'Overdressed' mum barred from pool

A Dapto mum who was not allowed to swim at Port Kembla Olympic Pool because she was wearing too much clothing for the lifeguard's liking has lodged a complaint with Wollongong council, citing discrimination.

Body-conscious Katherine Pulo wore a rash vest and a stretchy, lightweight dress as she approached the pool with her two sons about 11.45am Jan. 17.


She told the Mercury she was stopped by a council lifeguard who told her: "I can only let Muslims in the pool in dresses."

Ms Pulo, 39, who has worn the dress previously without incident, asked "How do you know I'm not Muslim?" The guard replied: "You're not Muslim."

Ms Pulo's boys, Lucas and Mitchell, aged 8 and 5, called out to her to join them in the water, but Ms Pulo remained poolside in the early afternoon heat, telling the boys, "I can't."

Ms Pulo said the incident left her embarrassed and demoralised. She has been swimming at Port Kembla since she was four years old.

Years ago she would wear a two-piece bathing suit, but she switched to more modest swimwear after the birth of Lucas, and took to the dress after she had Mitchell.

"I'm overweight ... and self-conscious," Ms Pulo said.

"Instead of staying home and feeling that, I say to myself: get out there, cover yourself up and don't let it stop you having fun.

"I feel discriminated against. Just because I'm not bound by a religion shouldn't mean I can't dress modestly. It's my choice. Why should I miss out on going for a swim because I'm conscious about my body?"

A friend, Fiona Garcia, whose daughter Aprelle was swimming with Ms Pulo's children, said she approached the lifeguard over the incident, telling him "This is discrimination."

Told he would be the subject of a complaint, she said the guard replied: "Put in two [complaints]".

Wollongong City Council's manager of property and recreation, Peter Coyte, said swimmers at the city's public pools were required to wear "swimming attire" in the water.

"Council works within guidelines set out by NSW Health, and therefore doesn't permit the wearing of inappropriate clothing, or 'street' clothing, due to potential health risks," Mr Coyte said.

Signs were posted at all council-run pools, advising swimmers that appropriate swimming attire must be worn in the water, and lifeguards were required to enforce the rule, a council spokeswoman said.

Despite this, council apologised and would investigate Ms Pulo's complaint.

heavenly father wrote:surely its discrimination if muslims are allowed to swim in dresses...

feelthelove wrote:Almost all swimming pools in France ban swimming shorts and even women's swimming costumes with built in skirts. Speedo's are the norm although sparkly ones aren't compulsory

It's all to do with hygiene and I suspect it's the same in this instance.

veya_victaous wrote:

feelthelove wrote:Almost all swimming pools in France ban swimming shorts and even women's swimming costumes with built in skirts. Speedo's are the norm although sparkly ones aren't compulsory  

It's all to do with hygiene and I suspect it's the same in this instance.

Doubt it, Muslims can swim fully clothed.  the dress is actually sold to Muslim Women for swimming.

Plus those same pools are used for the "swim survive" classes for kids, part of which is swimming in street clothes including shoes (and taking them off in the water) been a long time since I done it but as a kid I could swim 200m in full tracksuit (one of the tests) which is epically harder than swimming in board shorts. I can swim kilometres in board shorts     but not unsual for Aussies as we learn to swim at the same time as learning to walk. Pools and the beach are a big part of our culture     

veya_victaous wrote:

feelthelove wrote:Almost all swimming pools in France ban swimming shorts and even women's swimming costumes with built in skirts. Speedo's are the norm although sparkly ones aren't compulsory

It's all to do with hygiene and I suspect it's the same in this instance.

Doubt it, Muslims can swim fully clothed. the dress is actually sold to Muslim Women for swimming.

Plus those same pools are used for the "swim survive" classes for kids, part of which is swimming in street clothes including shoes (and taking them off in the water) been a long time since I done it but as a kid I could swim 200m in full tracksuit (one of the tests) which is epically harder than swimming in board shorts. I can swim kilometres in board shorts    but not unsual for Aussies as we learn to swim at the same time as learning to walk. Pools and the beach are a big part of our culture     

Raggamuffin wrote:If she only used the dress for swimming, that's OK isn't it?

I must say that she should stop worrying about being fat and what others think of her.

lovedust wrote:

veya_victaous wrote:

Doubt it, Muslims can swim fully clothed.  the dress is actually sold to Muslim Women for swimming.

Plus those same pools are used for the "swim survive" classes for kids, part of which is swimming in street clothes including shoes (and taking them off in the water) been a long time since I done it but as a kid I could swim 200m in full tracksuit (one of the tests) which is epically harder than swimming in board shorts. I can swim kilometres in board shorts     but not unsual for Aussies as we learn to swim at the same time as learning to walk. Pools and the beach are a big part of our culture     

That's interesting.... Is it typical for children to be trained in survival swimming in Oz Veya?