BRAVE BEGINNINGS
A New Model of Care, Confidence and Water safety
A gentle, women-only introduction to water confidence.
Welcome to Brave Beginnings: Water Confidence Workshop
On the eve of International Women’s Day 2026, something deeply meaningful unfolded in the Hunter Region.
Women from diverse cultural backgrounds came together in Lake Macquarie for the inaugural Brave Beginnings workshop by A Splash of Colour Swimming.
Representing their birth countries including Nepal, India, China, Taiwan, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Africa and others, the women spent the day building the mental, emotional and physical foundations needed to begin their journey toward learning to swim with confidence.
For many, this was not simply a workshop about swimming. It was a carefully designed day of support, reflection and encouragement. A day that recognised that before confidence can grow in the pool, people often need to feel safe, seen and supported on land.
The unique program reflects A Splash of Colour Swimming's commitment to a more thoughtful and human-centred approach to water readiness. It recognises that for many adults, particularly women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, learning to swim is shaped by emotion, memory, confidence, cultural context and whether an environment feels welcoming enough to take that first step.
Founder Ennia Jones says Brave Beginnings was created to meet women with care long before a lesson begins.
“We know that building confidence when learning to swim often starts well before someone enters a pool. Brave Beginnings was designed to support the whole person - mind, body and emotions so women could feel empowered to participate in a way that felt safe, dignified and achievable.”
The morning session focused on the mind and body, beginning with guided support from Dr Tracy Tabvuma and Stephany Basia from Tabvuma Mental Health. Through mindfulness, reflective conversation and workbook activities, participants were invited to explore their personal relationship with water in a supportive and respectful environment.
Women shared stories of fear, hesitation, loss, missed opportunities and the desire to do something different for themselves and their families. What emerged was a powerful sense of connection. Women who had arrived as strangers soon found common ground in one another’s experiences, and in that shared space, many began to feel more ready for what lay ahead.
This collaborative approach is part of what makes Brave Beginnings so distinctive.
By bringing together aquatic access, mental health-informed practice, reflective learning and gentle preparation, A Splash of Colour Swimming is helping shape a model that places intentional care at the centre of participation. The workshop was not rushed. It did not ask women to simply “be brave.” Instead, it created the conditions in which bravery could feel possible.
That foundation was strengthened further through a gentle movement session led by Aleks Ivetic from InnerSense Yoga Therapies. Using breathing exercises, stretching and quiet reflection, women were supported to settle their bodies and prepare for the afternoon pool experience with greater calm and self-awareness.
In the afternoon, participants were introduced to the swim centre environment in practical, reassuring ways: where to get changed, how to ask for help, how to understand safety signage, and what to expect around the pool. These simple but thoughtful steps helped remove uncertainty and gave women greater confidence to participate.
From there, swim centre staff and instructors supported each woman at her own pace. For some, the day included entering the water for the first time. For others, it was about becoming comfortable in the environment, observing, asking questions, or taking smaller steps toward future participation.
Anna Smith, Business Development Officer at Charlestown Swim Centre, said the emphasis throughout the day was on making sure every woman felt comfortable, supported and listened to.
“For many women, it was the first time getting into a pool. We made sure everyone moved at their own pace and felt listened to.”
The staff at Charlestown Swim Centre ensured every woman felt comfortable, supported and listened to.
That same care extended beyond the workshop sessions themselves. Women were supported with transport, childcare and meals, reducing some of the practical barriers that can make participation difficult. Each participant also went home with a swim bag, goggles, a towel and support resources to help them feel more prepared for the next stage of their journey.
Brave Beginnings was built around the understanding that empowerment is created through thoughtful planning, practical support, trusted partnerships and an environment that allows people to engage without shame or pressure.
Throughout the day, women heard from others who had once experienced similar fear and uncertainty, and who had since found their own pathway to swimming. These stories helped ground the experience in hope and possibility, showing that confidence can begin quietly, with one supported step at a time.
These women were given the opportunity to participate in swimming in a way that felt safe, respectful and empowering. They were met with care, given practical tools and reminded that they did not have to navigate this experience alone.
Brave Beginnings was proudly sponsored by the NSW Office for Womenas part of NSW Women’s Week 2026, recognising the importance of initiatives that expand confidence, inclusion and wellbeing for women across the state.
The workshop offers a compelling example of how pools can become places not only of skill development, but of confidence-building, trust and belonging.
For community members reading this, Brave Beginnings offered a glimpse of what can happen when women are given the right support at the right time.
For organisations, councils and aquatic partners, it raises an exciting question: what might be possible if more communities had access to this kind of experience?
A Splash of Colour Swimming is proud to be leading that conversation in the Hunter Region and beyond — not only through programs that improve water confidence, but through partnerships that help reimagine what inclusive, empowering aquatic participation can look like.
A Splash of Colour Swimming thanks every woman who took part in Brave Beginnings, along with Charlestown Swim Centre and its staff, Tabvuma Mental Health, InnerSense Yoga Therapies, and the NSW Office for Women for supporting this initiative through NSW Women’s Week 2026.
Supported by the NSW Government through Women NSW.
