How one woman’s vision transformed water safety in Riebeeck Kasteel

WESTERN CAPE – When Petro Meyer joined the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) on 1 September 2018, she couldn’t have imagined she’d one day be teaching in a swimming pool that arrived inside a shipping container.

But her enthusiasm had already put her ahead of the curve. “From a young age, I was crazy about water,” she recalls. “My parents had a hard time getting me out of the ocean during school holidays.”

So, when she saw a role for a water safety instructor advertised, she knew she’d found the perfect way to turn that passion into purpose.

Since then, Petro has educated an extraordinary 112 622 people in water safety and delivered 11 776 survival swimming lessons – a record that will ripple through generations.

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Making waves

In 2022, the first Survival Swimming Centre (SSC1) officially opened at Meiring Primary School in Riebeek Kasteel. Petro had been part of its story from the start, though she admits the concept initially raised an eyebrow.

“When Andrew [XXX] told me about a container with a swimming pool inside, I thought they had lost all their marbles!” she recalls. “After explaining it to me, I had a good laugh at myself.”

When the pool finally arrived, there were a few practical challenges – many children didn’t have swimming costumes or towels. “Luckily, people were very generous, and the NSRI made a plan. Soon, we had a few items to distribute.”

From those small beginnings, SSC1 became a community treasure and a beacon of possibility for young swimmers who might never have had access to such training.

Lasting confidence

Mthe Kweyama, the NSRI’s head of Community Programmes, says Petro’s contribution has been nothing short of transformational. “She helped educate more than 112 622 people in water safety,” he says.

“Petro always went the extra mile, even taking groups of students who graduated from the survival swimming programme to a local dam to build confidence and reinforce their skills in open-water environments.”

For Petro, those proud moments are countless. Some of her most memorable students started out barely floating and grew into confident swimmers.

“One nine-year-old girl worked for two-and-a-half years to swim from one end to the other without standing up,” Petro remembers. “When she finally did it, it wasn’t just her victory, it was ours.”

Then there was the 12-year-old boy who, after his lessons, asked police divers if he could swim across the dam. “The joy on his face after he succeeded is something you cannot describe. These are the moments that stay with you,” Petro points out.

What’s next for SSC1?

With Petro retiring, SSC1 has now been drained, disconnected and transported to Cape Town for long-overdue maintenance and upgrades.

While the facility gets a refresh, NSRI Drowning Prevention regional coordinator for the Western and Northern Cape, Caville Abrahams, will train a new instructor during the winter months.

Once reinstalled, a community member identified by Meiring Primary will take the helm, ensuring the programme continues to grow.

“Going forward, we plan to strengthen partnerships with the schools and local community, so water-safety education and survival swimming remain accessible to learners in the area,” Mthe says.

Petro’s legacy

Teaching water safety is not just about strokes and breathing – it’s about transforming fear into confidence. “One of the biggest challenges is fear, and the mindset of ‘I cannot do this,’” Petro relates. “We build trust slowly, helping children understand that control in the water is far more important than panic or force.”

Reflecting on her years with SSC1, Petro describes it as a great privilege. “It’s brought me the utmost joy to do this and work for the NSRI. But it is not the last of me, you’ll see me again.”

She is also quick to credit the success to the wider team: “Without the help of the volunteers Jennifer Kentgens, Mariette Gregor and Desireé Whiting, and Lisa Snyders, who fetched the children from classes, it wouldn’t be a success story. On my own, I would never have made a success of it.”

Her message to the next instructor and every child who steps into that pool is simple but powerful: “Be kind and respectful toward one another. We all have different levels of ability. The most valuable rewards are not found in medals, but in the life skills carried long after the lessons end.”

And if SSC1 could speak, it might echo her trademark encouragement, one she’s repeated thousands of times over eight unforgettable years: “I CAN DO THIS.”

Not just in the water, Petro says, but in every wave life brings.