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published: Friday, July 03, 2009
SwimKids USA: Every child should know how to swim
ROXANNE BROWN
Staff Writer
CLERMONT -- For Kim Williams, the owner and instructor of SwimKids USA-Central Florida, one thing is certain: Every person who steps in her pool will come out swimming.
It's not just a personal wish, either. It's part of her guaranteed-results program to turn around the statistics that show the biggest cause of death for children under 5 is drowning.
"It's Florida and there's water everywhere. And here in Lake County, we have lakes everywhere and lots of pools. So I feel it's not an option for kids to not know how to swim," Williams said. "With the matter of life and death here in Florida, a parent's decision to teach their child to swim is one expense the parent cannot do without."
SwimKids is a well-known company in Orlando and has been in existence for the past 20 years. There are also locations in Tampa, Brandon, Jacksonville and now, because of Williams, in Clermont.
"I knew when I decided to pursue this passion that I wanted a swim school that was clearly defined by results," Williams said.
The venue for William's classes is at Waterside Pointe in Clermont. Any person from the ages of 1 to adult can register for reasonably priced sessions that consist of eight classes on various days of the week -- including weekends -- depending on age group and level.
Williams said different classes teach different things, such as pop-up breathing (where you lift your head up to get air) to floating, beginner's swimming, survival swimming and pool safety.
Before each session, Williams also reviews with parents what to expect their children to be doing after each class, and offers videos to demonstrate.
If the goal is not met by the end of the session, Williams offers the next session at half price.
"Kids who can't swim will be swimming after eight classes. Face in the water and swimming from 5 to 10 feet back to the wall," Williams said. "It's so exciting to see kids when they actually do it."
Clermont resident Mitzie Garcia enrolled her 3 1/2-year-old daughter, Micaela, in Williams' program at SwimKids USA with a certain skepticism because of Micaela's horror over getting her face wet.
"When I would give Micaela a bath or shower, she'd scream just awful when the water hit her face," Garcia said.
The results after only six lessons, however, shocked the Garcias.
"It's unbelievable how they got her to do what she's done. She's swimming five feet back to the wall with her head in the water after six classes," Garcia said. "Now in the bathtub, she's like 'Mommy, look how I can put my face underwater.'"
"Kim (Williams) has a sweet personality and she's obviously good at what she does because she did what we thought was impossible for Micaela."
For more information, call (352) 394-3040 or visit www.swimkidsusa.com.
