He has shared the stage with the likes of Sir Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama & his online videos have been viewed by more than 150 million people.
Watch: How to Fight Through the Worst of Times | Michael Crossland
Ash is no stranger to the early morning alarms after being a swimmer for 15 years. This is where her love for sport stems from. Taking her knowledge of swimming and using that on the microphone as a host and through commentating. Ash made a few World Cups, competed in multiple Australian titles and international events. As a mad sports fan and host, her involvement has grown with these sporting organisations:
• 2018 Commonwealth Games – Swimming Host
• Swimming Australia- Host & Commentator- Pool & Open Water
• NRL Grand Final
• NRL State of Origin
• Australian Socceroos – Brisbane
• Australian Matildas – Brisbane
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She is the recipient of prestigious awards, including Deloitte’s Best Company to Work in South Africa and the Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network’s Outstanding Business Woman of the Year, Elaine is renowned for her exceptional leadership and passion for building thriving cultures.
As the Fit Summit Executive of the Year in 2023, Elaine’s unwavering commitment to having happy people achieve exceptional results drove Jetts to top the list of Australia’s best workplaces. Her recent management buyout of Jetts Australia showcases her relentless drive for global expansion.
Elaine inspires excellence and empowers leaders to achieve exceptional corporate cultures worldwide.
“Pressure: Lessons From The Deep”, is an interactive, thought provoking, and inspirational journey that will challenge attendees to live a life by design. A life where they can control their thoughts, their emotions, and reactions to events around them. Attendees will learn to become fully productive and to create an environment that is at peace – regardless of the pressures surrounding them. Adam takes a science-based approach with a sporting flavor and draws on the solid teachings of Meditation to produce powerful business approaches and positive sporting attitudes in athletes.
Adam is a 2-time Australian Freediving representative and qualified Teacher of Mindfulness Meditation and Advanced Visualization and teaches these skills in competition and business. In a safe and controlled environment, Adam shares the skills and techniques used by freedivers to control the powerful messages sent from the brain that can often immobilize us.
Adam is also a PADI Worldwide Ambassadiver and PADI Freediving Instructor Trainer (Highest PADI Freediver level).
Freediving takes place in an environment that is still uniquely wild and that places a great Physical Pressure on the human body. When you lose the ability to breathe but have learned how to control your responses it gives great insight into what we, as Humans, are capable of achieving and reveals strategies of how we can survive the daily mental pressures of life which prevent us from achieving our best.
As a professional lifeguard who has worked for over 30 years and the most resuscitations to any other lifeguard.
As Bondi’s Head Lifeguard, Hopkins has appeared in seventeen seasons of the hit television show, Bondi Rescue. The Ten Network show is based around the Lifeguard Service at Bondi Beach following the numerous rescues and day-to-day activities. The hugely successful show now airs in over 130 countries worldwide and has won six Logie Awards to date and was nominated in 2022 for ‘Most Popular Lifestyle Television Show’.
Hoppo is also the President of Surf Education International (SEI) and Ambassador for the water safety education program ‘Float to Survive’
From 1971 to 1973 she broke 11 world records in 6 different events. In 1972 she held all Freestyle World Records from 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m and 200m IM which to date, is unmatched. She was an extremely versatile swimmer by also holding Commonwealth Records for 100m Butterfly and 400m IM.
Shane’s philanthropic works include charities that act toward improving physical health and family relationships through activity in and out of the water. Together with her husband Milt Nelms, the Shane Gould Swimming Project Inc provides swimming and water safety programs in places such as Fiji and Australia, designed to build community capacities and improve individuals health.
Coaching strategies for Age Group Swimmers. Weekly program I followed, different ideas I used to allow young athletes to learn through structured play, enjoyment, movement on land and teaching the stages as Bill Sweetenham says Learn to Train, Train to Train, Train to Win. Development of not only Pool Swimmers, Able Body and Multi Class Athletes but also Surf Lifesaving Athletes.
With a break from the industry of 15 years while she was a Flight Attendant, Janelle started teaching learn to swim 18 years ago at her children’s swim school, and eventually found her passion in coaching. As a coach Janelle has been a Qld Teams Coach, and coached on four Junior Australian Teams, as well as being a mentor Coach, and Head Coach. Other career success includes: coaching a Triple Junior World Champion with three Championship Records and Female Swimmer of the Meet. She is currently Co-Coach of the Gold Coast High Performance Hub alongside Michael Bohl.
