Malabar Magic Ocean Swim Fundraising event for Rainbow Club NSW

The Murray Rose Malabar Magic Ocean Swim is an annual fundraising event for the not for profit charity Rainbow Club Australia, whose primary mandate is teaching children with disabilities to swim and be safe whilst in the water.

The Rainbow Club Australia was founded by Ron Siddons in 1966, after working as a Life Guard with the Sutherland Shire. Whilst on duty, Siddons met a father struggling to teach to teach his child to swim. Due to the child's disability, he was unable to take part in regular classes. This moment was the inspiration for the founding of the Rainbow Club Australia, who now proudly operate 17 clubs in NSW and 2 in Victoria.

The Malabar Rose Magic has now been running for the past ten years. The swim is a key fundraising event for the Rainbow Club and has been well supported by the surrounding local community. The Magic swim is the only ocean swim in NSW that welcomes people with a disability as participants, and fosters a fun, family friendly environment throughout the competition. Due to community support now over 540 children can take lessons, and find their freedom and confidence.

The swim's namesake, Ian Murray Rose, was an Australian swimmer who achieved the remarkable feat of winning six Olympic Gold Medals. At the age of 17, Rose became the youngest Olympian to win three gold medals during one Olympics. Since that time, he has been hailed as one of the greatest swimmers of all time and an Australian Olympic legend. Rose emerged as a national hero after winning three gold medals at the 1956 Olympics. In the following Rome Olympics in 1960 Rose received one gold and one silver medal. Rose was among eight Olympic flag-bearers at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Games. Murray Rose was not only an Olympic swimmer but also worked as a patron of The Rainbow Club, providing swimming lessons for mentally and physically disabled Australian children.