Children who participate in sport have are more likely to get higher school results, and have a greater chance at attending uni, according to new research by the University of Sydney. The study, involving over 4,000 aged 4 to 21 found that a previously established link between sport and academic performance is not coincidental.
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TVTranscript
00:00 We did a study a few years ago and our key message when it comes to beach safety is always
00:05 to swim between the red and yellow flags.
00:08 And we did a survey of Southern Asian new migrants and 28% had either never heard of
00:14 that message or they didn't understand what it means.
00:17 So somewhere along the line, we're failing at getting that message across to a lot of
00:21 Australians.
00:22 And we also asked them if they had heard of any beach safety messaging coming from within
00:27 their community and most of them had not.
00:30 So I think that's an area that we need to improve is to get the communities involved
00:34 in sort of pushing beach safety messaging in a way that's sort of culturally appropriate
00:40 and in a way that will understand and motivate them to do the right things when they're at
00:44 beaches.
00:45 You know, Rob, I have to say on a personal note, I had never heard of a RIP until I came
00:49 to Australia, until I migrated to Australia, and then it was pointed out to me.
00:54 And to this day, I'm still unsure as to what a RIP actually is.
01:00 You are known as Dr. RIP.
01:04 So tell us, what is it?
01:05 Firstly, what explained to us what's actually happening in the water when a RIP is there?
01:10 Well, you're not alone.
01:12 A lot of people don't understand what RIP currents are.
01:14 We assume they do and they don't.
01:15 But basically, if you go to any beach in Australia or globally where there's a lot of waves breaking,
01:20 think of it as a surf beach, you've got water coming in, that water has to go back out.
01:25 And RIP currents are narrow, often channelized flows that take that water back offshore,
01:31 but they flow at speeds that are easily greater than most people can swim.
01:35 And they're ubiquitous features.
01:36 On a typical surf beach in Australia, you might get a RIP current every hundred meters
01:41 along the beach.
01:42 So it's another reason why if you swim between the flags, that takes that guesswork out.
01:47 But you're not alone.
01:48 A lot of people still don't understand what RIP currents are.
01:50 So it was pointed out to me by a friend who educated me about RIPs and said, listen, white
01:56 is nice, green is mean, and that's all you have to remember.
02:00 Is that right?
02:01 Well, that's good.
02:02 I mean, that's that's the saying that I use, because whitewater, if you look at the beach
02:06 and you look up and down, whitewater means the waves are breaking.
02:09 It's breaking there because it's shallow.
02:11 You can probably stand up and that whitewater is coming to the beach.
02:14 The green gaps that you see between these areas of whitewater are deeper channels and
02:19 they could be over your head and it could be a RIP current.
02:22 So when you go to the beach, you always have to spend a few minutes looking up and down
02:26 and you're looking for these persistent dark gaps of greener water through that whitewater.
02:31 That's the RIP.
02:32 Again, as a migrant, I, you know, it was I never thought about swimming on unpatrolled
02:38 beaches.
02:39 I come from Southeast Asia where beaches are not usually patrolled.
02:43 But it was only here when I came to Australia and it was, you know, drummed into me.
02:48 You must swim between the flags and you must swim between on patrolled beaches.
02:53 But there are so many beautiful beaches here in Australia that are unpatrolled.
02:58 So how do you as a swimmer ensure that you're safe when you do go into waters and it's not
03:03 patrolled?
03:04 Well, you're right.
03:05 There's so many unpatrolled beaches that are popular, easily accessible, close to tourist
03:09 accommodation.
03:10 I think the mantra has to be when you go to any beach and you want to go on the water
03:15 is to always spend a few minutes thinking about beach safety.
03:19 Do you get mobile phone reception?
03:20 Are the waves too big?
03:21 Are the conditions rough?
03:23 Are there lifeguards further down the beach?
03:25 Do you know what a rip current is?
03:26 You have to spend some.
03:27 And what would you do if something went wrong?
03:29 Do you have a plan?
03:30 So I think that's the mantra.
03:31 You know, you don't cross the road without looking both ways.
03:33 We need to get it in people's heads that you don't go to the beach without thinking about
03:37 beach safety.
03:38 And I think if you're not a good swimmer or poor swimmer, then the rule is if in doubt,
03:44 go out.
03:45 And you certainly don't go in water depths beyond waist depth if you're a poor swimmer.
03:49 You need to make sure your feet are firmly in the sand.
03:51 But you have to be making these, you have to be thinking about beach safety all the
03:54 time.
03:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]