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Every splash counts

It’s early evening at the Raha International School campus pool in Khalifa City. Gentle waves ripple across the 25-meter pool in anticipation of Arabian Swim Academy and GOALS UAE’s Monday class of student swimmers.

This class, however, is different from the speed training that took place earlier in the day.

CAPTION: Courtesy of UAE Year of Community website

Whether navigating physical challenges, cognitive delays or neurodivergence, participants are diving into more than just water — they’re gaining confidence, building coordination and lighting up new pathways in the brain.

Arabian Swim Academy has been operating at both Raha campuses for 12 years and works in tandem with Wolfi’s Cycling, Athletics Academy and PASS Abu Dhabi to promote sport and inclusivity in the community through their association with the GOALS UAE program for people of determination.

The swimmers in the pool at today’s lesson range in age from 7 to 37, and the program is designed for them to not only enjoy the water but also learn how to swim, stay safe and self-rescue.

Anaaya is a little girl with cerebral palsy and new to the program. Today is her third lesson, and she is able to kick in the water with her right foot — something she was unable to do just a few weeks prior.

Watch: Beyond the Surface: Inclusive Swimming

Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that impacts how a person moves. It is caused by damage to parts of the brain responsible for movement, typically before birth. The main challenge people with this condition experience is muscle movement control.

Anaya can walk with assistance, and moving in the water is a great way for her to gain strength and develop muscle control. Water reduces body weight by 90 percent, eliminating impact on her joints so she can acquire these benefits without stress on her body.

As with most sports, an increased heart rate offers improved overall fitness, circulation and endurance — and ultimately, for kids like Anaaya, better flexibility.

Other swimmers in the program experience similar benefits — and then some — depending on their conditions.

GOALS UAE coaches-Raha Khalifa City campus

FROM LEFT BACK: Danny Dela Torre, Dhammika Kondaramge , Helen Wilson FROM LEFT MIDDLE: Hasinthara Shamini Mohamad, Malshi Wathudhura, Donabel Macusi, Mariecris Bordali, Rosario Ortega FROM LEFT FRONT: Ibrahim Akanni, William Wilson, Kelly Dongmo, Ninia Manlapig

Many of the swimmers in the pool today have autism spectrum disorder (ASD), much of which is sensory. This means those on the spectrum experience sensory processing complications: Noises may sound louder, textures feel more intense or rough. It’s a lot more for their brains to process, and it can result in considerable discomfort. The spectrum is broad — so for some, it might be mild discomfort, but for others, it can feel unbearable.

According to Helen Wilson, owner of Arabian Swim Academy and member of the GOALS UAE program, the pool can be a very soothing place to calm sensory overload. The light ripple of the water, the soft way it surrounds the body, and the silence it provides when ears are immersed makes water an attractive and relaxing place for a person with ASD.

It sounds soothing, but with water, there can also be risks.

The Autism Society of Florida says drowning is the leading cause of death for children with autism. They often wander and evade caregivers, and in many cases, don’t recognize danger. Children with autism are 160 times more likely to drown than those not on the spectrum — so it’s imperative they learn to swim.

And that is exactly what this program offers them.

Malek is 22 years old. He has ASD and learns by verbally repeating the coach’s instruction. He can swim and today is working on his technique. His coach today is a Grade 10 student named Ryan Pelser, who swims with the Raha Cobras senior  swim team and volunteers with GOALS. Ryan demonstrates technique and encourages Malek to complete his swims.

Malek’s mother says he has been with GOALS since 2018. “He has learned to swim, he’s competed in triathlons, duathlons, they’ve won bronze, silver, gold and he absolutely can’t wait to come to this. He loves the socialization and the coaches are amazing,” she tells KUST Review.

Raphael is 37 and also has ASD. He swims well and is here for the health benefits, and his coach swims alongside him just to encourage him to keep going.

Raha Gardens campus Arabian Swim Academy coaches

LEFT TO RIGHTTigist, Nestor, Anna-Leah, Chandrika, Helen, Debbie, Perera, Evo (GC student), Sylus

Adam has autism and limited language. Communication can be a challenge, so he has two people working alongside him to help him progress. Coach Danny Dela Torre and another Raha Cobras volunteer student, Hayden Kinsella, who says he understands Adam’s thought process and responds to his behavior and body language. This allows Hayden to instruct in a way Adam learns — often with physical demonstration rather than verbal direction.

Grace, Adam’s shadow teacher, says this is the perfect program for him.

“I can see that the swimming activities are very helpful for Adam, as well as communication and interaction with others,” she says. Grace says she feels the program gives his very active mind some downtime.

Heliodor, a 10-year-old-boy with Down syndrome, works on his arm movements and kicking. Keeyan, also with ASD, is calmed by the water and is working with pool noodles to support his body while he learns to kick. Muhammed lights up and is ready to show off his skills as soon as a camera comes into sight.

