Neethling in the swim again
Olympian appointed CEO of Princess Charlene Foundation to teach water safety and young people to swim at schools
SOUTH African Olympic swimming champion Ryk Neethling has bent the knee to Princess Charlene of Monaco.
Neethling has been knighted as the chief executive officer of the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation South Africa.
The gold medallist swimmer and friend of Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene (formerly Wittstock), accepted the prestigious voluntary position in the foundation this week.
The mission of the foundation, which was launched in December 2012, was to save lives by putting an end to drowning, raise public awareness about the dangers of water, and to teach children how to swim.
Neethling was first told about the position during a recent trip to Monaco for the Grand Prix.
“About three weeks ago it was decided. It was quite interesting that it was announced on the anniversary of the date that I won the Olympic gold medal. It was like a double whammy,” he said.
Charlene, Princess of Monaco, is a former Olympic swimmer for South Africa and wife of Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Neethling’s relationship with Princess Charlene dates back more than 20 years, as the pair often swam together in their teenage years.
“We competed in many world championships and Commonwealth Games and Olympics and on those trips you often spend a month or even up to five weeks together overseas in close quarters,” he said.
The Princess is a fan of her former teammate and friend.
“Ryk is a true champion, a man of integrity, talent and remarkable inner strength,” she recently commented. “He is passionate about water safety and will, I know, take my foundation from strength to strength in South Africa.”
Following his retirement from international swimming in 2008, Neethling established the Ryk Neethling Swimming Schools franchise in 2008. He is also a shareholder and the marketing director of the elite Val de Vie Estate in the Western Cape.
Since 2016, the three-time world champion and fourtime world record breaker has served as an ambassador for Princess Charlene, alongside rugby legend Francois Pienaar and swimmer Terence Parkin.
Reflecting on his appointment, Neethling said: “I know her quite well and it’s really nice to be able to work with her and to be able to further her passion for water safety, which is a passion that I share.
“I think there is incredible potential, we just signed an arrangement with Lifesaving South Africa, that they will implement the programme that got thousands of volunteers, that will be able to assist, teach people how to be water safe and how to swim.”
He said the focus of the foundation was not just on water safety, but on also giving people a purpose and hopefully changing the lives of youngsters by giving them goals to work towards and achieve.
“We have been talking to some schools so we can use their extremely nice facilities, so there are many people who want to help.”
The World Health Organisation estimated that drowning claimed the lives of more than 60 000 children under the age of five, and more than 360 000 people globally each year. In South Africa, drowning was the second leading cause of accidental death after road accidents.
“I think the South African foundation at this time is to just focus on water safety and then we will focus on our work through Lifesaving South Africa, and the private schools and organisations to try and get as many people in pools and to be able to do CPR, and to be able to save lives.
“Sport can change lives; we don’t expect to create more Olympic champions or even South African champions; it’s just to get people healthy, to get people out and active, to get people off the street, especially the youth and to get them just to focus on the positive.”