A sport for everybody

26 November 2020
Written by: Swimming Victoria

As part of Swimming Victoria’s commitment to make swimming a sport for all, Swimming Victoria (SV) has enlisted the assistance of experts and passionate individuals across sport and industry, to design and develop its Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

The plan hopes to address barriers to all parts of the Victorian population to access swimming and our sport. The plan will also look at ways to further engage our current membership and strengthen our swimming community, particularly our youth- acknowledging that 55.3% of our members are under the age of 25. It will also look into gender diversity knowing that it should and need to be a priority into the future for our sport that anyone can enjoy, train and compete in swimming wherever an individual sits on the gender spectrum.

The Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee (DIAC) is a first of its kind for swimming and will be chaired by SV Director and Paralympic Gold Medallist, Matthew Haanappel OAM. Haanappel said, “The DIAC is an exciting step towards achieving full equality and equity to all participants of our sport”.

Experienced public service diversity, inclusion practitioner Roman Ruzbacky will be joined by Megan Stevens (Disability Sport and Recreation Victoria), Luke Isaacs (Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions), Corinne Caramia (Western Melbourne Propulsion), Jeremy Tidy (2008 Paralympian), Kodie Webb (Glamourhead Sharks – Masters Swimming Victoria), Leanne White (City of Ballarat) and Olivia Derndorfer (Camberwell Grammar Aquatic) on the DIAC.

Working groups will also be progressively formed across key focus areas aligned to SV’s strategic plan which look at all areas of our swimming community to enhance participation opportunities for all.

The committee is intended to ensure SV has the best possible action plan to guide decisions across the sport. “The DIAC addresses a need to overhaul our Diversity and Inclusion practices both within our competitions but also our corporate team”, Haanappel stated.

SV CEO, Jason Hellwig said “We’re very excited to bring the calibre of this group together, who have both a wealth of professional and lived experience to help us develop our action plan."

The committee has begun its work, with the working groups and swimming community consultation coming in 2021.  

Click here to view DIAC’s member profiles.

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