Column 3: Against the flow – Swimming ambassador Max Delissen from Alkmaar

Published on: 28 October 2026

Recently I read in the newspaper that people with the lowest incomes are exercising less and less. It made me think. Because exercise and physical activity are so important for our health, but apparently for everyone it’s not a matter of course to participate. While one person without a second thought signs up for a subscription, the other has to first see if there’s any money left at the end of the month.

Pleasure should not be a luxury.

For me, swimming is more than just a skill that you learn. Water connects. It gives freedom, confidence and relaxation. That’s why I believe that everyone should be able to learn to swim, regardless of their financial situation at home. Opportunities should never depend on what’s in a wallet.

Imagine that as a child you can't go to the swimming pool because home swimming lessons are unaffordable. While your friends are jumping off the diving board, you stand by. Not because you don't want to, but because you haven't been given the chance to learn it.

That is exactly why I think it is so important that we give children the opportunity to learn to swim. Not only because it is safe, but also because it allows them to participate.

Together we make swimming possible

Fortunately, we don’t have to believe that in Alkmaar alone; we are also working together to make it happen. For years now, we have been working with the Youth Fund for Sport and Culture, Stichting Leergeld and the municipality of Alkmaar to ensure that as many children as possible leave primary school with a swimming certificate.

And with Swim, at group 5 to 8 we are building on that. This way we are not only working on swimming skills, but we are also laying the foundation for lifelong movement.

Because anyone who learns to swim with pleasure often discovers that water can become a lifelong friend. First during swimming lessons, then maybe at a birthday party, at a swimming club, or as a recreational swimmer who does a few laps after a busy day.

In the water, age doesn’t matter much. It invites you to keep moving, keep discovering, and take good care of yourself. And perhaps even more importantly: it gives people the chance to belong somewhere.

Continue to move against the flow

That is why I think it is important that swimming remains accessible. At Alkmaar Sport we try to get as many people moving as possible with affordable rates, extended opening hours and various activities. From swimming lessons and aquasports at Hoornse Vaart and De Hout swimming pools to swimming at the DAW swimming club.

And with the new construction of the Hoornse Vaart swimming and sports complex on the horizon, there will be even more opportunities to come along.

Of course, we cannot solve all the differences in society with a swimming pool. But we can ensure that the step towards the water becomes smaller for as many people as possible.

Maybe that is what it is ultimately about for me. Not about how many jobs someone has, how fast someone is or how good someone can swim. But about the chance to participate. About the freedom that water can give you.

Because while the figures show that for some people exercising is becoming increasingly less of a given, we must continue to look for ways in which everyone can participate.

Sometimes swimming against the current doesn’t mean that you have to swim harder, but that we should help each other.

Swimming is fun!

With sparkling regards,

Max Delissen
Swimming Ambassador Alkmaar