Toby is a movement Specialist and Performance Consultant and Educator With a Bachelor of Science in Sport Coaching from University of Bath, dedicating his career in educating athletes and coaches with knowledge and skills to excel in their respected fields.
Edana is a Movement Specialist, Sports Performance Coach, and Educator with a diverse background and extensive expertise.
Toby is a movement Specialist and Performance Consultant and Educator With a Bachelor of Science in Sport Coaching from University of Bath, dedicating his career in educating athletes and coaches with knowledge and skills to excel in their respected fields.
Edana is a Movement Specialist, Sports Performance Coach, and Educator with a diverse background and extensive expertise.
Anu enjoys helping other businesses become successful through CSmart Consulting having worked in spaces such as hospitality, education, fitness & swimming, beauty, supply chain management, education (early childhood & vocational education), immigration, creative arts and construction.
In this engaging and insightful talk, you’ll discover how to unlock the full potential of Gen Z swimming teachers through real-life bets practice examples, survey data, and research. From understanding their unique needs around flexibility, career progression, and digital engagement to gamifying tasks and fostering a social environment, this session provides actionable strategies for owners and managers in swimming schools. Explore how to adapt your approach to engage and retain young, transient workers in a labour-short market. Whether you’re a swim school owner, manager, or industry leader, this talk will transform your talent management approach and inspire your team.
Her career highlights include managing comprehensive back payment projects, restructuring business arms, and implementing high-volume recruitment programs. Bridie holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Psychophysiology from Swinburne University and a Diploma of Business (Human Resources) from Holmesglen.
Previous to this Brant was the head coach of the NSWIS High performance Centre at SOPAC from 2010 – 2016 after working for the Qld Academy of Sport from 2007-2009.
Coaching Highlights include
• Coach of James Magnussen – the fastest 100m swimmer in the world for four continuous years from 2011 to 2014 this included three World Championship Gold Medals and Olympic silver Medal and Multiple Commonwealth Games Gold medals.
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Avoiding The Pitfalls of Unfair Dismissal and General Protections Applications
This presentation is mainly directed at employers but any employees in the audience will also gain knowledge about the expectations of the Fair Work Commission and the Fair Work Act for employers and employees in bringing an employment relationship to an end.
While Chris practises in all facets of Employment and Industrial Relations law, including termination of employment, unfair dismissals, breach of contract and more, he specialises in a number of key fields including industrial disputes and negotiating with unions, enterprise agreements and workers’ compensation. This combined with his extensive experience in dealing with poor performance, misconduct, discrimination, harassment and workplace bullying issues among others, means Chris is ideally placed to offer the best advice across all Employment Law issues.
Join Jade at the Caloundra Aquatic Centre, where she will be showing how you to effectively use the ONCORE system in a LTS environment with a live demonstration, where you will be able to see the system in use. You will also have the opportunity to connect with Jade during the conference at her exhibition stand during SWIMCON24.
The ONCORE Academy is committed to providing education through collaboration in order to enhance performance which is achieved through improving in the water as well as self-development on land.
Its mission…To build individuals that are not only stronger, more efficient, and faster, but are CONNECTED with the water and with themselves.
He is the head coach for both Golf Queensland and the Queensland Academy of Sport.
Topics include:
• Class management
• Teacher qualifications
• State vs Private
• Who comes to the lessons (behavioural, disabilities)
• Inclusion within the School Swimming System
• Primary into secondary
Amy is currently the Swimming Queensland Training Coordinator runs SWIM Courses throughout Queensland.
Amy travelled to Beijing in November 2023 with the SWIM team as a presenter for SWIMCON Beijing.
He has worked with many elite level and professional athletes, coaches and teams across a variety of sports, including swimming, rugby, rugby league, AFL, water polo and triathlon.
He has authored several books and written over 500 articles on swimming, coaching, leadership, athlete development, team building and sports performance.
Goldsmith is regarded as one of the industry’s leading experts in the field of sports coaching and performance and was recognised for his contribution to the sport of swimming by the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2022.
He is currently the Group Aquatics Manager for Belgravia Leisure.
Rhiannon’s commitment and expertise have earned her the distinguished status of a SWIM Australia Diamond level teacher, a recognition that speaks volumes about her dedication to the craft. Her influence extends beyond her homeland; she was a featured guest speaker at the international Swim Schools Spectacular in Singapore in 2020, and she graced the SWIM Teachers and Coaches Australia conferences in both 2018 and 2022 & 2023 with her invaluable insights and has recently shared her knowledge and delivered PD and courses in Bangkok and Singapore.
