New swim school owner in O’Connor wanting to make a difference and contribute to the local community
After spending the majority of her life in Fremantle and Melville, JUMP! Swim Schools O’Connor owner Claire Minchin saw the need for a swim school that offered a more structured swim program for infants.
The mother of two witnessed first-hand the struggles her children and other parents faced in Perth’s busy metro swimming facilities, particularly after working in the aquatic industry for 20 years.
She said,
“I struggled to find a swim school in the area with good customer service. Nobody had time to talk about their programs and they all had long waiting lists.”
Suffering from asthma as a child, Claire was encouraged to take up swimming lessons as a way to strengthen her lungs. From this moment onwards, Claire has swum competitively, taught and coached swimming, and has done club and swim centre development management.
“As a teacher I have seen children and adults who lack basic swimming skills and confidence in the water. This really brings home to me the important role we provide within our community to help.”
Through the programs run at JUMP! Swim Schools, Claire hopes to prepare children and educate parents about water safety.
“We want to make a difference and contribute to our local community. In addition to providing modern, clean facilities and high quality swimming lessons – long term we want to provide CPR courses for our parents and run water safety sessions at our local schools and childcare centres.
“Swimming was a great way for me to get out, be active and bond with my new baby. I met other mums and babies and learnt about and encouraged my child’s development. I really looked forward to our class each week. As a teacher it is now a privilege assist parents on their swimming journeys.”
The JUMP! Swim Schools O’Connor open day will run from 10am to 1pm on Saturday, September 9, and will include free face painting, a special mermaid appearance, goodie bags, and tours of the facility.
JUMP! O’Connor is located on 307 Stock Rd.