Few athletes understand the relationship between performance, resilience and water better than Sharon van Rouwendaal.

The Dutch open water legend will bring that perspective to the Swim Safe Europe Conference 2026 during a special ambassador session entitled Beyond the Medal: The Reality of Swimming & Coaching.

While Van Rouwendaal’s achievements in the water are well known—including becoming the most decorated open water swimmer in history—her contribution to the conference goes far beyond her medal collection.

The session has been designed to explore the human side of elite sport.

Participants will have the opportunity to hear how the relationship between athletes and coaches evolves throughout a sporting career, how setbacks can become opportunities for growth, and why creating positive sporting environments is essential both for performance and long-term participation.

These themes align closely with the wider objectives of Swim Safe Europe.

The conference is built around the principle that aquatic education should not only teach technical skills but also foster confidence, resilience and a lifelong relationship with the water. Van Rouwendaal’s experiences demonstrate how those foundations remain relevant even at the highest level of international competition.

Since establishing the SvR Swim Academy, she has become increasingly involved in swimming education and mentoring young athletes, advocating for coaching environments that support both sporting performance and personal development.

Her participation therefore connects two worlds that are often considered separately: grassroots education and elite performance.

It reinforces one of the conference’s central messages—that every successful athlete begins with learning to swim safely and confidently.

The ambassador session is expected to be one of the highlights of the conference programme, offering delegates an opportunity to hear directly from one of swimming’s most respected figures while reflecting on how athlete experiences can inform the future of aquatic education.

Registrations are now open through the European Aquatics Academy platform, and interested participants are encouraged to secure their place early.

The registration link via the European Aquatics – Official Learning Centre is: https://www.eaacademy.eu/lms/courses/swim-safe-europe-conference-2026

Deadline for entries is July 30.

Full details are available on the event’s information bulletin here; https://europeanaquatics.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Info_Bulletin-SSE_Annual_Conference_2026F-1.pdf