Safety Around Water

Eight year old Nolan was absolutely terrified of the water when he first came to the Y. “He couldn’t get near the pool without puking,” says his grandmother, Joan Collins. Collins brought Nolan to the Y because she felt he needed an outlet. Nolan was three when he and his younger sister lost their father in a car accident, and their mother was not able to take care of them. “I felt he needed a sport, not anything competitive, but something productive, and swimming seemed like the best option. There is water everywhere and it’s such an important life skill.”
“I was sitting in the locker room almost in tears with Nolan because I couldn’t get him near the water,” said Collins. “His instructor found us and said, ‘Please don’t worry, we got this.’ She brought a bucket into the pool in case he got sick. She got Nolan in the water and after a couple lessons, he hasn’t looked back. He quickly advanced from Level 2 to Level 4, and he loves it! It’s amazing to see him do the backstroke. One of his favorite things to do is to find a raft and just float on it. It’s super exciting to see him overcome something. Now he’s ready to take on another sport. It has helped his mind, body and soul.” says Collins.

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