OCR Text |
Show r f kuHta'' IMS . f LSSjlil'tLAy-- i ii 53 Classified Ads a Towns News at evenhous 2,4,6,8,10.12 SEQION 0 MONDAY, APRIL 2. 2007 METRO EDITOR Joe Pyrah - 344-258- 6 jpyrahheraldextra.com MONDAY CLOSE-U- P An aquatic experience ' -- 'sx f X' . f$Mmm;--- . m ; STORY AND PHOTOS BY ASHLEY FRANSCELL Whether family, friends or strangers, one thing binds us together: Utah Valley is home. Here is the story of some of us, Adaptive Aquatics. ; . student Casey Nelson catches Connor Kestor as he jumps into the pool from the deck during the Adaptive Aquatics program at BYU. BYU J: i . siPRSSga . v ' . j ; : --l- :x - More than 100 students and 200 BYU volunteers swim " x at the Reynolds Center for an Adaptive Aquatics program atBYU inProvo. Being able to swim with these kids makes me feel really blessed to have what I have." Catherine Coole, Adaptive Aquatics volunteer IE ach and every face has a smile on it. All two hundred of them. Every Thursday and Friday, about 70 to 100 disabled students from around Alpine and Nebo school districts come to with a the BYU pool to swim BYU volunteer under the Adaptive Aquatics one-on-o- program. The kids have a range of disabilities but in the water all their disadvantages seem to wash away. Some are scared at first because the feeling of water is different than anything they've felt before, but by the end they be come entranced with their own weightlessness. The program levels out the children and they get to get out of their wheelchairs," said Kate LUlywhite, a teacher at Rocky Mountain Elementary in Lindon. "It's really a positive experience for them." Denice Walters of Mt. Mahogany in Pleasant Grove brings nearly 20 children almost every week. The children learn more about interaction, movement and language than actual swimming. "It's a great opportunity for them to work on skills and make goals," said program Goldie Mehan. "We're not teaching them to swim, it's nothing structured" j Fifty years Some of the children play with toys. Some of them swim. And some of them just float. "Many of the children feel very free in the water that they dont otherwise," said program enrolls 200 BYU student volun, teers each year. "Who doesn't love kids and swimming?" said Sigety, who started the program in Walters. September. "Everyone is here to have a It has also become an awakening for the good time." "A lot of volunteers come here because volunteers. there is love both ways," said BYU student "Being able to swim with these kids makes me feel really blessed to have what I Kendra Olsea "The children always leave have," said volunteer Catherine Cooley, who the pool so happy." Sometimes it's difficult to get the life just started with the program this year. jackets off the children at the end of the 40 Volunteering is something the BYU stuminutes. And even harder to wrap a towel dents know all too well. But around their wiggling bodies. John Sigety believes that it is one of the better service groups because it's so relaxed "Every single one loves it," said "You can tell by their faces." and convenient. That seems to be why the Lilly-whit- e. of falling in love lladr VX 'Oy 0 Only In CottonTrek Squarb (801) 2230 N. Univenity Pkwy 13 Provo, Utah 84604 Holiday Hours: Monday Saturday 10 AM to 9 PM 373-100- ' "V I V 0GB BSD mii LOSEE Jewelers - starting Eternities since 1956 |