Re-Open Hillcrest Swimming Pool

You Said It! Best Of The Comments

"Pretoria provided more than half of the Olympians to Paris - let's not lose our relevance to South African swimming"

"Our competitive swimmers have suffered these past 4 months due to the pool's closure and are not up to standard - this has placed them at a disadvantage going in to the upcoming Regional and National championships" 

"We now need to travel out of province for competitions - this is very expensive and time-consuming, and not sustainable!"

"The pool is a platform for making swimming available to all races and cultures from all walks of life, bringing the city together" 

"Pretoria has a history of producing world-class swimmers - how can we be regarded as a world class capital city when we don't have even one public swimming pool open?"

"Closing Hillcrest Pool has taken away a source of upliftment and opportunity for people who cannot afford gym memberships and private pool club fees"

"As an older person I can swim in my own way, at my own tempo"

"Hillcrest Pool has been the most central and most well-known place to swim in Gauteng for decades"

"I have been swimming at Hillcrest for 50 years - I need the younger generation to have the same priveleges I did"

"This was where my foundation was laid as a swimmer"

"It is essential that Tshwane has at least one swimming pool where even the poorest swimmers can afford to train"

"This is a country where many people need to learn how to swim as a matter of survival - this is a skill that can save your life"

"Access to sporting infrastructure is a critical part of development and a fundamental children's right"

"We are a very strong swimming province, it is embarassing to have to rely on neighbouring provinces to host our swimmers for official events"

"Hillcrest gives everyone the opportunity to have a fair chance in training to swim!"

"Pretoria has the highest concentration of competitive swimmers in the country, we need a local pool to compete in!"

"Hillcrest Pool is a vital asset for a city that produces world class swimmers!" 

"Having an Olympic size pool open to the public at affordable rates is very rare and not something to just throw away"

"Hillcrest Pool is the ONLY Olympic size pool in Tshwane for our future Olympians to race in"

"Given the high rate of drownings and high costs of private pools, every public pool should be treated as a national treasure worthy of maintenance and development"

"I remember what a privelege it was to travel to Hillcrest to participate in Regional and National galas. It is an honour that every swimmer who puts in the effort, should experience at least once in their life"

"This year all our school galas were in small pools with no space for spectators - heartbreaking and unfair"

"The pool has been used for decades to ensure that professionals like first responders and lifeguards are properly trained and certified"

"Competitive swimmers need a place to practice diving from starting blocks - most indoor venues don't allow diving"

"Hillcrest Pool gives healthy cheap excercise to the underpriveleged"

"Hillcrest is the heart of Tshwane swimming, and we want it to keep being so for future generations"

Highlights From Signatory Comments

The comments from the petition signatories showcase what a diverse group Hillcrest Pool's support base is, from children learning to swim and competing in their first school gala, to Olympians and national champions setting new records, and everyone in between; a common thread linking all of these is the sentiment that all who had Hillcrest Pool feature as a positive and important figure in their swim journey, wish for it to be so for the next generation as well - the universal, unanimous desire for Hillcrest Pool to continue to be open to all who need it, and continue to fulfil it's role as a heritage site and landmark of South Africa's capital city.

What Hillcrest Pool Means To Us

Petition signatories, your passionate support for Hillcrest Pool is coming through loud and clear! 

Your heartfelt comments are showing what Hillcrest Pool means to you, and how important it is to re-open it as soon as possible.

Certain words show up over and over in your comments, driving home how treasured and beloved this pool is in our community:

"Crucial" "Indispensable" "Vital" "Integral" "Essential" "Pretoria Gem" "Precious Asset" "Heritage Site" "Community Hub" "Beacon of Hope"  "Inspiration for the Next Generation" "Iconic" "Landmark" "Legacy"

There is no other pool like it in Tshwane. Hillcrest Pool is one of a kind, and absolutely priceless to the swim community as a whole.

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