They took to this class like ducklings to water!
More than two dozen Crown Heights youngsters showed up for free swimming lessons at the Medgar Evers College pool on June 30, and some tykes soaked in the instructions on how to float and breathe underwater so well that they were performing aquatic stunts before the class ended, according to organizers.
“There were a few little daredevils that were diving,” said Kaitlin Pelatti of Imagine Swimming, which teaches kids to be at ease in the water and hosted the event. “But first and foremost, we talked to them about water safety and worked on trying to get them more comfortable.”
Many of the elementary school–age children had yet to dip their toes into a pool, but their inexperience did not stop them from diving into the lessons, according to Pelatti.
“It was the first time in a pool for some — and the first time ever getting a swimming lesson for most — and I think they did beautiful job and they kept and open mind,” she said.
Imagine Swimming organized the two-hour “Brooklyn Swims” event with the Bedford-Union Armory as a way to get members of communities typically without access to aquatic facilities, including those of Crown Heights, more comfortable in the water.
Drowning is a leading cause of death among children, Pelatti said, and black and Hispanic kids face an even greater risk due to the lack of swimming resources in their neighborhoods.
“It’s totally preventable, and we know that signing up can reduce drowning by 88 percent,” said Pelatti. “Our work is all about making swimming more accessible.”
