SwimRVA Manifesto

Swim because you can.

Swim because you know how.

Swim because your mother said She’s right, you know.

Swim for your glutes. Your back.

Swim to start off a great day.

Swim to shake off a bad one.

Swim for your school.

For your city.

To turn disability into strength.

To become a better runner.

A better athlete.

Or hey, even a butterfly.

Join us at SwimRVA and Swim Fo Whatever it may be.

it could save your life someday.

Your heart.

or It.

WE’RE SWIMRVA. As long as half of the U.S. population doesn’t know how to swim, as long we remember that obstacles are only a matter of perception, and as long as there are good swimmers with the passion to become better ones, we’ll be here. Making water safety and aquatic fitness accessible and inclusive for all.

Our mission is to elevate aquatics across the Richmond region.

And we do that with programs designed to empower every kind of swimmer, now and for life.

OUR PROGRAMS

Half of the U.S. population does not know how to swim. Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among children under 14 and is a leading cause of death of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. 70% of African-Americans and 66% of youth qualifying for free or reduced lunch do not know how to swim. The startling statistics go on and on. But they don’t have to. With SwimRVA’s water safety and learnto-swim programs, we’re changing the Richmond region’s relationship with water.

SwimRVA instills the principles of success, dignity, courage, persistence and truthfulness in our unique station-based learning platform. Designed by the coaches of the USA Olympic Swimming Team, we offer a program that creates confidence and leads to mastering the four competitive strokes. We believe in developing a lifelong drive for aquatic learning, from the first dip of the toe all the way to the first heat of a competition.

We also believe that it’s critical for the aquatic future of our area to be inclusive, collaborative and coordinated.

That’s why an integral part of the Swim School is our Drownproof Richmond initiative which makes lessons available to under-served youth. We’re working with the YMCA of Greater Richmond toward the goal of giving every second grader in our city the chance to learn how to swim. It’s not only possible, it’s already happening.

To empower yourself through aquatics, you first have to be safe. We teach future lifeguards to elevate safety and create access. Our Safety School graduates live the values of safety, cleanliness, work ethic, honesty and teamwork – all to create a Richmond region full of leaders who know how to save lives.

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2ND GRADERS IN THE FREE LEARN-TO SWIM PROGRAM ANNUALLY

CHILDREN LEARNING TO SWIM IN SWIMRVA SWIM SCHOOL

LIFEGUARDS TRAINED AND EMPLOYED THROUGHOUT RVA ANNUALLY

OUR PROGRAMS

“ If you fail to prepare, you’re prepared to fail.” Mark Spitz

OUR PROGRAMS

By 2030, for the first time in our region’s history, older adults will outnumber school-age children. But that doesn’t mean they can’t still feel like them. Our highly-social, uniquely aerobic and anaerobic exercise programs increase flexibility while reducing the risk for conditions like osteoporosis and heart disease. SwimRVA is also leading the way in life-changing aquatic therapy through community partnerships using our state-of-the-art Therapy Pool.

Through swimming camps, water polo, junior lifeguard training and even fun events like log rolling that increase core strength and balance, we turn lazy summers into activity-filled, confidence-building ones. Our summer campers have access to the same top aquatics professionals that work within our walls all year long.

As more and more people seek to improve their running performance through road training, we understand better than ever the physical toll it can take on the body. Running University offers a specialized suite of programs that enhance long-term fitness and reduce runningrelated injuries.

We help seniors maximize their movement, while minimizing the risk.

We help runners increase their stamina while decreasing the impact on their joints. We help people bounce back from injury. And we build cardio capacity, muscle tone, flexibility and the self-confidence that comes from pushing one’s ability in our supportive atmosphere.

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SENIOR (AGE 60 PLUS) WELLNESS VISITS PATIENTS SERVED WITH AQUATIC THERAPY EXERCISE CLASSES OFFERED EACH WEEK SWIMRVA CAMPERS EACH SUMMER

OUR PROGRAMS

“ Believe in yourself, not only in swimming, but in life itself.�

Debbie Meyer

OUR PROGRAMS

When it comes to our competitive sports programs, we don’t just have a developmental swim team and a USA Water Polo club. We have an ethos. If you’re a SwimRVA Rapid, you learn persistence, courage, truthfulness, dignity and that true success isn’t just winning. It’s competing with humility and respect.

Can’t decide between soccer, rugby, wrestling or swimming? With the newest Olympic Sport to come to Richmond, you don’t have to. SwimRVA Water Polo is the first youth USA Water Polo club in the region and just the second in the state of Virginia. We emphasize toughness while readying players for the NCAA and beyond.

Ready to channel your inner Olympian? Taught by coaches from USA Swimming, our Developmental Swim Team is designed for the athlete who has already learned freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke in the SwimRVA Swim School and is ready to take the next step toward competitive action.

The more access people have to aquatic facilities and programs, the more confident they become in the water. And the more confident they become, the more advanced they get. And the more advanced and ambitious they are, the more we can build real economic momentum through attracting regional competitions and events to Richmond. Our $7 million annual economic impact goal is just another example of how aquatics improve the community and power our region beyond just the pool.

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ECONOMIC IMPACT THROUGH TOURISM ANNUALLY VISITORS SERVED AT THE AQUATICS CENTER ANNUALLY DAYS OF COMPETITION HELD AT THE AQUATICS CENTER ANNUALLY HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING PROGRAMS STARTED OR INSPIRED

BY SWIMRVA IN CHESTERFIELD AND RICHMOND CITY

OUR PROGRAMS

“ I wouldn’t say anything

is impossible. I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and put the work and time into it.

Michael Phelps

OUR PRINCIPLES

You can achieve it with talent and training.

You truly earn it with humility and respect.

There’s some tough competition out there.

But it’s no match for what you’ve got inside.

Carrying yourself with character isn’t just good sportsmanship. It’s good lifesmanship.

Own your successes and your failures. Be true to others. And most of all, be true to yourself.

Turn disappointment into determination, and any loss becomes a victory.

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swimrichmond.org | 804.271.8271 | 5050 Ridgedale Parkway, Richmond, VA