COMMUNITY
Taking the plunge to succeed Shaunak Naik was terrified to be near the edge of a swimming pool when he was in Year 1. After years of hard work Shaunak can now enjoy being in the water, just like his class mates. RGS Year 6 student Shaunak Naik still shakes his head remembering how terrified he was when he started swimming at school. “I was Indian and I’d never seen a swimming pool back in India. I didn’t do swimming lessons when I was younger,’’ said Shaunak. “In Year 1 PE swimming lessons I would sit on the edge of the pool, terrified and half crying.” Fast forward to the 2021 Primary School Swimming Carnival and Shaunak successfully completed his 50m freestyle event. “I was feeling pretty nervous before my race but that was just amazing. I don’t know how I swam the whole 50m,’’ Shaunak said. Shaunak started growing in confidence with his swimming in Year 4 after he joined the School’s stroke development after-school lessons in the RGS Pool. “For anyone who is in the same position as me, face your fears
and take advice from your teacher,’’ said Shaunak, who after a quick chat could not wait to jump in the pool for a social endof-year swim with his classmates. RGS Primary PE teacher Mrs Amy Macnaughtan has watched Shaunak’s swimming journey progress over the years. “Shaunak was terrified of the water. He couldn’t even enter the water for his first swimming lessons, his fear of the water was debilitating,’’ Mrs Macnaughtan said. By the end of Year 1, Shaunak made it into the water and started to streamline his body with oneon-one support and by the end of Year 2 he could submerge his face in the water and kick, still with one-on-one assistance. Mrs Macnaughtan said by the end of Year 3 Shaunak’s confidence in the water had improved, kicking with a board across the pool.
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“Our RGS lower primary swimming programme finishes in Year 3 and from Year 4 our swimming programme is run with one PE teacher on the pool deck,’’ Mrs Macnaughtan said. Children still requiring swimming assistance can attend the stroke development programme, which Shaunak participated in over the past three years further developing his swimming.
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“Watching them swim 50m freestyle after struggling with their swimming confidence and ability is inspiring,’’ Mrs Macnaughtan said. “This year Shaunak was able to complete the 50m freestyle without any assistance. This was an amazing accomplishment and makes every teacher who has assisted him over the years with his swimming extremely proud. Well done Shaunak!”