As a swim school leader, it’s essential to not only know your program but to truly understand it. Success lies in the ability to make insightful adjustments that enhance future operations. This involves recognizing how small details, such as enrolment numbers, efficiency, lane space, and assessment orders, can impact the overall flow of your systems. By understanding these nuances, you can better navigate challenges and drive continuous improvement. This presentation explores the difference between knowledge and deep understanding, emphasizing the importance of mastering these elements to optimize your swim school’s performance.
His journey in aquatic education began in 2004 as a Swim Teacher. Over the years, he has worked tirelessly to develop innovative programs and techniques to teach swimming to students of all ages and abilities.
Kim has development a comprehensive swim school benchmarking document, open to all swim schools in Perth with most of the large swim schools participating. This initiative aims to change attitudes among Perth-based swim school coordinators, encouraging a culture of openness and willingness to share insights for the betterment of the entire industry in Western Australia. to empower individuals of all backgrounds to enjoy the benefits of swimming in a safe and inclusive environment.
He is now General Manager for GOswim, which was established by Swimming Australia to provide learners with an activity-based educational swimming and water safety program, a role which gives him an opportunity to continue to pursue his passion to provide world leading swimming programs today.
I have been so fortunate to have experienced the full lifecycle within swimming – a learner, a swimmer, teacher, coach and educator. I have explored all roles in the aquatic environment to find my personal niche in the swimming world. All I know is I am forever learning and the biggest challenge is deciding what I love best as I love anything swimming. My current role provides an opportunity to make a positive impact on swimming and water safety education throughout the state in WA. I want to make a difference. My passion to allow everyone and anyone the opportunity to enjoy a safe aquatic experience whether it be play, leisure, competition or education.
The JWSS is a privately owned swim school and has a community of over 1000 local families that provide free baby lessons from 8 weeks of age to 6 months, a technically focused learn to swim program for all ages and Squad Development programs.
Kerryn Prouse, Owner of Prouse Swim School in Horsham, Victoria, has run her successful swim school from a pool in her backyard for the past ten years. With a decade in the aquatic industry, Kerryn has cultivated a reputation for excellence in customer service and learn to swim.
Kerryn will share her insights on educating parents and delivering exceptional customer service from the water and her strategies for empowering staff to become ambassadors of the swim school. Her session promises to provide valuable takeaways for anyone looking to enhance their customer relations and foster a strong, positive team culture.
Almost 10 years later the swim school has grown to teach 900 children a week across two locations, Horsham and Nhill, employs 26 staff and is growing every day.
Kerryn has a passion to give every child the opportunity to learn the valuable lifesaving skill of learning to swim, particularly in communities where swimming lessons all year round are not always an option.
Omnichannel Marketing Strategies For Time-Poor Swim School Owners
Discover how to use the twin forces of AI and Marketing Automation to grow your Swim School without spending hundreds of hours across social media or hiring a marketing assistant.
• Increase brand awareness & convert more leads with Omnichannel Marketing
• Achieve faster marketing results with personalised, hyper-targeted automated messages
• The easiest way to send engaging messages to swim school parents/caregivers
• Use AI for short form video marketing – create clips that are cut & captioned with one click
• The top 3 social media marketing tools you MUST be using right now.
• Funnels VS Websites – when to use and which one is better for conversions?
In addition to his experience in marketing, Cameron is an ex Multi-Award Winning Swim School Owner, and previous Swim Australia Course presenter. Cameron still maintains his current Silver Level Coaching licence and has provided fill-in head swim coaching services for Cotton Tree Aquatic Centre, Buderim Aquatic Centre, Flinders Aquatic Centre, and Nambour Aquatic Centre. His deep understanding of Learn To Swim and Age Group Swimming Coaching provide him with “insider industry insights” to effectively promote & advertise swim schools and aquatic centres.
Mental Health in the Fast Lane – This session will introduce state of the art techniques that are currently being used to assist youth who are experiencing mental health and wellbeing challenges. This will be an engaging session showcasing how tech (including virtual reality) and innovative delivery methods are positively impacting on the development of students. It will be a fun and inspiring session which will provide great insights and tactics you can adapt or adopt for use in your own programs.
Running multiple businesses, charities and school programs, Joshua has helped people of all ages enhance their values.
Today, he has incorporated and continues to deliver programs in schools across the South East of QLD, NSW and Victoria alongside seminars, corporate culture building programs and community involvement. He is a father of two daughters, two sons, a husband and a Managing Director of an expert team on a personal mission to help others see and understand that the power of world-class culture can enhance their values and help them grow into their vast potential.
