On November 10, 2018, Dolphins of the Desert hosted the third edition of “Swimming With Inspiration and Motivation” in Greeley at the University of Northern Colorado. More than 40 children from the Greeley Transitional House and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County, some of whom had attended previous years, came to the event. The children were selected based on their family’s socioeconomic background and were given a free introductory 40-minute swim lesson. For almost all of the students, the lesson was their first formal introduction to proper swimming techniques. The members of the UNC women’s swim team served as teachers in the water.
In 2018, we were excited to bring two Olympians to the event. Olympic gold medalist B.J. Bedford-Miller and Olympic silver medalist Allison Wagner offered inspiration to the children, and offered in-water instruction during the swim lesson. After the lesson, Bedford-Miller and Wagner displayed their Olympic hardware to the awestruck children.
This year, Dolphins of the Desert Swimming Academy received a grant from the USA Swimming Foundation to help provide free swim lessons for the children beyond the introductory lesson they received at the SwIM event. This marked the first year that we were able to fully fund up to four hours of continuing swim lessons for the children who attended!
The cost to put one child into a group swimming lesson in Greeley is about $30. To make a tax-deductible donation that will go directly to keeping these children in lessons until they are fully capable of swimming on their own, please send a check to:
Greeley Transitional House
1206 10th Street
Greeley, CO 80631
OR
Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County
PO BOX 812
Greeley, CO 80632
The families attending the event do not pay to participate in this event, so we rely on corporate and public donations to provide the resources needed to run the event. To learn how you can contribute to the Greeley or Tucson swim events, send an email to Geoff Glaser.
Dolphins of the Desert Swimming Academy is now a Local Partner with the USA Swimming Foundation! The USA Swimming Foundation’s Make a Splash initiative is a national child-focused water safety campaign, which aims to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn to swim. Through Make a Splash, the USA Swimming Foundation partners with learn-to-swim providers and water safety advocates across the country to provide swimming lessons and educate children and their families on the importance of learning how to swim. The USA Swimming Foundation has invested millions of dollars to provide grants to qualified Local Partner learn-to-swim programs, to spread national awareness, and to bring together strategic partners to end drowning. To date, more than 5 million children have received the lifesaving gift of swim lessons through the USA Swimming Foundation Make a Splash Local Partner network, comprised of more than 850 qualified lesson providers across the nation. To learn more, visit www.usaswimmingfoundation.org.
Dolphins of the Desert co-owner Jeff Commings speaks with local children at the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete demonstrates butterfly for the SwIM participants. 
Olympian Allison Wagner discusses swimming safety atthe 2018 SwIM event. 
Olympian BJ Bedford-Miller discusses swim safety at the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete and Olympian Allison Wagner work with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete and Olympian Allison Wagner work with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with local children during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
Olympian BJ Bedford-Miller assists with the introductory swimming lesson for local children in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with local children during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
Dolphins of the Desert co-owner Geoff Glaser works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with local children during an introductory swim lesson. 
A UNC athlete works with local children during an introductory swim lesson. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson. 
Dolphins of the Desert co-owner Geoff Glaser helps a local child in her first formal swimming lesson. 
A UNC athlete works with local children during an introductory swim lesson. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson. 
UNC swimmers work with local children during an introductory lesson at the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
UNC athletes work with local children in an introductory swim lesson at the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with local children during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with local children during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
Olympian BJ Bedford -Miller (left) demonstrates proper swim technique at the 2018 SwIM event. 
A local child works on her swimming technique in an introductory swimming lesson at the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete and Olympian Allison Wagner work with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with local children during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
A local child works on his swimming technique during an introductory swimming lesson at the 2018 SwIM event. 
A UNC athlete works with a local child during an introductory swim lesson in the 2018 SwIM event. 
Olympians BJ Bedford-Miller and Allison Wagner with local children at the 2018 SwIM event. 
Olympians BJ Bedford-Miller and Allison Wagner sign autographs at the 2018 SwIM event. 
Children line up for autographs with Olympians Allison Wagner and BJ Bedford-Miller at the 2018 SwIM event. 
Olympian Allison Wagner signs an autograph for a local child at the 2018 SwIM event.