Former Olympian and NCAA Champion Misty Hyman is using her expertise and experience in a new way. In addition to coaching ASU's swim team as a senior assistant, she's helping adults who don't know how to swim.
April is Adult Learn to Swim Month in Arizona, and Hyman has been a representative and an instructor for US Masters Swimming and the Swimming Saves Lives Foundation. The campaign encourages adults who can't swim to learn and to give them resources to do so.
“One-third of American’s can’t swim far enough to save their life,” Hyman said. “We want them to know that it’s not too late for them.”
The ability to swim the length of a full-size 25 yard pool, or 75 feet, is considered to be a lifesaving distance.
Holly Neumann, education manager for U.S. Masters Swimming said that eight to 10 people drown every day. Hyman has become a certified instructor, which teaches techniques, lesson plans and even step-by-step instruction on how to instruct adults.
“Most swimming lessons are focused on children, and adults don’t want to be treated like a child,” Neumann said.
In addition to becoming certified, Hyman has recorded a public service announcement video, talked nationally to media and has been certified as an adult learn to swim instructor. U.S. Master Swimming certifies instructors around the country on how to teach adult classes.
“It’s happened a lot where children slip through the cracks and get to be adults then think it’s too late to learn, or if they want to learn they may have to take a class with a 4-year-old,” Hyman said.
Hyman has adult clients that she has been working with have learned to swim, and she is continuing to develop their skills.
“Adults think it can take a long time, but many times you can learn to swim in three to five lessons," Hyman said.
The Swimming Saves Lives Foundation is taking steps to ensure adults have access to swimming lessons in every community. If there are no classes available in a community, people can apply for a grant so a local pool can provide lessons for free.
“We’ve given almost $200,000 around the country to help local swimming programs provide adult learn to swim programs,” Hyman said.
In Arizona, there are many participating pools that offer classes for free, or for a small fee. The Ahwatukee Community Swim & Tennis Center does not utilize grants, but has a free class April 30 and paid classes throughout May. Joyce Foote, a swim instructor at the facility, has been certified to instruct classes in February, along with two other instructors.
“We’ve had adults come in with fear of the water,” Foote said, “We’ve gotten them to overcome their fear of the water, and swim the length of a pool.”
Despite April being coined as the official Adult Swim Awareness month, adult classes can last year-round, depending on the pool’s availability.
“We can really help by focusing on adults because they will generally pass that down to their children,” Neumann said.
Hyman has found another way to help people learn to swim.
“It’s a great satisfaction to me, I love to be able to give the gift of swimming,” Hyman said.
Reach the reporter at mtbridg1@asu.edu or follow @MeegaBridge on Twitter.
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