Every summer, kids build confidence in the water and develop swim skills at Camp High Hopes. On Saturday, Aug. 5, 150 of them confidently dove in to compete in the Camp High Hopes Swim for Life Swim Meet.
The yearly event provides an opportunity for campers from the Alexander, Durham, Finley, Kerr, Kraft and Taylor YMCAs to show off their newly developed swim skills.
BUILDING CONFIDENT SWIMMERS
One of those campers was Asis. Before Camp High Hopes, Asis wasn’t a confident swimmer. This is her eighth summer at Camp High Hopes at Finley, and watching her at this year’s meet, you’d think she was a pro.
“I love this event,” she said.
“The Swim for Life meet has made Asis more confident in the water,” said her mom, Aneesah. “She has really learned strokes and technique.”
Asis’ big sister, Elon, started out as a camper at Camp High Hopes, went on to participate in the Y’s Campers in Leadership Training program (CILT) and today is a camp counselor at Camp High Hopes at Finley. Elon first learned to swim at camp.
“Camp High Hopes became my second family,” she said. “My love for kids made me want to become a counselor. They keep me happy.”
Six friends from Kerr YMCA Robert, Jaquon, Jaired, Jamarvin, Ashton and Jayvion would not have had the chance to learn to swim if it hadn't been for Camp High Hopes. Today, each of the boys is proud to have competed in the swim meet more than once.
SWIM EVENTS
Campers competed in breast stroke, back stroke, freestyle, butterfly and relays. Ribbons were awarded to swimmers for placing in individual heats. Each branch awarded swimmers in categories like MVP and Most Improved.
“The annual meet is an opportunity for us to bring our campers together to celebrate their hard work and dedication to learning to swim while at camp over the summer,” said Kim Keith, Vice President of Youth Development.
Campers receive swim instruction multiple times per week while at Camp High Hopes. As campers master the basics of swimming, they are able to start focusing on developing their strokes and joining the swim team at their camp.
“For our younger campers, this may be the first time they receive swim instruction,” Kim said. “For our older campers who have been attending camp for many years, we have watched them grow from timid, sometimes fearful swimmers to confident, skilled swimmers.
“Watching these swimmers compete in the annual Swim Meet is one of my favorite events every year. Their confidence and enthusiasm for competing is fun to watch. Perhaps even more fun to watch are the proud parents and families on the sidelines cheering for their swimmers. It truly is one of the most fun events of the year.”
SWIMMING IS A LIFE SKILL
Many children never get the chance to learn to swim and children from low-income families are more than three times as likely to drown. 70 percent of African American and 60 percent of Hispanic children cannot swim, compared to 40 percent of Caucasian children.
That’s why the YMCA of the Triangle focuses on teaching swim skills to all children at Camp High Hopes through our Swim for Life program.
ABOUT CAMP HIGH HOPES
More than 800 children attend YMCA Summer Day Camp on full or partial scholarship, thanks to donations to our Annual Campaign. Swim instruction is a part of each camper’s day at Camp High Hopes.
