CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Thomas Rockwell and Eli Rutherford started swimming when they were young children, first taking lessons and then joining summer swim teams.
It’s an opportunity the two Western Albemarle High School sophomores would like to see afforded to more children in the area, especially those in communities where access to a pool is an obstacle.
“I think one of the big things I want to do is share my love of the sport with people who may not get that opportunity in their normal life,” Rutherford told Cville Right Now. “Giving them this opportunity to swim and learn to do it and get this love for the sport that I already have.”
The two are the organizers of this year’s “Splash Bash” swim meet. Over 100 young swimmers and volunteers will gather Sept. 7 at Fry’s Spring Beach Club for the second annual event.
The meet started a year ago, as an Eagle Scout project for Rockwell. He wanted to help promote swimming in communities where pool access was limited, hoping to give youngsters a path into the sport and give everyone the basic skills to be safe in the water.
“I wanted to do something related to swimming because it’s something I really love to do and this was perfect,” Rockwell told Cville Right Now. “There is a history of not being able to swim in the underserved communities. I think it’s really important that we waterproof the community.”
The competitors come from the people involved in the Ben Hair Just Swim For Life lesson program. That program has been offering free or low-cost swim lessons to children and adults from low-income families for the past 17 years.
Beth Bullard, who coordinates the program, said the organization’s founder, Gordon Hair, launched the program in honor of his late son, Ben.
“It was in memory of his son who loved to teach swimming and loved to work with kids from disadvantaged backgrounds” Bullard told Cville Right Now. “We have been growing and growing.”
Last year, Rockwell and Bullard came up with the idea to cap the program’s summer with a swim meet, part competition and part celebration. In addition to standard swim races, Rockwell’s said the day will include a raft race, a cannonball contest and the chance to dive for sunken toys.
“All throughout the year and summers there’s splash club swim lessons. They learn how to swim and do the strokes,” Rockwell said. “At the event, it’s their chance to show off.”
Bullard said Rockwell’s end-of-the-year meet idea elevated the program and is something the swimmers look forward to.
“It really was his idea,” Bullard said. “It was a great event last year and I think it’s going to be even better. There’s a lot of hype around it. People are really excited. They remember it. They’re telling their friends, ‘It was fun last year. We should do it.’”
This year, Bullard has had the strongest swimmers joining one of four Splash Clubs, based on what day and time they took lessons. Those four clubs have competed against each other over the summer.
“They’re all looking at this Splash Bash as the championship,” Bullard said.
One of Rockwell’s goals for the event is to make it an annual occurrence. This year, he’s gotten help from classmate and swimming teammate Eli Rutherford. The two are planning to start a club at the school with the purpose of running the event each year, even after the two sophomores have moved on to college.
Rockwell and Rutherford have been raising funds through donations to pay for the meet. The Market and Tiger Fuel are donating food for the event for the second straight year. Rockwell said participants and volunteers will receive t-shirts and participants will get trophies and ribbons from their events.
Bullard hopes the event is fun and competitive for the swimmers, and helps spread the word about the Just Swim For Life lessons.
“We never turn anyone away,” Bullard said. “We always make it work somehow. If we have more kids than we have teachers for, we get more teachers. We’ve been really lucky that we’ve had so many young people who want to volunteer with us.”
She said, in addition to spreading water safety, the lessons can be a valuable social tool for children who might not otherwise be comfortable swimming.
“Kids are invited to things or end up going to something where everyone else can swim and they can’t, that’s a line that they’re not able to cross,” Bullard said. “It’s important for personal growth and happiness.”
