Except, for her, learning to swim meant being thrown in the deep end, literally.

Mrs Kikkert, a Liberal, is one of a number of first timers in the newly elected 25-member ACT Legislative Assembly.

She is known in her electorate of Ginninderra for marking milestones with acts of kindness, such as handing out balloons or flowers, or paying for someone's coffee, just to brighten their day.

While she is determined and motivated to represent her community, she said being a member of the Legislative Assembly would be a daunting learning curve.

As a young girl in her home country of Tonga, Mrs Kikkert recalled being tossed into the water when she didn't know how to swim.

"Then somebody threw me a swimming ring," she said. "That was the quick way of learning."

Her election to the ACT Legislative Assembly might prove a similar scenario, she said.

"I've been thrown into the deep end, but I have so many people around me that can offer those swimming rings to support me, encourage me, teach me and guide me along the way," she said.

Mrs Kikkert's first test was the "confusing and challenging" Hare-Clark voting system, she said.

"It gives the opportunity for an independent or somebody new to win a seat ... Of course I'm disappointed that my party lost but at the end of the day we will still be serving and we will still be a voice to people in the community, whether we are the party that leads or not," she said.

For the past 15 years, Mrs Kikkert has been involved in charity work with women and children. But she and her husband Sean have also been busy raising their five children – Cormac, 15, Utopia, 14, Virtue, 12, Manti, 10, and Laneah, 8.

Ms Kikkert said she was looking forward to her role in politics.

"I believe a politician is there to establish policies and law that benefit people, but to do that you need to be out in the community; if my children can see that, it would be fantastic," she said.