"Lower Austrian Swimming Kids"

Safe swimming fun for local children

Swimming campaign for more safety: Landbauer and Toni Pfeffer with the "swimming kids" Lio, Filip and Jana(Bild: NLK Pfeiffer)

The wide province is focusing on a swimming offensive for the next generation: "NÖ Schwimm Kids" offers a free service that will be expanded even further this year.

The importance of teaching children to swim is illustrated every year by swimming accidents that end tragically. "Drowning is the second most common cause of death in children's accidents in Austria," explains Sports Minister Udo Landbauer. In order to counteract the constantly increasing number of non-swimmers, the swimming skills of young people have been sustainably promoted since last year. And it has been extremely successful: in the past few months, around 1000 children have already been able to gain their first experience in the water and improve their skills in a total of 135 free swimming courses.

The aim is to offer free swimming courses for greater safety in the water in as many regions as possible.

Sportlandesrat Udo Landbauer

Due to the great demand, the offer is now being further expanded. This year, 160 courses are planned for 1280 children. In addition to the 20 existing locations with 23 swimming pools, Amstetten, Böheimkirchen, Herzogenburg and Klosterneuburg will be added this year.

The "NÖ Schwimm Kids" program is aimed at all children between the ages of five and ten with no previous experience. The aim is for the children to be able to save themselves if they fall into the water.

Information and registration at schwimmkids.sportlandnoe.at