Keith Godley used to sit on the sidelines as his daughter learned to swim at the Boll Family YMCA. He was afraid of the water because he had never learned to swim. Now, the 50-year-old father is swimming three times per week, at least. He credits his love for his daughter for diving into lessons; he did not want to hold her back from participating in water activities as she grew older.
Kids are not the only individuals who fear water. What’s worse, is that adults’ fear of water can end up affecting their children, resulting in generations of individuals not knowing how to swim. The Y’s Detroit Swims program will teach parents to swim at no cost to the family starting this fall. Lessons for adults are also available through all YMCAs with pools in Metro Detroit. Learn more at ymcadetroit.org/detroitswims.