Group photo during the opening of Splash of Confidence: Beyond Sight at UPNM Pool

As part of her ongoing advocacy for drowning prevention and inclusive aquatic education, Dr. Noor Hamzani Farizan, a Global Drowning Prevention Leadership Institute (GDPLI) alumna and Senior Lecturer and Deputy Director of Research and Postgraduate Programs, Defense Fitness Academy, National Defense University of Malaysia (UPNM), led a program titled “Splash of Confidence: Beyond Sight.” Conducted in January 2025, the nine-day program brought together her sports science students and 30 visually impaired participants from the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB). This intensive program offered structured sessions focused on essential water safety and introductory swimming skills, giving many participants their first experience in a swimming pool environment. 

Under guided mentorship, Dr. Noor’s students designed and delivered tailored teaching sessions to build participants’ competencies in water familiarity, breathing control, floating, and coordinated movement. To deepen empathy, students practiced by closing their eyes during training, an approach that transformed both their teaching and understanding of inclusive safety education. 

Over several sessions, participants not only gained confidence but also achieved measurable milestones, with some swimming up to 50 meters on their own. Dr. Noor described watching their transformation from fear to joy in the water as profoundly moving. “This initiative reaffirmed my belief that drowning prevention must be inclusive,” she shared. 

“Every individual, regardless of ability, deserves the right to feel safe and confident in water environments.”

Through evidence-based strategies and compassionate leadership, she remains committed to advancing water safety awareness, empowering young facilitators, and strengthening community resilience, one splash at a time. 

Her experience leading the “Splash of Confidence” program strengthened Dr. Noor’s commitment to providing inclusive drowning prevention education and reinforced how small, local actions can inspire broader change. As a GDPLI alumna, she aims to continue bridging evidence-based strategies with community-led initiatives, especially among vulnerable and special needs groups.