Ready, Set, Swim! teaches Winnipeg kids to swim
Swimming has health benefits, it boosts a child’s confidence, and it can provide kids with future jobs, says the founder of a charity dedicated to ensuring all young Winnipeggers can learn how to swim. But there’s a deeper reason behind Ready, Set, Swim!, too.
“We want everyone to be able to enjoy our beautiful water bodies in the province and to do it safely,” says Rishona Hyman, who is volunteering her time as a swim instructor and to set up Ready, Set, Swim!
In July 2018, two young adults who had immigrated to Winnipeg drowned after a simple walk along the lake near Kenora turned into a fall in the water for Arwinder Brar, 19, and Pawan Preet Brar, 20.
The tragedy inspired Hyman, who has run Aqua Essence Swim Academy for the past 16 years, to start Ready, Set, Swim!
The two young men had worked at the Hilton Garden Inn and are the owners’ relatives. On Feb. 23, a launch party was held for Ready, Set, Swim! with a goal to raise $40,000. The hotel volunteered their venue for the launch to help ensure no family ever suffers a similar loss. Amidst the food and entertainment, there were moving speeches, including two young Syrian-Canadian girls who described learning to swim for the first time last summer. The event raised $70,000.
Ready, Set, Swim! aims to remove all the barriers that prevent children from getting swim lessons, with a focus on underprivileged Winnipeg kids, aged 6 to 18, including immigrants who grew up without a chance to learn to swim, or families who can’t afford to register children for lessons. Thanks to sponsors, the youngsters will receive a bag with a swimsuit from Arena or Swimming Matters and healthy snacks from Sobeys on Taylor at Grant Park.
“If a kid needs a culturally sensitive bathing suit, we can supply that too,” says Hyman. The plan is to have the first class of 50 kids start lessons in early April. The participants will learn the Lifesaving Society’s Swim to Survive program without a life jacket, with the ultimate goal being to prevent drowning.
Learn more at https://www.readysetswim.ca/
