NSRI survival swimming instructors are the unsung water heroes who help save lives by teaching essential skills! A big job that often doesn’t get the spotlight, instructors across the country were recently surprised with special gratitude packs and a reminder to keep up the incredible work!
South Africa (24 November 2024) — NSRI Survival Swimming Instructors have no small job. They’re the teachers who don’t typically get an apple at the end of the day, even though their dedication to water safety, education and skills save lives. For these water heroes, seeing someone who has never swum before learn to tackle water confidently is a labour of love. But, a thank you never hurt. In fact, it often only fuels even more passion to set the task.
Recently, the NSRI water heroes were surprised with a big and personal gesture of gratitude after a visitor named Simoné got to see their work up close.
“It was clear that the instructors were not just sharing their skills but also giving of themselves in such a meaningful way,” Simoné shared. Simoné was so touched by the passion instructors poured into teaching the local youth their survival swimming skills that she decided the people making these initiatives possible needed to be thanked.
Her company, Fluidra, was soon filled in on a special idea to make gratitude gifts for the instructors happen. Thanks to this effort, NSRI Survival Swimming Centres across the country were soon surprised with gift packs that, to them, meant the world.
Instructor Nkazimulo said that it was “a very big thing to receive such gifts”.
“We know that what we do is important, but when we get recognition from outside NSRI, we are left at a loss for words.”
As an instructor, Nkazimulo knows how much his team’s work means to people and recalled a story of a pastor pursuing her aviation dreams.
“Last year, I was approached by a local pastor who had never learnt how to swim and was due to take her swimming exams in 6 months. We taught her from that container until she was confident enough to swim in a bigger pool.
“Long story short she passed her swimming and went on with her course at university. She and her parents were very excited when they phoned me. That’s always been a highlight for me because not only are we saving lives but we are also creating futures.”
Appreciation may come in all shapes and forms, wrappings and bows. But, at the heart of any gratitude gift often lies an invisible note of encouragement.
As Nkazimulo puts it beautifully:
“Every person has that thing inside of them of wanting to be heard or seen for the little efforts that they do. Those gifts were more than Christmas presents, to us they were a voice that says, ‘We see you, keep it up’.”
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