Paralympic Programs: Where Water Works for Everyone
GTAC initiated the WaterWorks program in the Spring of 1999 in order to encourage children with disabilities to enjoy the water. USA Swimming is the only sport in the United States which specifically accommodates swimmers of all ages and abilities. Often, however, it’s scary for children with disabilities to leave the security of their braces or wheelchairs. Ironically, water is the best place for everyone to exercise or play. Its buoyancy carries half of a person’s body weight, and its fluidity is soothing to aching muscles or joints. Water is the great equalizer too. Disabled swimmers can often swim faster and better than persons without any disabilities!
Since 1999, WaterWorks has expanded to include Water Safety Instruction, Swim Lessons and Paralympic Team Training for swimmers with disabilities. We offer private lessons on Sundays specifically for children with disabilities through the Special Olympics program and our regular lesson program, and we train swimmers to compete at the Paralympic level. GTAC was proud to have two swimmers who qualified for the 2004 US Paralympic Team, and our Beth Riggle (in photo above) won a Gold and Bronze Medal for Team USA. GTAC welcomes swimmers of every ability to our team because water does work for everyone. Our head coach Keith Kennedy is also a US National Paralympic Coach and the swim clinician for the US Olympic Committee's program to help disabled military veterans learn new sports.
GTAC is the proud host of the GTAC Disability Open, held every year since 2004 in the spring. The meet is held at the University of Cincinnat and is open to swimmers with any disability. It is also an IPC approved meet (International Paralympic Committee).
For more information or a schedule of lesson times, click our Swim Lessons tab on this website.