Every person of determination will have different needs. The autism spectrum, for example, is vast — so some will require minimal assistance, while others have little language and, like Adam, respond best when someone demonstrates rather than instructs him verbally.

That is what programs like this offer: tailored training to help each swimmer succeed — whatever success looks like for them.

It’s an overwhelming feeling for me, personally, the joy that it brings to the kids and the joy that it brings to the family as well.

– Helen Wilson, owner – Arabian Swim Academy

Other benefits for members of the program include increased core strength, improved motor and fine motor skills, and stronger muscles due to water resistance. But Wilson says the social aspect and confidence building are just as important.

“The program is set up in stages. They all start in stage one, which is one-on-one with a coach. Once they get past this stage, they’ll move into a double lesson with another individual. Once they’re more confident, they’ll go into a group lesson. There is a lot of social growth and achievable tasks.”

Once the swimmers move beyond these stages, they have the option to move into the aquathon and triathlon programs at the Raha Gardens Campus run by Debbie Schrieber, if that is something they and their families wish to pursue.

Anne, mother of Raphael, is here with her son, who enjoys the calm of the pool. She says the benefits are ample.

“The pool is soothing for him, and of course there are all the benefits — the respiratory and health benefits. It all comes together for him.”

The parents are collectively positive and supportive of the program, and they see numerous benefits for their children.

CAPTION: SPIA AWARD

In 2025, GOALS UAE won the gold medal for Best Inclusive Initiative at the Middle East Sports Industry Awards (SPIA).

“It’s an overwhelming feeling for me, personally,” Wilson says. “When I hear things about successes or read a message from a parent or a review they’ve posted — to know that something is so appreciated and giving back just 45 minutes of your day to something that’s so worthwhile. The joy that it brings to the kids and the joy that it brings to the family as well,” she tells KUST Review.

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The gut key to senescence

From anti-wrinkle creams to collagen masks, the anti-aging product industry is estimated to be valued at U.S.$52.44 billion. But what if the secret isn’t in a miracle cream or magic pill, but in your gut?

A new review published in Exploratory Research and Hypothesis in Medicine says the trillions of microbes living in the digestive system might play a significant role in the pace of aging.

The paper consolidates emerging research that links two major offenders behind aging: DNA damage and shortening telomeres (small protective caps on the ends of your chromosomes that shorten as you age), with gut health.

When there is a balance issue within the gut bacteria, a condition called dysbiosis, the bacteria can set off oxidative stress and inflammation. These impact your DNA and speed up the cellular aging process.

The good news is that friendly gut microbes can help to counter this. Good bacteria and their byproducts, especially short-chain fatty acids, can help preserve telomeres and calm inflammation, possibly slowing the aging process.

The researchers note that centenarians, those who live to age 100 plus, have well balanced gut microbiomes, linking longer healthier lives to healthier guts.

Remember the next time you’re investing in the next overly expensive anti-aging cream that what you eat might just be the key to feeding your future.

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Me-wow!

According to the World Animal foundation, there are 373 million domestic cats in the world, and 80 percent of the orange kitty population are male. For years scientists have know that orange in a cat’s coat was related to the X chromosome, but didn’t know why. But a team of researchers from Kyushu University say it all boils down to a tiny piece of missing DNA.

The research found that a tiny deletion of 5100 DNA letters, of which there are typically 2.5-2.8 billion, are missing. In a vast sea of DNA letters, the missing is only 0.0002% but even this can make a massive difference and it is only found in orange, tortoiseshell and calico cats.

This happens because the genetic change impacts pigmentation production. It depresses eumelanin, the genes that would typically make black or brown fur and amps up the pheomelanin that makes orange pigment.

Because female cats have two X chromosomes, one from each parent, and the gene sits on the X chromosome, only one X is active in each cell. This leads to a medley of colors they inherit both orange and non-orange genes — and ultimately calicos and tortoiseshell cats are almost always female.

If a male cat inherits the orange version of the gene, he’ll be all orange. But for a female to be fully orange she has to get that orange gene from both parents — which is much less likely. That’s why 80 percent of all orange cats are male.

This new research adds the ARHGAP36 to the list of genes that impact animal color and solves a long-standing feline mystery.

The study was published in Current Biology.

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Turning the phage

While phage therapy isn’t FDA approved for general use, it can be used in certain situations like clinical trials or in certain compassionate circumstances — basically, when there is no other option. But with antibiotic resistance a growing concern around the world, an international event is organized for June 2025 in Berlin, Germany, focused on moving phage therapy forward for clinical use.

Phage therapy is a way to treat bacterial infections using viruses called bacteriophages (phages). These viruses attack and kill specific bacteria while leaving human cells alone. Phages are administered to the patient via injection, cream or pill, find the harmful bacteria and inject its DNA into it, reproducing up to 1000 new viruses in each bacterium.

The injected bacteria then explode releasing more phages to find and kill more of the bacteria, subsequently improving the infection.

