By:Curtis Morton
The annual swimming camp hosted by the Youth and Sports department, in collaboration with the Nevis Red Cross branch, is in its final week.
The swimming course commenced on Monday 17th July and week one was dedicated to the younger children and that segment concluded on Friday 21st July.
The second week which commenced on Monday 24th July, has been dedicated to the older children, comprising of Primary schoolers in the higher grades and high schoolers in the early forms.
This year, over 70 children participated in the camp.
Ron Daniel; Khalida Smithen and Rakesha Edingborough who worked with one of the two groups at the Oualie Beach, took time out to elaborate on what was being taught.
The children were separated into two groups. The younger children were placed into a group referred to as DOLPHINS. They were taught the front crawl and how to perfect their hand strokes and body movements. They were also taught how to breathe properly, while in the water.
The older children were placed into a group referred to as SHARKS.
They were taught more advanced skills such as threading the water; the proper techniques of swimming and certain rescue techniques.
The other main group was located at one of the Villas at the Four Seasons resort, complements of one of the home owners who has allowed the use of her pool, over the last two years.
They were taught basic skipping techniques which would serve to enhance their hand movements and also getting their heads under water.
All of the instructors indicated that quite a lot of the participants came to the course with the initial fear of the water and getting their head under.
By day three, all of them would have overcome that basic fear and were anxiously hurrying to get into the pool or the sea.
The final session will be held today at the Oualie Beach and there is expected to be a few exhibition competitions between the children, prior to the closing ceremony.