HISTORY
Swimming can be dated back to the Stone Age, but did not truly become an organised sport until
the early 19th century.
AN ANCIENT DISCIPLINE
Prehistoric man learnt to swim in order to cross rivers and lakes – we know this because cave
paintings from the Stone Age depicting swimmers have been found in Egypt. Swimming was also
referred to in Greek mythology.
DAWN OF A SPORT
Swimming was not widely practised until the early 19th century, when the National Swimming
Society of Great Britain began to hold competitions. Most early swimmers used the breaststroke,
or a form of it.
DISCOVERING THE CRAWL
Based on a stroke used by native South Americans, the first version of the crawl featured a
scissor kick. In the late 1880s, an Englishman named Frederick Cavill travelled to the South
Seas, where he saw the natives performing a crawl with a flutter kick. Cavill settled in Australia,
where he taught the stroke that was to become the famous Australian crawl.
OLYMPIC HISTORY
Swimming has featured on the programme of all editions of the Games since 1896. The very first
Olympic events were freestyle (crawl) or breaststroke. Backstroke was added in 1904.
In the 1940s, breaststrokers discovered that they could go faster by bringing both arms forward
over their heads. This practice was immediately forbidden in breaststroke, but gave birth to
butterfly, whose first official appearance was at the 1956 Games in Melbourne. This style is now
one of the four strokes used in competition.
Women’s swimming became Olympic in 1912 at the Stockholm Games. Since then, it has been
part of every edition of the Games. The men’s and women’s programmes are almost identical, as
they contain the same number of events, with only one difference: the freestyle distance is 800
metres for women and 1,500 metres for men.
Summary
As well as being fun, swimming is a great way to keep fit and well and
make friends.
Swimming is a healthy activity that you can continue for a lifetime.
Swimming is a low-impact activity that has many physical and mental
health benefits.
Make sure you know how to swim and do so in a safe environment.
Swimming is one of the most popular sports in Australia. Our nation
is surrounded by water and swimming is one of our great passions.
As well as being fun, swimming is a great way to keep fit, stay
healthy and make friends. Swimming is a healthy activity that you
can continue for a lifetime. It is a low-impact activity that has many
physical and mental health benefits.
Swimming for recreation
Swimming is a great recreational activity for people of all ages.
Recreational swimming can provide you with a low-impact workout and
it’s also a good way to relax and feel good. Common swimming styles in
recreational swimming are breaststroke, backstroke, side stroke and
freestyle.
Competitive swimming
Some people who enjoy swimming want to take it to a competitive level.
This can provide the health benefits of a vigorous workout as well as the
fun and thrill of competition. The main strokes used in competitive
swimming are breaststroke, freestyle, backstroke and butterfly. The
distances swum in competition swimming can vary from 50 metres in a
pool to much further distances in open water.
Health benefits of swimming
Swimming is a great workout because you need to move your whole body
against the resistance of the water.
Swimming is a good all-round activity because it:
keeps your heart rate up but takes some of the impact stress off
your body
builds endurance, muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness
helps maintain a healthy weight, healthy heart and lungs
tones muscles and builds strength
provides an all-over body workout, as nearly all of your muscles are
used during swimming.
Other benefits of swimming
Swimming has many other benefits including:
being a relaxing and peaceful form of exercise
alleviating stress
improving coordination, balance and posture
improving flexibility
providing good low-impact therapy for some injuries and conditions
providing a pleasant way to cool down on a hot day
being available in many places – you can swim in swimming pools,
beaches, lakes, dams and rivers. Make sure that the environment you
choose to swim in is safe.
Getting started with swimming
Getting started in swimming is easy. It is a sport for all age groups, skill
and fitness levels. Before you get started, you will need to purchase a pair
of swimmers and some goggles. Goggles can be purchased for around $15
and upwards.
There are public pools throughout Australia that are open to everyone.
Entry to public pools usually costs a few dollars and many aquatic centres
offer swimming lessons for people of all ages, as well as training and
exercise groups.
Some general tips for swimming
Before you dive in:
Make sure you know how to swim.
Choose a safe environment.
Warm up and stretch your muscles and joints before entering the
water.
Have plenty of fluids on hand and drink regularly.
Don’t overdo it if you’re just starting out.
See your doctor if you haven’t exercised for a long time.
Where to get help
Local leisure centres, public pools and swimming clubs
Swimming Australia Tel. (02) 6219 5600
Smartplay Tel. (03) 9674 8777
Things to remember
As well as being fun, swimming is a great way to keep fit and well
and make friends.
Swimming is a healthy activity that you can continue for a lifetime.
Swimming is a low-impact activity that has many physical and
mental health benefits.
Make sure you know how to swim and do so in a safe environment.
