"These programs are literally life changing"- Emma McKeon makes an appeal as she steps up for a good cause after Olympic Glory

Australian swimmer Emma McKeon recently appealed to contribute to the UNICEF programs in Bangladesh. This comes just a few days after McKeon's Bangladesh visit as the UNICEF brand ambassador.

During her visit, McKeon visited children's camps and spent time with the children. She also observed programs where swimming is taught to safeguard children from drowning. As per reports from UNICEF, nearly 15,000 children die in Bangladesh due to drowning.

McKeon also announced that she would be raising 250,000 USD for this noble initiative and also urged her followers to come forward and donate towards this program. She wrote in her story:

"Help me raise money for the incredible UNICEF programs in Bangladesh. These program are literally life changing for these children."

Screenshot of McKeon's Instagram story feat glimpses of her time with Bangladeshi chidren (Image via: McKeon's Instagram)

In her second story, McKeon also thanked her fans who have contributed to this initiative. She wrote:

"Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. Every amount can go a long way"

Screenshot of McKeon's Instagram story feat her Bangladesh visit for UNICEF (Image via: McKeon's Instagram)

Besides being one of the most decorated Australian swimmers in the circuit with 14 gold medals, Emma McKeon has been a UNICEF brand ambassador since 2022. She also competed at the 2024 Paris Games and clinched a gold, silver and bronze medal at the event.

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Emma McKeon shares her perspective on the usefulness of the UNICEF initiates in Bangladesh

Emma McKeon competing for Australia during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 100m Butterfly semifinals (Image via: Getty Images)

Emma McKeon shared her take on how useful the UNICEF initiatives will be for Bangladesh. McKeon shared that the situation in Bangladesh is quite different from Australia where they have resources to learn swimming.

Therefore, initiatives that teach students to swim will be highly beneficial for the children of this country, as they can prevent large-scale drownings. She said (via UNICEF Australia):

"[This program has] a really close connection to me and how I've spent my life. In Australia, we have a huge amount of access to learn to swim, and so many children here don't. These numbers shocked me. Although not all drownings can be easily prevented, the greatest tool a child can have is the ability to swim."

"Swimming has always been an important part of my life - I learned at a young age, and I believe every child, no matter where they are, deserves the same opportunity I was lucky to have" she further added.

Besides her work in Bangladesh, Emma McKeon has also raised money for children in Ukraine in the past as part of the UNICEF program.