Olympic Gold Medalist to teach free swimming lessons at Rotary pool

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The Rotary Club of Maricopa is partnering with one of America’s leading swim instructors to teach Maricopa’s kids and others how to swim this summer. Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and 2004 U.S. Swim School National Teacher of the Year Mike Troy and his Gold Medal Swim School staff will provide free lessons over four weekends in May.

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Rotary’s community pool is located just east of John Wayne Parkway on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.

The free lesson program is being coordinated by Martin McDonald and the city’s Parks, Recreation and Libraries Department and will tentatively be available from 8 a.m. to 12 noon the weekends of April 30- May 1, May 14- 15, May 21- 22 and May 28- 29. Up to four lessons will be provided free of charge to any Maricopa resident. The swim lessons will be open to children and adults alike and will include Parent/Tot classes for children ages six months to 2½ years in which a parent is in the water with their child.

The plan is to continue classes in June and July from 8.a.m. to 12 noon every day and possibly on the weekends in the fall as well if demand dictates. The June and July lessons will be available for a fee though Gold Medal and Rotary are developing a scholarship program through which to provide lessons at no charge to those in need of financial assistance. inmaricopa.com and Orbitel Communications have already pledged their support of the program and Gold Medal and Rotary welcome contributions from other community businesses for this worthy cause.

 src=“Gold Medal Swim School’s training program will allow the children of our community an opportunity to obtain swimming lessons during the month of May from professional instructors at virtually no cost,” Richard Fleming, the Rotary club’s president, said. “The cost will consist of a can of food that Gold Medal will in turn donate to a charity organization of our Club’s choosing.”

Community service is not new to Gold Medal. In December of 2004 alone, the school raised 1,472 pounds of food for St. Mary’s Food Bank and provided 578 free swimming lessons to the greater Phoenix community.

In addition to teaching a life skill to Maricopa residents and helping feed the hungry, this new partnership will also have an economic impact on the young city. According to Troy, “Gold Medal’s goal is to train and hire Maricopa residents to become part of our teaching staff.” These seasonal instructors will work in conjunction with current Gold Medal lead instructors, one of whom, Edward Goldstein, recently purchased a home in Acacia Crossings and will be moving to Maricopa this summer.

A maximum of three students will be in each class. All classes will be taught by certified instructors who complete a 30-hour classroom and in-water training program.

 src=The Rotary Club of Maricopa was founded in the early 1950s and has traditionally had 7-10 members. Membership has quadruple to 35 members, however, in the last couple years resulting from Maricopa’s growth. Even with the additional manpower, Rotary struggles each year to make the pool operable and safe.

“Without the direct assistance of Rotary members like Don Pearce, Oliver Anderson and Sonny Dunn, it is doubtful the pool would have been allowed to open over the past few years,” Rotary’s Fleming said. “The pool is over 47 years old and is in need of extensive repairs and maintenance. We continue to search for grants and for a source of funds from outside of our Club to help with the needed repairs and remodeling but, to date, this effort has only resulted in limited support.”

If you can lend a hand or a buck to Rotary’s efforts in repairing the community pool, please email Richard Fleming. To learn more about the summer lesson program or register for a class, contact Gold Medal Swim School at (480) 961-5035. Gold Medal also offers classes year-round at its Chandler location located at 500 North 56th Street.

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Mike Troy accepting the 2004 National Teacher of the Year Award from members of the United States Swim School Association’s Board of Directors.