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Free adult swim lessons

(WSPA) – The summer season means many of you will be spending time at pools, lakes or the beach. Not everyone who enjoys the water knows how to swim. Kelly Colley, the Aquatics Director for the YMCA of Greater Spartanburg, knows that it is a safety issue. 'There are times where being in and around the water is unexpected and unplanned. And anyone can have a moment like that and we want to encourage everyone to feel comfortable, in control, and safe.' According to the American Red Cross, nearly half of adult Americans either don't know how to swim at all or don't have the basic skills to be able to save themselves in case they run into trouble in the water. The YMCA is trying to change those numbers. 'We've had more questions and more interest. It is something that is a challenge to overcome, taking that first step and walking into that pool that first day.' 'The first step is the hardest. And after that, when you have worked hard for something and you challenge yourself and you grow and you've set that goal of being able to swim across the pool and you reach it…it is the best feeling in the world.' Learning to swim doesn't just keep you safe. Your attitudes toward the water can affect your children, according to Rowdy Gaines. The three-time Olympic Gold Medal swimmer leads Step Into Swim, a foundation that promotes and funds swimming lessons for children across the country. 'My best advice to parents that do not know how to swim or have little or no swimming skills is learn yourself. Because once you learn it's freeing, right? And it creates that positive vibe within yourself, and that positive vibe is then passed on to the child.' Swimming ability not only keeps you and your family safe, it's also good for cardio and your joints. Want to learn how to swim? Here are some local resources. YMCA of Greater Spartanburg YMCA of Greenville Greenville County Aquatic Center Anderson Area YMCA Lakelands Region YMCA YMCA of Easley, Pickens and Powdersville Foothills Area YMCA YMCA of Western NC Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.