SWIM: Swim Without Fear

On April 21, 2024, at 131 SU "Kliment Arkadievich Timiryazev" in Mladost district, a test event #SWIM was held, which helped children aged 4 to 7 years, along with their parents, to overcome their fear of water and develop basic swimming skills. Supported by the Erasmus+ program and realized in partnership with the "Adapted Sports" Club and the Center for Personal Development Support 'Sofia' Sports School, the event included various exercises for relaxation, underwater breathing, and fun water games that stimulate both the physical and mental development of the children.

We’re excited to announce the release of the #SWIM Research Report, a comprehensive study dedicated to combatting hydrophobia among children and promoting safe swimming practices. The #SWIM – Swim Without Fear initiative, supported by ErasmusPlus, focuses on harnessing the power of sport to address the psychological challenges associated with water fear, particularly in nations like Bulgaria and Croatia where sea tourism is significant and drowning incidents are unfortunately common.

The free 50-page edition "FUTURE" is entirely dedicated to children and youth sports in Bulgaria. In 2023, this unique project for Bulgarian print publications published several issues, with the May and November editions featuring information about the #SWIM – Swim without Fear initiative. The magazine showcases young talents in Bulgarian sports, advocates for sports among adolescents in all its aspects – including organization and funding at the club, federation, and state levels; the educational role of sports; and the benefits of sports for young people. It is published with the support of the Bulgarian Sports Totalisator and distributed free of charge through the BST network.

On January 30, 2024, in the building of the European Commission in Brussels, the annual edition of the Sport Info Day was held, during which detailed information about the opportunities offered by the sports sector of the Erasmus+ programme to promote sports and physical activity at local, regional and national level was provided. The event brought together over 700 sports experts and was opened by Iliana Ivanova – European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth: “I am convinced that our community can have a greater impact than ever at this critical time for Europe – and for the European sport. Harnessing the power of sport to continue the positive transformation of our societies, in 2024 we renew the EU Work Plan for Sport and support positive change with €51 million and over 300 projects across Europe".

#SWIM! – Swim Without Fear, an initiative funded by the Erasmus+ program, aims to tackle hydrophobia among children by fostering a positive relationship with water. The project endeavors to create a handbook of best practices that will assist parents and organizations in the realm of swimming.

On November 22, 2023, an inclusive #SWIM training took place in Sofia, demonstrating that children with special needs can swim without fear. #SWIM – Swim Without Fear, is an initiative aiming to overcome hydrophobia in an innovative and distinctive way by developing a handbook of best practices. This resource will be beneficial for both parents and organizations involved in swimming.

On November 10, 2023, within the fifteenth International Scientific Congress "Challenges and Perspectives of Sports Science," the Bulgarian Sports Development Association introduced ongoing activities and initiatives, including research findings from the innovative action #SWIM - Swim Without Fear, to leading scholars, coaches, and experts from Bulgaria and abroad. The research highlighted that hydrophobia is not an uncommon phenomenon, with many children experiencing fear or anxiety related to water. It's crucial to recognize and address these fears to ensure that children can enjoy water activities safely.

In a compelling episode of the SWIM Without Fear podcast, listeners are invited to embark on a journey that resonates deeply with parents and coaches alike. This #SWIM podcast delves into the challenges of overcoming hydrophobia in early childhood. Hydrophobia, or the fear of water, can be a significant hurdle for young children and their families.

The #BeActive European Week of Sport took place between September 23 and 30, 2023, with all residents and guests of Sofia having the opportunity to become part of the largest sports celebration in Europe. The European Week of Sport is an initiative of the European Commission, held in September throughout Europe since 2015. Through the week, conducted in the form of a campaign to promote physical activity, the numerous benefits of sports and physical activity are popularized, and everyone, regardless of age, origin, or physical condition, can participate in it.

Businessman Rumen Dimitrov, who operates six swimming pools in Sofia, is a partner of the Bulgarian Sports Development Association and the Bulgarian Swimmers Association in the implementation of the European project "Swim Without Fear" (#SWIM). In the interview, Dimitrov shares some of his experiences on working with children in swimming training at the pools he manages. In the last decade, over 10,000 young people have been trained in these six pools.

