Adaptive swimmers and their families now have four pools to choose from when applying for a Green Mountain Adaptive Sports Aquatics scholarship.
The GMAS Adaptive Aquatics Program has been one of the organization’s most popular programs over the past 10 years, with most swim lessons held at the Swimming Hole in Stowe.
Now, athletes of all ages and ability eager to get acclimatized to the aquatic environment, work on stroke development, and even strive for competitive swimming can do so at three different pools in Vermont including The Greater Burlington YMCA, Green Mountain Community Fitness in Berlin, Upper Valley Aquatics Center in White River Junction, and The Swimming Hole in Stowe.
“There was unmet need in Washington and Chittenden counties and we are thrilled to partner with Aquatic Centers in those locations,” comments Wendy Nunez, GMAS board member and head of the GMAS Aquatics Program. She adds, “Stowe can be a long drive for many families, and the addition of two more pools where people can receive adaptive swim lessons closer to where they live is a game changer.”
Green Mountain Adaptive Sports has developed a mutually beneficial relationship with the Greater Burlington YMCA for some time, initially sponsoring an Adaptive Aquatics Training in May of 2023. At the workshop attended by a dozen swim instructors, trainers Carla Hacker and Jess Lukas co-facilitated the 2-day experience to provide participants with the information to instruct their athletes in the water, regardless of ability.
Green Mountain Community Fitness is the latest facility to join forces with GMAS and offer adaptive swim lessons. The facility recently underwent a major make-over and is the largest fitness facility in central Vermont, with an unrivaled range of equipment, spaces, and services to suit every athlete.
Meg Denton and Joanne Leclerc are now on deck to instruct at the Berlin facility. Denton is an Occupational Therapist with a Master’s of Education degree specializing in Assistive Technology, and a GMAS board member. She recently finished the Aquatic Therapy Course with Angelfish. Leclerc has been teaching at the facility and recently received the Swim Whisperer’s certification.
Green Mountain Adaptive Sports would like to invite Vermont residents of all ages and ability to apply for a scholarship to receive a series of five adaptive swim lessons from trained instructors sponsored by GMAS. Apply here.
You can also support GMAS with a donation to provide athletes with a swim scholarship.