It's a crisis that 9 million British adults can't swim, but that can change
Being in the water has always been part of my life, from the time my parents first put my siblings and me into swim school at less than three months old, all the way through to setting up my swim school today as I train to compete in my third Olympics in 2028.
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However, I was shocked to learn that 9 million British adults don’t know how to swim, as I believe this is such a vital life skill for all of us.
Swimming is more than just a sport. While many enrol their kids in sports such as football, rugby, athletics or tennis, learning how to swim is more than a physical skill or activity – it can save your life.
Despite being a part of the national curriculum in the UK, new research from easyJet holidays revealed that one in five British adults weren’t offered swimming lessons at school themselves - and worryingly this skills gap could widen even further in the future, with 14 per cent of parents saying they’re yet to enrol their children in swimming lessons.
There are many reasons why adults today may not yet have learnt to swim, though lack of access to public pools and swimming programmes is a key contributor. More than 100 publicly-accessible pools have closed over the last 20 years, with the average pool now being 4.3 miles from Brits’ homes. There’s also a stigma that some adults may feel about not being able to swim, so they may feel too embarrassed to now learn, which definitely needs to change, as it’s never too late to learn a new skill, especially one that could save your life or someone else’s life.
Swimming and access to swimming lessons are a real passion for me and a topic that I’ve spoken about in Parliament before, too. That’s why I’m supporting the new Swim School initiative from easyJet holidays, which is offering free swimming lessons to 1,000 British adults ahead of this year’s summer holidays. Ensuring more adults have access to swimming lessons will not only boost water confidence across the nation, but it will also allow more people to enjoy their summer holidays safely.
For those who are looking to learn to swim, it’s important to know your limits, whether that’s staying in the shallow end or practicing ‘float to survive’ skills, always look for and adhere to safety signs and check for free swim aids like floats, as well as buddying up in the water where possible.
For more information about easyJet holidays, Swim School, and to apply for free swimming lessons, visit https://www.easyjet.com/en/holidays/swim-school.
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Tom Dean is a British professional swimmer and won 200m freestyle gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He also won 4x200m relay freestyle gold at the same games and defended that title in Paris 2024. In addition, he is a multi-world and European medalist.
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