About
In the 1960’s a family of professional marathon swimmers, the Park family, recognized a gap in the delivery of swimming lessons specifically in relation to young children. Traditional lessons offered a play program for children under the age of 6 years without teaching young children basic survival skills in the water. As parents themselves, the Park’s recognized that physical barriers to water and adult supervision are not always enough to keep children safe. Fear of drowning was a reality given they were all travelling with young families to open water swimming venues around the world.
As a result the Park siblings developed a structured swimming program that focused on teaching young children survival swimming skills. William Park was the first to offer swimming lessons in Grimsby, Ontario. Soon after, his younger siblings started swimming schools in California USA, Maryland USA and Hamilton, Ontario.
At that time they coined the method 'waterproofing' or 'drown proofing' 1. Generally infants were taught to roll onto their backs to float, rest and breathe until help arrives. As the children became older and more coordinated they were taught to roll back onto their stomachs and kick and pull until they reach the side of the pool, a ladder or steps. The sequence of rolling from stomach onto their back and stomach again continues until they reach safety.
Since the 1960’s the geographical locations of the swimming schools have changed and the next generation became involved with the swim schools.
My mother began her swim school in the Niagara area in 1976. My sister and I joined her shortly thereafter. Together we modified and refined the swimming program to meet the needs of the growing aquatic community. As we became adults we began our own swimming schools building on the fundamentals of the Park family survival-swimming program.
1Please note: We no longer use the term ‘waterproofing or drown proofing’; the term is misleading and suggests that children are absolutely safeguarded against drowning and underscores the requirement of adult supervision. Adult supervision remains a primary source of drowning prevention; lessons are not a substitute for parental supervision.
I personally have been teaching swimming for over 45 years. In 2018 I retired from law enforcement after 30 years of service to devote my time to swimming. I have modified my methods and techniques to create my own individualized style of teaching. My passion for teaching is exhibited daily during each swim lesson and in the pride I take in providing young children with the tools to save themselves should they find themselves in the water alone. Swimming is an essential life skill. It is a fundamental activity in our Canadian summers and part of a healthy active lifestyle. I strongly believe that every child should learn to swim.
Classes are limited to a maximum of 4 children per class. Children are registered in sets of 6 classes. The classes are 30 minutes long.
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