Olympian calls for swimming lessons for every child

Tom Dean said his sport could "save lives"

Olympic gold medallist Tom Dean has called for more children to have access to swimming pools and lessons.

The swimmer, who lives in Bath, told the BBC: "You get taught when you're a child that crossing the road is really dangerous but equally being safe in the water is just as important."

According to Swim England, more than 14 million people, around one in three adults in England, cannot swim one length of a 25m pool.

Mr Dean said it was important for the issue to stay in the headlines amid news of leisure centre closures and squeezed school budgets across the country.

Mr Dean, a triple Olympic gold medallist, said that the children of non-swimmers were unlikely to learn to swim, which would pose a danger during the summer holidays.

"I'm a big advocate for every child being able to leave school being able to swim the national standard of 25 metres.

"Exam grades are a really important part of their development but you want to develop completely rounded children who will grow up to be good swimmers," he added.

The Department for Education (DfE) works with a range of organisations to improve swimming and water safety skills as part of the primary school curriculum.

Its stated aim is to enable children to swim at least 25 metres unaided.

The DfE has also said that schools could support understanding with further education on the risks around water in PSHE lessons.

The government recently announced £320m of funding for primary schools to invest in PE improvements, which can include swimming programmes.

Tom (R) won gold in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay at the 2024 Olympics in Paris

Mr Dean is now busy training for the Commonwealth Games and is aiming to compete at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

He nevertheless finds time to advocate for swimming lessons, which he said had become a real "passion project".

"I've slowly started realising that it has been a massively important topic to discuss in this country," he said.

The Olympian, who won gold in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay in Paris in 2024, added: "I do a sport where it isn't even a sport, it's a life skill, and swimming can actually save your life."