What is a good mentor, what can they do, and why are they important. I will be talking about why having a mentor, as a coach is important. Having a mentor should be seen as a partnership, a working relationship, helping each other be better. It is providing support and guidance when you need it. Continuous learning is a crucial factor to longevity, enjoyment, and fulfillment in the sport, finding a great mentor is a wonderful way of enjoying the learning journey.
She has pursued athletic excellence, and is now in pursuit of creating and coaching athletic excellence. She is a High-performance coach and current coach of Cate Campbell and holds an MBA from Griffith University.
The way we communicate to children matters. Supporting a child’s communication development is vital for any industry working with children. Further developing a great insight into the WHY and HOW is needed across many industries.
The presentation will highlight the important link between speech pathology and swimming. As well as beneficial strategies you can implement with young children.
By supporting children to learn better and do better, we are ultimately creating and empowering change.
Passionate about fostering skilled and authentic communication, Rita believes it builds trust and community. She also hosts the podcast “Wine with Wita,” engaging health professionals and caregivers in meaningful discussions. Rita’s dedication lies in bringing joy to children’s lives and championing their right to communicate through play and connection.
Recognising Metrics Which can Influence your Decision Making
Not all metrics are created equal. In a world of systems, how do you know which metrics matter? Don’t waste your time collecting information or numbers you will never use. Whether focusing on retention, business growth, or service, having the correct information can positively influence your decision making. Barbara will walk you through known trends and easily obtainable metrics which will help you measure your past success and define your future targets. Having data insights will help you identify opportunities for business growth, service improvement, retention, and target markets.
Barbara will share the results of Australian and wider community research results which may influence your decision making . With an Australian cohort of over 500,000 students across approximately 3 million enrollments Barbara has obtained great insights into the trends across the Learn to Swim industry in our region. Join this session to learn not only how you can use metrics but also the benchmarks being set in our industry.
Maia is the National Manager of Welcoming Clubs at Welcoming Australia. In this role, she collaborates with sports organizations, councils, facilities, and clubs to promote diversity and inclusion, ensuring that all Australian sports, recreation, and leisure environments reflect the communities they aim to serve and support.
What does ‘safety culture’ really mean? And why is the balance between safety culture and compliance so important?
Building a culture that values safety is a proactive way to help ensure compliance. When safety is ingrained in a workplace culture, employees are more likely to adhere to safety protocols, even in the absence of management. This cultural shift makes compliance more manageable and less reliant on constant supervision.
How ‘in balance’ is the aquatic industry and what can be done to ensure balance?
At Belgravia Liz leads the consistent implementation of the Belgravia ‘Think Safe Act Safe Be Safe’ methodology. Whilst ensuring compliance to both legislated and Organisational expectations, Liz has a passion for optimising business outcomes by incorporating psychosocial factors in the creation of a great safety culture, whereby the wellbeing and safety of all people is prioritised’.
He is officially retired from coaching, but assists with squad and private coaching at John Wallace Swim School, Aura as well as private lessons/clinics upon request.
He is a Life Member of SWIM Coaches & Teachers Australia (Queensland Branch) and Life Member Qld Swimming.
From the grassroots community-based setting through to the High Performance level, sport enriches our lives… YET, these environments come with risk, have high resourcing requirements, and often low budgets making it tricky to keep up with the many legal and compliance obligations that come with operating a business.
She understands the context and complexities sports administrators often face. Her services are designed to help optimise the strategic direction and operational environments for businesses, clubs and programs in sport.
When our nervous systems are in balance, we are more relaxed and open to learning, especially in water. This presentation introduces an ‘inside-out’ teaching approach, fostering a stronger mind-body connection while in the water. We often acknowledge how sensitive babies’ and young children’s nervous systems are, but what about the parents or us, the teacher? This session will explore somatic practices in water that focus on breath, sound, movement, and flow to support infant aquatic teachers in enhancing the learning experience for all.
She is on a mission to provide families with new aquatic programs, new skills and new ways to teach, so teachers and swim families thrive. She loves to educate, inspire and nurture through everything she does.
Jo looks at children’s movement patterns and how water interacts with the child’s body in ways that are not seen from the surface. From analysis video analysis research, they have created a series of new holds and moves. Not often shared in swimming is what is happening below the water line in baby and early years swimming.
The full SWIMCON24 Lineup is still being finalised and is subject to change without notice