There’s not much not to love about the public swimming pools in Lismore – the Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre (GSAC), in particular, is a great community asset as it allows people to swim in winter. It would appear that they are great places to learn to swim as well.
Both facilities were recognised last Friday at the Swim Australia and Australian Swimming Coaches & Teachers Association Awards where Lismore City Council and its staff picked up two prestigious awards.
The Council’s swim school at the Lismore Memorial Baths and the Goonellabah Sports & Aquatic Centre were named the Best Small Swim School in Australia for marketing and promotion, which includes use of social media, bus signage, water safety week, grandparents’ week and swimming clinics.
The award is designed to highlight the importance that Swim Australia places on the swim safety message, and acknowledges the outstanding work being done around water safety.
Trish Bailey was also awarded Teacher of the Year for Learners with a Disability. Trish has worked at GSAC for eight years and has taught many children with additional needs, building a great relationship with the student and their families, while achieving amazing results with the children.
Lismore City Council’s Manager, Major Recreation & Cultural Facilities, Tony Duffy congratulated the winners. ’I would like to congratulate and thank our swim school team and Trish.
‘We have some great facilities in Lismore, and what these awards show is that we also have some wonderful and dedicated staff who work in those facilities.
‘We all know that drownings are tragic events for the families affected, but also for the whole community. That is why teaching members of our community how to swim and feel confident in water is crucially important’.
greatly missing my morning swim at GSAC!!