The idea for this type of treatment has been around for over 100 years but is gaining major global interest now because of its ability to fight super bugs that are antibiotic resistant.

This is the eighth annual Targeting Phage Therapy 2025 conference and is aimed at accelerating clinical use of phage-based therapeutics by addressing issues like dosage knowledge, limitations, immunity response resistance development and more.

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Energy islands

T
he phrase “good things come in small packages” is proving true as agriculture turns to microgrids — small-scale powerhouses that could offer farmers much-needed energy without the use of fossil fuels.

The food and agriculture industries are responsible for approximately 30 percent of the world’s energy consumption and 22 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.

Disconnecting from the larger power grid and running off a smaller grid powered by green energy sources like solar or wind can reduce the agricultural carbon footprint, save on cost, protect from cyber threats and even serve as an extra income stream.

Microgrids are energy distributors that serve a small geographical area like a college campus, hospital or farm.

They can operate autonomously or can be a hybrid model that disconnects from the main power grid and continues to function in “island” mode when needed — such as in the event of a power outage due to a storm or in the event of a cyber-attack.

Microgrids promise a climate-safe, sustainable and inexpensive way for rural communities.

– Renewable Energy World

After an attack, a hospital, for example, could detach from the main grid and keep running.

Microgrids, when connected to the main grid, can also balance power supply and demand by using complex computational techniques using real-time data analysis. Two-way communication between a microgrid and the main power grid means it can take power or give it, based on over-supply or a required injection. This symbiotic relationship offers stability to both.

And if you have excess energy, you can sell it back to the main grid. Depending on tariff rates you could end up with extra cash. But the microgrid can also be an autonomous entity receiving its power injections solely from green energies.

In this case, the grid can receive energy — say, from solar panels — store it and supply it, with zero reliability on the main grid.

Agricultural industry leaders, farmers and food suppliers can now turn to this more reliable, cost-effective and sustainable energy source to maintain uninterrupted operations.

Bigger isn’t always better

Microgrids may be smaller than the traditional power grid but in a big way, they are a reliable source of power during unexpected outages and can mitigate interruptions to business continuity.

The ability to disconnect from the main grid and run off stored energy allows communities or businesses including farms and food suppliers to operate when the main grid is inaccessible.

They’re also resilient, able to modify and recover from severe and sudden disruption.

Plunkett Research’s 2023 statistics report estimates the global food and agriculture industry to be worth U.S.$11.1 trillion, which equates to 11 percent of total gross domestic product. Losses during downtimes therefore, can be catastrophic.

Dairy farmers, for example, require power for milking, processing and storing the product. An electricity shutdown effectively means a business halt and potential for spoilage.

And in countries experiencing an energy crisis, agriculture takes a significant hit.

South Africa, for example, protects its main grid by load shedding. This means power is temporarily shut down when demand comes close to shedding the grid of what it has to offer in order to avoid grid failure. These outages can last up to eight hours per day.

Though this protects the main grid, shutdowns wreak havoc on agriculture.

“It is beyond dispute that every sector of the South African economy has suffered from the impact of rolling blackouts. But agriculture has suffered disproportionately,” says Christo van der Rheede, chief executive officer of AgriSA, in an article for the Daily Maverick.

So a country that experiences extensive outages would seem a perfect fit for microgrids.

“A technology of the future, microgrids promise a climate-safe, sustainable, and inexpensive way for rural communities to harness their own resources and meet their communal needs,” says Renewable Energy World, which covers news and trends in the renewable-energy industry.

The problem is, while microgrids might offer security and save money over time, it takes funding to make the switch. And not everyone has this kind of money.

Is it worth it?

Countries like Australia are less vulnerable to power loss than developing countries that experience many power outages throughout the year, but increased cost of power could be incentive enough to invest in an energy shift.

And switching to green energy means significant cost savings.

Tania Chapman, general manager of farming operations at Nutrano Produce Group, one of Australia’s leading producers of fresh fruit, says it’s complicated to maintain earnings among rising energy costs and maintaining governmental sustainability guidelines.

“If I look at one of our sites the annual bill is around $110,000 currently for the electricity, putting in solar would cost me $120,000 and it would reduce the electricity bills by around 25 to 30 percent,” she tells ABC Rural.

Adding a microgrid into the solar mix could be significantly better.

With global temperatures on the rise, the volume and severity of extreme meteorological events can be catastrophic to not only large industries, but like those of developing countries or remote communities. And access to the main energy grid can be unstable, which also limits socioeconomic development.

Microgrids are less costly than extending the main grid, so many countries are investing in their rural communities. It’s not only a cheaper option but it also allows governments to meet commitments and goals set forth in the Paris Agreement. Tax breaks can also help offset the costs of renewable-energy equipment.

As of 2019, there were 4,500 microgrids globally, but the market is expecting a major growth spurt in the coming decade as governments are keen to mitigate financial risk and develop rural areas.

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