Libby Alexander

Although few people in Hong Kong know it, statistics show that just 50 percent of the population are able to swim. As this basic survival skill isn’t always taught in schools or accessible to the under-privileged, Libby Alexander decided in 2015 to change that, by co-founding Splash Foundation with marathon swimmer and coach Simon Holliday. “I want to change the culture and statistics around swimming in Hong Kong,” says Alexander. “Only half the population knows how to swim but, given the geography and resources, this should be a swimming Mecca.”  The foundation now provides 20 hours of free swimming lessons to low-income children and their parents, children with special educational needs and migrant domestic workers. It’s trained more than 500 professional and volunteer swimming teachers, and taught over 6,000 children and adults how to swim. Last year, Splash Foundation posted a free swimming tutorial on YouTube and started a branch in Singapore. When Alexander isn’t coaching, running the charity and organising its hugely successful fundraisers – its last 45km Swim Relay Challenge raised more than HK$3 million – she’s busy raising her three daughters, hiking, reading and bringing people together for all manner of fun celebrations.