At 51, Kim Thomas proves you're never too old to learn to swim.
INDIANAPOLIS — While promoting the U.S. Olympic Swimming Games in Indianapolis this June, Kim Thomas realized it was time to learn to swim.
“It's never too late. It's never too late,” Thomas said.
Mr Thomas, 51, said he had always been afraid to go into the water.
“At first, it was like, I can't breathe and I'm going to drown. I didn't want to just cough, I didn't want the feeling of water getting into my nose or throat because it would cause me to panic,” Thomas said. .
Thomas said her boss's persistent encouragement and the Swim IN Safety program's traditional goal of teaching 50,000 Hoosiers how to swim by the end of this Olympic year inspired her to take action.
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“I think it was about 2 a.m. and I signed up for a class that started at 11 a.m.,” Thomas said.
Her swimming coach is John Fenkle.
“She was disciplined and she was motivated, and those are the two important factors,” Fencl said.
Fenkel and Thomas meet weekly at Carmel Swim Academy, where Fenkel follows an 11-step program that starts with water safety.
They breathed, bobbed up and down, and eventually became floating.
“Kim is now safe in the water. She can float on her back,” Fenkle said.
Thomas was the first in his family to learn to swim.
“My grandmother couldn't use the pool because it wasn't allowed. The black community wasn't allowed to be a part of it,” Thomas said.
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Access to a pool from an early age matters, and lack of swimming time can be fatal.
Black children are three times more likely to drown than white children. Sixty-four percent of black children could not swim, compared to 40 percent of white children. A study conducted by USA Swimming Foundation and the University of Memphis found that 87% of young people, regardless of race, who don't swim plan to visit a beach or pool in the summer.
“On average, 10 Americans drown each day, and most of us aren't as good swimmers as we think we are,” Fenkle said.
Thomas said he wasn't able to make memories because he didn't learn how to swim.
“I regret that there were times in my life when I was in a beautiful body of water and I was afraid to even put my foot in it. Because I can't swim, I missed out on important moments in my life,” Thomas said.
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She is currently working on her stroke and encouraging others to overcome their obstacles.
“In the black community, we often worry about our hair. I've heard that most of our hair falls out because of chlorine. And we're really sensitive to it. But we put all those excuses aside and try to protect ourselves. Decide now is the time to learn a sport that could potentially save your life and the lives of others,” Thomas said.
Eli Lilly and Company's Swim IN Safety program reports it is more than halfway toward its goal of educating 50,000 people about water safety by the end of this year.
If you or someone you know would like to learn to swim, click here.