In the period 25-28 of August 2023, in Rijeka, Croatia was held the mid-term meeting of the international consortium, that implements the innovative initiative #SWIM – Swim Without Fear, that deliver its activities until June 2024. Representatives of the consortium had the chance to analyze the completed so far #SWIM activities, to approve the project research about hydrophobia in early age, implemented until the meeting and to plan the remaining actions – handbook for kids and parents, testing and dissemination events. During the meeting the #SWIM partners from Bulgaria and Croatia had practical visits in Kantrida Swimming Pools and fruitful meetings with sport experts, managers, coaches and decision makers.

On June 16, 2023, an international conference "Innovations and good European practices" was held at the Grand Hotel Sofia, organized by Association Sport Club "Comac Sport" within the framework of the "Come and Play 4.0" project, EAC-2020-0745, co-funded by the European union. "Come and Play 4.0" aims to develop and widely promote innovative forms of practicing sport and physical activity, suitable for people of different ages, through a new intergenerational sport program, using digital tools and creating mobile playgrounds.

On June 3, 2023, for another year, Familathlon – the largest outdoor celebration dedicated to sports and entertainment, gathered hundreds of citizens and guests of the city of Sofia on the large meadow in South Park. Bulgarian sports development association actively participated in the event, presenting the activities of the current initiatives, that are co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union:

500 children competed at the Vasil Levski Stadium on April 30, 2023 as part of the Darko Team Baby Cup – Volume 3. The competition was for children aged 4 to 13 and open to all comers – regardless whether they are carded athletes, members of a sports club or wanted to take their first steps in athletics.

Swimming is an essential skill that every person should learn, and it’s even better if you start early. However, some children have a fear of water that can hinder their ability to learn how to swim. This fear can stem from different factors, such as a bad experience in the water, lack of exposure to water, or just a general fear of the unknown. But did you know that a song about swimming, accompanied by nice animation, can support reducing the fear of water in early age? Let’s explore how.

Augmented reality is an interactive experience that enhances the real world with computer-generated perceptual information. Using software, apps, and hardware such as AR glasses, augmented reality overlays digital content onto real-life environments and objects. #SWIM project team is ensuring an augmented reality experience for kids, which is free of charge and can be installed, following the instructions below. The aim of the AR application #SWIM is to empower enjoyment from water experiences and through this positive adventure – to reduce the fear of water in early age development. Enjoy #SWIM – Swim Without Fear Augmented reality.

Coloring books are a great tool for helping children overcome their fears, including hydrophobia, or the fear of water. By utilizing a coloring book about swimming, children can become familiar with the concept of swimming and aquatic creatures in a fun and educational way. This can help to reduce their fears and build confidence in their abilities, making it easier for them to overcome hydrophobia in their early years.

On January 30, 2023, in the building of the European Commission in Brussels, the annual edition of the Sport Info Day was held, during which detailed information was provided about the opportunities offered by the sports sector of the Erasmus+ programme to promote sports and physical activity at local, regional and national level. The event brought together over 500 sports experts and was opened by Maria Gabriel – European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth.

On 27th of January 2023, in Sofia, Bulgaria was held the kick-off meeting of the international consortium, that will coordinate the innovative initiative #SWIM - Swim Without Fear, that will implement activities in the following 18 months. Representatives of the consortium had the chance to analyze and plan together #SWIM activities, which will start with wide research about hydrophobia in early age. During the meeting was presented the first instrument to ensure that kids understand water environment as fun and joyful place – an Augmented reality application, which will be available very soon for free download by parents and/or sport organizations on project webpage: [https://myswim.org/ | www.myswim.org].

On the 23rd of January 2023, an online meeting was held between the coordinators of projects starting in 2023, co-funded by the Erasmus+ Sport programme and representatives of the Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), which manages the Union's funding for education, culture, audiovisual, sport, citizenship and volunteering.

Bulgaria and Croatia are countries where sea tourism forms a large part of the economy. Every year, a large number of children die from drowning in both countries who cannot swim or are afraid of the water. It is a well-known fact that the fear of water and swimming is very common among children. Sport is one of the most powerful tools that can support the inclusion process and in a gentle way present an opportunity for the mentioned target group. #SWIM! project aims to use the link between sport and overcoming psychological problems in an innovative and different way – by developing a handbook of good practices that will be of benefit to both parents and organizations in the field of swimming.