7/09/2025

ON SUNDAY September 7, 2025 VI theSunday Special

It’s never too late to learn the skill that saves lives

For coach Amaruddin, swimming is a gift you give yourself – no matter your age, background or ability

F OR many Malaysians, the idea of learning to swim comes with baggage. Childhood fears, cultural barriers or the simple excuse of “no time” often stand in the way. But if you ask Amaruddin Oth man, the founder of Try Swim Global, the real question isn’t whether you can learn WR VZLP ,W¶V ZKHWKHU \RX FDQ D̆ RUG QRW WR “Swimming isn’t just a hobby or sport,” Amaruddin said. “It’s a life skill. One that saves lives and then changes them.” As someone who has coached everyone from toddlers to a 75-year-old, Amaruddin has made it his life’s mission to spread swimming literacy across the country. +LV FRPSDQ\ 7U\ 6ZLP *OREDO R̆ HUV accessible, structured swimming lessons for all ages and abilities. With drowning ranked among the top causes of accidental deaths in Malaysia, his work has never been more urgent. A coach with a mission Amaruddin’s passion for swimming began early, but it wasn’t always a smooth jour ney. He remembers being a nervous child in the pool, clinging to the sides, unsure if KH ZRXOG HYHU ¿QG KLV UK\WKP LQ WKH ZDWHU “I wasn’t one of those kids who just GRYH LQ DQG VZDP OLNH D ¿VK ´ KH DGPLWWHG with a laugh. “I had to work at it.” That struggle gave him empathy for beginners. After years of training, earning certifications and eventually coaching BY ASHRAF WAHAB

others, he realised that swimming wasn’t simply about strokes or speed, it was about FRQ¿GHQFH VDIHW\ DQG LQGHSHQGHQFH “ (YHU\ WLPH , VHH D VWXGHQW ¿QDOO\ ÀRDW RQ WKHLU RZQ RU WDNH WKHLU ¿UVW IHZ VWURNHV without fear, it reminds me why I do this,” he said. Why every Malaysian should learn to swim It’s easy to think of swimming as a rec reational pastime. But consider this: Malaysia is surrounded by water, with IUHTXHQW PRQVRRQ ÀRRGV DQG D FXOWXUH that embraces beaches, pools and wa terfalls. Despite this, many Malaysians, especially in rural areas, still don’t know how to swim. A study by Universiti Malaya found swimming literacy levels to be alarmingly low. The Fire and Rescue Department reports between 400 and 600 drownings annually, with spikes during the school holidays. “Too many people underestimate water,” Amaruddin warned. “If we treated swimming like reading or writing, as a non-negotiable skill, we’d save so many lives.” He’s not exaggerating. One of the most devastating examples was the drowning of six students during a school trip in Kuala Lipis. This tragedy highlighted the dire need for structured water safety education. “Incidents like that are heartbreaking and they are preventable,” he added.

Swimming is about trust. Trust in the coach, trust in yourself and trust in the water.”

Amaruddin