Our Committee Members
Members of the Water Skills for Life Committee bring a range of skills from varied backgrounds – all driven by the one mission, to reduce the number of deaths by drowning, both here in Australia and overseas.
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Mandy Mckay
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Maria C Porter
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Mary Houten
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Joanne Ritchie
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Nicki McLachlan
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Sandi Edwards
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Laura Purvis
Tanya Carmont - President and Treasurer
I have been a swim instructor for over 20 years and started with volunteering to teach swimming and water safety at Narrabeen rock pool in their learn to swim program. In 2010 I created a program at Collaroy rock pool now known as Collaroy Turtles. I have a passion to empower people no matter what age or ability to be safe around the aquatic environment helping them to enjoy the water experience.
I feel that giving back to my local community as well as helping developing countries in water safety techniques and swimming is an important role I have to play.
After my first volunteer experience in Vietnam with Swim Vietnam, I had an urge to be able to help others and so Water Skills for Life was born in March of 2011. I have a very dedicated Committee and volunteers who share the same passion as I do. In 2016 and 2019 I travelled again to Vietnam to assist Swim Vietnam under the Australian Governments AVI program. As WSFL already had a working relationship with Swim Vietnam and now as a partner organisation of AVI it was a good fit. We have achieved so much from our humble beginnings.