Ryk takes helm of Princess Charlene's drowning campaign

Twenty-five years after Charlene Wittstock and Ryk Neethling started swimming for South Africa‚ they are in a new race together: to prevent drownings.

Neethling was named on Tuesday as CEO of the now Princess Charlene of Monaco’s foundation‚ set up in 2012 to raise public awareness about the dangers of water and teach children essential water safety skills.

The Olympic gold medallist‚ whose new position is voluntary‚ said he was delighted to be reunited with his former teammate in a critical cause.

“Since my swimming career started at the age of five after a near-drowning incident‚ I have shared the same passion for water safety as [the princess]‚” he said.

The princess‚ who married Prince Albert of Monaco in 2011‚ said: “[Ryk] is passionate about water safety and will‚ I know‚ take my foundation from strength to strength in South Africa.”

In June‚ Neethling and former Springbok rugby player Percy Montgomery won the Riviera Water Bike Challenge in aid of The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation. The 21km pro-am relay race from Nice to Monaco on water bikes was the first of its kind‚ and raised funds to build an aquatic rescue centre in Burkina Faso.

The World Health Organisation estimates that drowning claims 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 is the second leading cause of accidental death after road accidents.

Last year‚ the princess’s foundation taught 2‚507 children to swim and 27‚242 children essential water safety skills through 23 projects in South Africa.