Swimming is more than a pastime, it's a child's lifesaving skill

If you were ever a kid embarking on a new round of swimming lessons at your local pool, you’ll likely recall a particular set of visceral experiences that came with the endeavour. There were the smells (chlorine, shampoo, wet bathing suit left in a plastic bag overnight); the tastes (Aero bar and pickle chips from the vending machine); the sounds (a dull roar of whistles and splashes); and the inevitable feelings of fear, excitement, cold, fatigue and, in small and large measure, pride.

Right now, there are 14,761 kids (as well as a few adults) registered in 36 different City of Calgary swim classes taught by 300 instructors (all with Swim for Life/Livesaving certification from the Canadian Lifesaving Society). Those numbers are down a titch from last fall, although summer attendance this year (11,488) was almost identical to last, and registration in the winter swim semester is up by a couple thousand.

Read more here: http://calgaryherald.com/life/swerve/swimming-is-more-than-a-pastime-its-a-childs-lifesaving-skill

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