYOR

May was a busy month for Sue Pryor.  Presentations on her swimming methods were given in both Vietnam and Queensland.

The Vietnam Conference was in Danang, at the World Conference on Drowning Prevention.  This conference highlighted the drowning problems in all the Asian countries especially Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam where very few people can swim.  In Vietnam, 14 children under 5 years of age drown DAILY and this is similar in the other countries.

Many research papers were presented, especially one by University NSW on Rip Currents – their recognition and strategies if caught in a rip.  We saw the conditions in which these children live (and drown) and what is being done to teach them to swim.
There were 3 main ways –

  1. in portable pools set up in some schools (and even in the street)
  2. in Bangladesh in rivers with bamboo poles lashed together in the river to delineate ‘their pool’
  3. in Thailand in a 50m pool with at least 75 people in at once, shoulder to shoulder along the length of the pool and floating (1 teacher in charge).

Sue’s presentation was well accepted and earned her an Honorary Doctorate at an Australian University for her techniques.

It was also well received at the annual ASCTA (Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association) in Queensland where a well known Swim School approached Sue and said it was brilliant and that they need to do more safer swimming activities.

Sue in Vietnam