I just saw a video of Cullen Jones on the Today Show. A few things stood out to me. One was how far Black History Month has slipped down on my priority list.

I’m pretty sure I dredged up as much black swimming history as I could last year, and posted just about every day in February.

This year, I’ve been focusing on other things. I haven’t meant to neglect the blog, but it has become a casualty of new priorities.

That said, something in the Cullen Jones interview really touched me. The video included a reenactment of his near-drowning incident at the age of 5. Just seeing the water, and hearing Cullen’s recollection of how he saw water, then blacked out made the incident come into focus. It was no longer a statistical blip, but it had been a real, life-changing moment in time.

His mother could have done what so many non-swimming parents do when they come that close to a drowning–she could have tried to keep her child as far from the water as she could, for the rest of his life. Instead, she made the opposite choice. She enrolled him in swim lessons as soon as she could.

Cullen Jones could have just learned to swim, been successfully waterproofed, and gone on with his life. Instead, he caught the bug, and hasn’t let swimming go yet.

I can understand that. Overcoming fear is intoxicating. Then it moved on to something else for Jones. Maybe he had other fears, like losing, or not measuring up and what-not. But more likely, he used the courage gained in learning to swim and ran with it, realizing there was nothing stopping him.

And now he’s doing his part to spread the bug. Some of the children he teaches to swim will be waterproofed and go on with their lives. But some? Lets just say the Olympic pools 15-20 years from now might look a lot darker.

Sabir Muhammad, famed swimmer, has just told his story in a children’s book. Full of positive role models, beautiful watercolor illustrations, and plenty of examples of black swimmers, Born To Swim
is a must have.

Hands down, the best production value on a learn to swim video ever! I hope she keeps it up.

How did I miss this? Did you see this?

I love how her make-up stays so fresh, even after she overcomes her fear enough to put her head under the water. I have a swim cap like hers. It is pretty good about keeping the hair dry until you do serious swimming. I wonder how it held up for her? Part two is next time.

I don’t know who thought of a giant pool party in the middle of winter, but the children and I found ourselves in the pool Friday.

I was pleased that my 6 year old didn’t try to drown himself this time, so I could handle the non-swimmer I have left by holding the wiggly 2 1/2 year old as tightly as I could.

My two daughters who tested into level 7 of the USA learn to swim program both could have passed the swim test to play in the deep water, but weren’t interested. At which point do you push your children? I didn’t on Friday, and eventually, the 8 year old decided she wanted to take the test, which consisted of swimming horizontally across the deep end of the 50 meter pool. She passed, and then went back to splash in the shallow end with her sister–and a green wrist band!

When it was time to go, I convinced the 8 year old to go off the diving board a few times on our way out of the pool. She was glad she did.

The next time, I’ll insist the 10 year old takes the swim test too, if for no other reason than to keep up her skills. Maybe the 6 year old will be ready to take the test by then. As it is, his swim lessons were worth it to teach him his limits in the pool.

Now when can I enroll the toddler?

And. .. we have video! Here’s a video recap of my kids’ swim lessons this past fall.