Olympic swimmer and new mum Melanie Wright has revealed her seven-month-old daughter is taking swimming lessons and is now comfortable with going underwater.
Melanie, 31, told the Today Show she was determined to ‘condition’ her baby girl in the water because of the alarming number of child drowning cases in Australia.
‘One of the number one causes of death for children under five is drowning, so [teaching Maddie to swim] was a no brainer for me,’ the gold medalist swimmer said.
Melanie Wright (pictured with her daughter) told the Today Show she introduced her baby girl to the water very early on
The seven-month-old was pictured dipping in and out of the water and holding herself up at the edge of the pool
‘I want Maddie to not only love the water but also respect it as early as possible,’ she added.
Proving the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Melanie’s daughter was filmed dipping in and out of the swimming pool in Logan, Queensland, and holding herself up alone at the edge.
The Olympic veteran takes Maddie to Laurie Lawrence swim school at Banora Point and says she started getting her daughter used to the water as early as four weeks old.
‘We started conditioning Maddie at four or five weeks old in the bath by pouring water on her face,’ Melanie explained on the Today Show.
‘And by four months old we had her swimming in the pool.’
The pint-sized swimmer showcased her advanced talent in the pool by keeping afloat and holding her breath as her uncle Laurie submerged her into the water.
The Olympic veteran takes Maddie to Laurie Lawrence swim school at Banora Point and says she started getting her daughter used to the water as early as four weeks old
‘We started conditioning Maddie at four or five weeks old in the bath by pouring water on her face,’ Melanie explained on the Today Show
The pint-sized swimmer showcased her advanced talent in the pool by keeping afloat and holding her breath as her uncle Laurie submerged her into the water
Melanie, who wed fellow Olympic swimmer Chris Wright in 2014, is a fierce advocate for water safety and says it is imperative to teach her child to swim in her formative years.
‘Drowning is the leading cause of death in this age bracket and we can do better by teaching our kids to swim from an early age,’ she wrote on Instagram.
The best place to start introducing water safety is when children are newborns, according to the Australian Swim Schools Association.
‘These early bath experiences should be free from stress and a lovely way to build rapport with the water,’ the Association writes on its website.
After four months, infant swimming lessons with a gentle and appropriate program should be introduced straight away.
‘Drowning is the leading cause of death in this age bracket and we can do better by teaching our kids to swim from an early age,’ Melanie wrote on Instagram
Melanie, who wed fellow Olympic swimmer Chris Wright in 2014, is a fierce advocate for water safety and says it is imperative to teach her child to swim in her formative years