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July 15, 2022
Organisers of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games have partnered with the National Sports Agency, the French Swimming Federation and the Parisian area cities of Clichy Sous-Bois, Villetaneuse, Sevran and Bagnolet to launch the second year of the ‘Savoir Nager en Seine-Saint-Denis‘ program. French for “learn to swim”, the program offers free lessons to children via mobile pools in deprived areas, or in pools usually closed or only open for bathing.
Recognising that swimming is not just to keep active or for leisure, but also a matter of public safety, the initiative follows the mission of FINA’s – the international federation of swimming – Swim for All, Swim for Life, Swim for Health program. In Seine-Saint-Denis – the host territory of the Paris 2024 Games – there are only 38 pools for a population of 1.6 million. On average, 48% don’t know how to swim by the time they start secondary school and, in this territory, 6 out of 10 teenagers still cannot swim.
The Paris 2024 Olympics committee wants to leverage the Games to promote the lifesaving skill. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 235,000 people drown worldwide each year, representing the third leading cause of unintentional injury death globally. With children from deprived backgrounds rarely receiving swimming lessons, Savoir nager’s main objective is to offer lessons to individuals of all ages, backgrounds and capacities. Last year, 1,800 children took part.
“The ‘Savoir Nager’ program is a tangible testament to our ambition to leave a positive legacy after the Games: a material legacy in the form of newly-built pools in the areas where they are most needed, but also a human and social one, supporting young people to get active and gain confidence in the water,” said Tony Estanguet, the Paris 2024 organising committee president. “These are things which are crucial to know, the basic skills which must be instilled from a very, very young age.
The second edition will expand into 29 communes across France with a goal of reaching 5,000 children. As part of the project, the French Swimming Federation will install seven mobile pools in areas that lack equipment. In Seine-Saint-Denis, more than 20 pools will be built for the Games along with the Aquatics Centre for the competition.
Through its program, FINA is committed to improving the alarming statistics on drowning in close cooperation with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), United Nations agencies, governments, non-governmental organizations and FINA members. Additionally, it is intended to be implemented in continents that need it the most around the world.
“FINA is determined to continue promoting swimming as a sport and an essential life skill around the world. This kind of promotion of swimming has also become a key legacy contribution to the success of the Olympic Games,” said FINA President Al-Musallam. “By providing greater access to swimming pools in Seine-Saint-Denis and in cities across France, I have no doubt that this program will transform the lives of many young swimmers to come and will contribute to positive cultural change around swimming.”
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