Crown Princess Mary visited the Helsingør Swimming Club to view the work of the Antibulli Swimming Initiative, a programme supported by the Mary Foundation.
The Antibulli Swimming Initiative is also supported by the Danish Swimming Union and the TrygFonden. It creates an inclusive spirit for young people to belong to a swim club and works to “combine experiences from anti-bullying and well-being initiatives with experiences from the swimming world.”
The Initiative was launched with the idea that “swimming must be for everyone, and that a strong unity creates a strong team and a strong club. Coaches, parents and swimmers can help prevent bullying by knowing the mechanisms of bullying and by strengthening the opposites of bullying: communities and togetherness,” according to its official website.
“It is so important that all children feel like part of the community when you go swimming or other leisure activities,” Crown Princess Mary said. “That’s exactly what Antibulli Swimming is all about. Antibulli means no to bullying and is about the good community always winning.”
The Antibulli Swimming Initiative was founded in 2019 and currently operates in ten swimming clubs around Denmark as a pilot project. During her visit to the Helsingør Swimming Club, Crown Princess Mary was able to view some of the exercises implemented by the Antibulli Swimming Initiative.
“We are pleased to have entered into the collaboration with the Mary Foundation,” said Morten Hinnerup, the acting director of the Danish Swimming Union.
“We believe it can make a valuable difference for the children and young people who go swimming. We know from research that it means a lot to children’s motivation that they feel part of a community, this of course also applies in association life. Now we are looking forward to getting Antibulli Swimming out to live in the Danish swimming clubs.”
