Learning to swim is a life-saving skill, not a luxury | Letter

This year, our community has lost more than one person to drowning. These losses have left families and neighbors grieving and reminded us how fragile life can be around water. We cannot undo what happened, but we can work to prevent it from happening again.

Learning to swim is a life-saving skill, not a luxury. As CEO of the only fully accessible public pool in Lewiston-Auburn, YWCA Central Maine has spent years building water safety programming, and we know what it takes to close the gap between wanting to learn and being able to.

Last year, 1,006 youth learned to swim through 281 lessons at the YWCA. We provided $11,000 in scholarships, ensuring cost wasn’t a barrier. Our staff also trained the next generation of water safety professionals, teaching seven certification courses that produced 23 Red Cross certifications.

Too often, people assume swim lessons are only for children. The truth is, people of every age benefit from learning to swim. Many adults never had that chance growing up.

Preventing drowning requires a community-wide commitment. Schools can integrate water safety into PE. Businesses and funders can help underwrite scholarships. Parents can prioritize lessons regardless of their child’s age. Organizations can spread the word to families who don’t know these resources exist.

If there is one positive action we can take in the wake of these tragedies, it’s this: let’s ensure everyone has the chance to learn this life-saving skill. Together, we can build a safer community— one swimmer at a time.

Melanie LaMore
CEO, YWCA Central Maine
Lewiston

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Tagged: letter to the editor