U of A expands free swimming classes to adults

From Fear to Freedom: Dive into Opportunity, this system in partnership with the African American Museum of Southern Arizona and U of A Aquatics, started in 2023, providing free swimming classes to African American youngsters with restricted entry to swimming pools.

The program is increasing its classes to incorporate ages over 18 because of excessive demand, in accordance with AAMSAZ director Nikieia Johnson.

“Many adults, especially individuals in their 60s and 70s, started reaching out en masse, saying that they never had a chance to learn how to swim and would like to learn how,” Johnson stated in a information launch, which she stated contributed to the choice to broaden this system’s sources.

The program additionally provides varied instruments to new learners comparable to swimsuits, goggles, towels, flip-flops, sunscreen and, extra not too long ago, swim caps.

The classes at the moment are open to anybody locally who wouldn’t in any other case have the sources or alternative to discover ways to swim.

Adult and teenage classes run parallel to the youth trainings, which embody primary water-entry abilities and water comfortability coaching, in accordance with Daniel Hepfer, U of A Campus Recreation’s assistant director of aquatic operations. Parent-child classes are additionally accessible.

They first obtained funding for this system in 2023 by way of a $5,000 Community Impact grant and have continued it with the assistance of native donors. The funds for increasing this system to adults have been contributed by Betsy Bruce, the first donor for this yr, in accordance with Beverly Elliott, co-founder of AAMSAZ.

“No child or adult should have to drown because they don’t have access to basic lessons,” Elliott stated within the information launch.

Registration is now open for the summer time.