Boasting a combined five Olympic Games appearances between them, Ron, Emma and David McKeon are hoping to help develop Wollongong’s next generation of swimmers through a series of clinics next month. 

David said the clinics provide emerging swimmers with the chance to partake in an Australian first. 

“It’s something that’s never been done before,” David McKeon said. “With the experience and knowledge of my dad, then mine and Emma’s, it’s a clinic that’s never been run in Australia.”

The two clinics will run for three hours on Saturday October 20 and Sunday October 21 at the McKeon Swim School pool in Unanderra. Swimmers aged from seven  to 18 are welcome to attend. 

The clinics are open to swimmers of all abilities, with the only requirement that attendees be able to swim 50 metres.  

“This is a great opportunity for anyone who swims at their school swimming carnival all the way to open and national level to come down. We have two different sessions and are really looking to pass on the knowledge that we’ve learnt.”

Currently out of action after undergoing shoulder surgery, McKeon is viewing the opportunity to give back to the Wollongong swimming community after having benefited so much from the region early in his career.  

“I’m doing my swimming coaching course at the moment. I would like to start doing a bit of coaching, I do enjoy it and I love teaching the kids to swim and getting them into competitive racing.”

With Ron and wife Susie currently running the successful McKeon Swim School, the family are hoping to expand the swimming clinics beyond the Wollongong region. If the initial sessions are successful, David said they hope to run clinics across the country. 

“We’re looking at kids from Sydney down to Ulladulla for this first clinic, but if it’s popular we’ll definitely be running a few more of these clinics in other regions.”