LITTLE MERMAID LENDS A FIN TO SYNCHRONISED SWIMMING
The Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) has teamed with Disney
to launch a nationwide campaign to get Britain's youngsters
into their local pools and learning the skills of synchronised
swimming.
Launched in London yesterday, Ariel's AquaFun provides young
children with an introduction to synchronised swimming and
teaches them basic moves accompanied by music from Disney's
The Little Mermaid.
Developed by the ASA, AquaFun sessions can be enjoyed by
children as young as five and are a fun way for youngsters
to get active and gain water confidence. Led by qualified
coaches, each session includes demonstrations from experienced
synchronised swimmers and all children involved go home with
a goody bag to remind them of their day.
A series of Ariel's AquaFun events are taking place across
the country from next month with sessions already planned
in Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and Newcastle. The programme
will then be rolled out in pools across Britain where hundreds
of children will get the chance to try out the special Ariel
routines.
With interest in synchronised swimming on the increase, Ariel
AquaFun aims to give the sport a major boost and help raise
awareness in the run-up to the London Olympics where Britain
will be entering a Synchro team for the first time in the
country's history.
Disney's Kirstin De Groot commented:
"Not only is Ariel one of our best known princesses
but as a mermaid she's probably the greatest synchronized
swimmer in movie history. Who better to encourage children
to give it a go?
"We hope that by adding a bit of Disney magic to the
sport we can attract more young people and hopefully uncover
Britain's first ever Olympic gold medallist synchronized swimmer."
ASA National Development Officer for Synchronised Swimming
Karen Thorpe explained:
"These events are about young children having fun and
learning new skills in the water, but they also give us the
opportunity to raise the profile of synchronised swimming
and hopefully get more people involved in the sport.
"As we develop a team to compete at the 2012 Olympics,
we are looking to add to the pool of talent in order to provide
a legacy from the Games and be able to challenge on the international
stage for years to come.
"When Disney approached us, we immediately saw the potential
for a synchronised swimming event featuring The Little Mermaid
and we are really looking forward to travelling the country
and meeting all the people taking part.
"With one in five children unable to swim the required
25m at Key Stage Two, we hope these events may also introduce
young people and their families to the benefits of swimming.
As well as being a great activity for all the family, swimming
is a gateway to a whole host of water activities and is a
great way of building stamina, increasing flexibility and
generally keeping fit and healthy."
England's Commonwealth silver medallist Jenna Randall was
part of the team that launched the event in London.
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