Diving into inclusion: Nigerian coach teaches swimming to kids with disabilities

At a non-public poolside within the suburbs of Lagos, Nigeria’s industrial capital, Emeka Chuks-Nnadi has his eyes fastened on the water.

He watches from the pool’s edge as his college students enter the pool one after the other. “Don’t fight the water. Let it hold you. Relax your muscles. The water wants to keep you up,” he exhorts the youngsters, his gaze monitoring every motion.

Today, he’s educating them to drift. When a visually impaired boy within the group finds his stability within the water after struggling for a bit, the coach’s face is a mixture of aid and satisfaction.

Emeka, aka the Swim Guru, thrives on these moments. They additionally clarify why he based Swim In 1 Day in 2022, a charity educating swimming and water security to kids with disabilities and people from deprived backgrounds.

“My purpose is to turn fear into freedom and to give children, especially those living with disabilities, the life-saving gift of swimming,” he tells TRT Afrika.

A life redirected

This wasn’t at all times Emeka’s path. He used to run a tourism and occasions firm in Spain’s Barcelona, managing over 150 workers. Business was flourishing till COVID-19 coursed by means of the world in 2021, destroying every little thing in its path.

“The pandemic gave me time to visit Nigeria for five months in 2021, and that trip changed everything,” remembers Emeka.

While swimming at Oniru Beach in Lagos someday, he seen some homeless kids gathering there to look at him navigate the waves. Their response when he emerged was revelatory in additional methods than one.

“They cheered and applauded me, and I realised just how vulnerable they were to the sea. Nobody had taught them water safety. Somehow, I knew then that I wouldn’t go back to Europe,” Emeka tells TRT Afrika.

The basis for this calling was laid a long time earlier; simply that Emeka did not comprehend it then.

He started swimming at 9 underneath the tutelage of his father, “a very good swimmer” who was decided to go on his ability to all the household.

Emeka’s mom planted a unique seed, recurrently taking him to go to underprivileged kids in Nigerian care houses.

“My mom was always trying to teach us that for you to be a happy person in life, you need to see everybody as equal, and you need to love and uplift everybody around you,” he says.

Those youth classes proceed to information Emeka as he swims in opposition to the tide.

Startling statistics

Drowning stays some of the unnoticed causes of mortality worldwide. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reviews a mean of over 300,000 drowning deaths globally yearly, which works out to greater than 30 lives misplaced each hour. Africa bears the heaviest toll.