At the ripe age of 40, I decided to learn how to swim--why--because I wanted to do triathlons. I could not put my face in the water--did not know how--did not know how to take a single stroke.
So many people looked at me as if I had 3 heads when I said I did not know how to swim. So along the lines of "inner city" and availaibility to swimming--here it goes. I came to this country at a very young age. My dad was promised a job--not here, but he stayed. Dad (the CPA) washed dishes and floors at a restaurant. Mom who was always a housewife went to work at a factory. Two college educated people did whatever it took to put food on the table--yes I remember those days vividly.
Fast forward, they have their own businesses; NEVER took any aid from the government; and thanks to them, my brother is a surgeon, I am an attorney and we have NO student loans thanks to our parents who have been extremely successful after working their tails off.
So while we were growing up, I never swam, nor did I ride a bike. (I do not even know if where we lived there was a town pool.) My parents could barely get us someone to look out for us while they tried to make a better life for us. As we grew older and our situation much improved, my brother and I had focused on other sports and swimming did not dawn on us. (Except my brother who had to swim to graduate from RPI)
So I can very much see why swimming in the inner city may not be the thing that parents do with their kids or where they may spend their money in order to get the kids lessons.
All that being said, Asphalt Green in NYC where I swim Masters has a GREAT benefit each year just for this--it is called The Big Swim. Here is a link to the NY Times articel on the event and info about the event below.
Sometimes, depending on your circumstances, swimming is not the first thing on your mind.....
www.nytimes.com/.../19swim.html
And here is a blurb about it.....
Asphalt Green. Some of the biggest names in Olympic swimming and diving were the headliners at Asphalt Green's Seventh Annual Big Swim, held on April 20 and 22 in New York. Among the Olympians attending were swimmers Rowdy Gaines, Dr. Ron Karnaugh and David Fox, as well as divers Mary Ellen Clark and Kent Ferguson. The Olympians presented awards to the winners at the meet and were available to have photos taken with all the children. The Big Swim Benefit raised funds for Asphalt Green's waterproofing program, a partnership with the New York City public schools that teaches low-- income children to swim.
At the ripe age of 40, I decided to learn how to swim--why--because I wanted to do triathlons. I could not put my face in the water--did not know how--did not know how to take a single stroke.
So many people looked at me as if I had 3 heads when I said I did not know how to swim. So along the lines of "inner city" and availaibility to swimming--here it goes. I came to this country at a very young age. My dad was promised a job--not here, but he stayed. Dad (the CPA) washed dishes and floors at a restaurant. Mom who was always a housewife went to work at a factory. Two college educated people did whatever it took to put food on the table--yes I remember those days vividly.
Fast forward, they have their own businesses; NEVER took any aid from the government; and thanks to them, my brother is a surgeon, I am an attorney and we have NO student loans thanks to our parents who have been extremely successful after working their tails off.
So while we were growing up, I never swam, nor did I ride a bike. (I do not even know if where we lived there was a town pool.) My parents could barely get us someone to look out for us while they tried to make a better life for us. As we grew older and our situation much improved, my brother and I had focused on other sports and swimming did not dawn on us. (Except my brother who had to swim to graduate from RPI)
So I can very much see why swimming in the inner city may not be the thing that parents do with their kids or where they may spend their money in order to get the kids lessons.
All that being said, Asphalt Green in NYC where I swim Masters has a GREAT benefit each year just for this--it is called The Big Swim. Here is a link to the NY Times articel on the event and info about the event below.
Sometimes, depending on your circumstances, swimming is not the first thing on your mind.....
www.nytimes.com/.../19swim.html
And here is a blurb about it.....
Asphalt Green. Some of the biggest names in Olympic swimming and diving were the headliners at Asphalt Green's Seventh Annual Big Swim, held on April 20 and 22 in New York. Among the Olympians attending were swimmers Rowdy Gaines, Dr. Ron Karnaugh and David Fox, as well as divers Mary Ellen Clark and Kent Ferguson. The Olympians presented awards to the winners at the meet and were available to have photos taken with all the children. The Big Swim Benefit raised funds for Asphalt Green's waterproofing program, a partnership with the New York City public schools that teaches low-- income children to swim.
