Ten people drown every day in the United States. Many of them thought they could swim, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 37 percent of American adults can’t swim the length of a pool. The U.S. Masters swimming organization has begun a national campaign to teach adults to swim. The program has come to Charleston, where aquatics manager Jennifer Ayers-Millar says that while adults are more fearful of water if they don’t learn to swim as children, the program is teaching adults to manage their fear. Swim instructor Basir Robertson tells us that because of that increased fear, adults take more patience to teach than children do. And new swimmer Bernadette Brown credits the program with helping her learn to swim so that she can enjoy the water with her grandchildren.
Growing Program in South Carolina Teaches Adults to Swim
