Swim Freedom and SWimmer agreements

The “Swim Freedom” classes have been a wonderful experience for both me and my 8-year-old granddaughter, and they are greatly needed in our community.

Many people in my community, including myself, never learned how to swim and have a real fear of the water. Participating in these classes has given me the opportunity to learn alongside my granddaughter while spending valuable quality time together. It has also allowed us to meet new people and build connections within our community.

The fact that these classes are offered free of charge is especially meaningful to me. As a grandmother raising two grandchildren on a fixed income, programs like this make opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach accessible to families like mine.

I am truly grateful that I learned about this wonderful program. Not only are we learning how to swim, but we are also gaining important water safety skills that could one day save lives.

My heartfelt hope is that Swim Freedom will continue to grow and reach even more people—young and old, from all backgrounds and walks of life. Learning how to swim is an essential life skill. You never know when the ability to swim may help save your own life or the life of someone else from drowning.

Thank you to everyone who makes this program possible.

Rosemarie and Milahn 

I feel so blessed to have found Swim Freedom.

Before Swim Freedom, my son was in swim classes where he felt completely comfortable in the water, but he didn’t yet have the skills he needed to truly stay safe. The classes were large, and it was difficult for him to get the individual attention and consistency he needed to grow. At times, he would move up a level and then back down again, which made it hard to feel like he was building lasting skills and confidence. With the cost of lessons, it also became discouraging not seeing the growth and consistency we hoped for.

What I realized over time was that many swim programs seemed focused on making swimming fun, while my goal as a parent was much deeper: I wanted my son to be safe. I wanted him to know how to survive in the water.

Everything came to a head after a scary accident at a pool where my son hit his head and an ambulance had to be called. After that experience, he became afraid, and honestly, so did I. My sweet boy wasn’t just struggling with inconsistent growth in the water anymore — his confidence was beginning to break too.

Swim Freedom helped restore that.

This past year, my son has learned so many new skills. He has never been afraid of the water, but now I am no longer afraid when I see him in the water. He can float, glide, tread water, and move through the water with confidence and grace. While he is still working on swimming longer distances, the growth we’ve seen has been incredible. Watching him regain confidence and learn real water safety skills has even inspired me to work toward one of my own life goals: learning how to swim myself.

Thank you, Swim Freedom.

D and D