Before, many of my friends were afraid of water!
In the spring of 2013, Blain was one of 400 Montréal students to participate in the Swim to Survive™ program. This initiative by the Lifesaving Society is aimed at providing children in grade 3 with the basic skills needed to survive an unexpected fall into deep water.
Blain participated in three theoretical and practical sessions at the Cartierville YMCA. “I learned a lot ... like how to stay afloat in deep water using my hands and feet, and to always check how deep a lake is before diving in.”
Did Harry, a physical education teacher at Louisbourg school, notice a difference? “It’s like night and day! The children are much more comfortable in the water. It’s important to provide them with the fundamentals,” he said. “You know, they’re the ones who now encourage their parents to overcome their fear of water and come to the pool.”
Other inspiring stories…
Jean
Maxence
Michèle
Our impact
70 000
people stayed in shape by being active at the YMCA.
4 500
children aged 11 and under learned to swim and be safe around water.
11 000
children and teens were physically active at the YMCA.