Testimonials
Destinee Germany
I’ve been blessed to graduate as Valedictorian from a prestigious high school. I’ve been blessed to be a first-generation college graduate. But oddly, my Adult Learn-to-Swim graduation ceremony is the only one that has moved me to tears.
I GRADUATED FROM SWIM CLASS, Y’ALL!
I’m a Pisces Stellium, a mermaid at heart and I adore being in the water. Only in the shallow end, though. At least until now! The last day of my swim class was the first time in my 20-something years of life that I’ve ever JUMPED into the DEEP END of a pool AND swam all the way to the other side! IT WAS TRULY MONUMENTAL!
I am eternally grateful for Central Adult Learn-to-Swim, Inc. Those with conscious minds are aware that, historically, Black folks have a very vulnerable and complex relationship with water. This wonderful program is hosted in the heart of West Louisville and genuinely nurtures our community. From providing swim caps that are spacious enough for Black hairstyles, to creating comfort for all swim & anxiety levels, this program is a CULTURAL GEM.
I owe gratitude to Louisville Central High School for being a cornerstone of Black Louisville. From Step Competitions to Black Achievers to being the home of Central Adult Learn-to-Swim, Inc. I wholeheartedly appreciate Central for always having their doors open for US!
I’m also grateful for William Kolb and Necolle Banks. The heart, humor, and intentionality that they pour into these lessons is UNMATCHED! Thank you both so much for always being sincere & supportive in your pursuits.
And to MY MOM… THANK YOU TO MY MOM! Thank you for showing up each and every time ready to cheer & record! I love & appreciate you for life! Now who’s coming on the next mom and daughter Tremonae Travel trip with me?! Cause I’m ready to jump into a Cenote!
Stefany Prince
I saw a story about Central ALTS on the news and submitted my information. When I was finally emailed I jumped on the opportunity.
I was rocking my braids at the time and I said ‘No, I’ve got to get these out so I can be ready in time.’ I had a trip to the Dominican Republic coming up. I really wanted to be able to enjoy myself on the trip because I knew I was going to be out near the ocean. I was going to be in paradise and I really wanted to enjoy it.
Even though my four days of swim class were difficult and I was slow to learn, I’m glad I stuck with it. I’ve now seen how much I’ve grown.
I'd gotten so frustrated when I started the program with learning slower than everyone else that I started crying in the bathroom. I felt like I was wasting my instructor's time. All the ladies and I had a powerful moment of solidarity that made me stop being so hard on myself. I knew this was the right environment not just to learn to swim. It was the right environment for others as well, which is why I get excited to bring other people into the program so they can become great swimmers too. And I'm excited to incorporate swimming as a lifestyle.
My word of the year is determination. I think it’s something that has stuck with me for my whole life. I come from a traumatic situation and the concept of being determined enough to make it through everything has been consistent with me. No matter how hard or difficult it has been.
Some aspects of swimming are still a little sketchy and scary, like being in the deep end. But I know that I’m going to make it. How? It’s twofold. It’s the instructors but also the other swimmers. People like me. It’s fully supportive and everybody is flexible. Everyone has their own style to work with you at whatever point you are at in your learn-to-swim journey. That’s beautiful to me because we all learn differently. I think that’s what contributes to the success of the program.
Denise is awesome and patient. Debra is a pusher and she's fun. Rochelle is supportive. Necolle is like a drill sergeant! I don’t even need her to show up anymore because I can hear her in my head telling me, “I’m thinking for you so just do it.” Almost everyone has contributed to my journey and I'm grateful that God sent this program my way right when He did.
I know that when we’re there learning it’s just us learning. Although we learn differently, we're all on the same page. It’s not like the whole city is there watching. I had been body conscious at first but now know it's a safe environment and atmosphere. It’s a controlled environment. Everyone is there to relax and have a good time.
Rochelle Hinkle
Rochelle Hinkle learned to swim in our program at the age of 52. She says, "It was important for me to learn at 52 because I was ready to overcome my fear. I got pushed into the pool when I was about 10 or 12 and I've always lived with that fear. I told myself that at the age I am now, it's time to start overcoming my fears."
Rochelle flourished in her beginner Adult Learn-to-Swim class. She quickly became an excellent and fearless swimmer and joined the ranks of many Central ALTS graduates at Open Swim, Aqua Zumba, Family Day, and more. What was next for Rochelle? Becoming an instructor!
At the end of her beginner class, she and a few other graduates were asked if they'd like to help us out with a new and special project: Each One Teach One. The idea was simple. Each willing and able graduate would find just one person they know and trust and invite them to our program to learn to swim. Rochelle asked her 72-year-old mom Beverly Hinkle if she'd be her first student.
Rochelle says "I've never dreamed I would ever learn how to swim, much more have the opportunity to teach someone else how to swim. The gift given to me was learning to swim. That's my gift now to give to someone else to encourage them too. I want to be the type of person to encourage someone else. If I can do it, I know they can do it."
Rochelle's mom did wonderfully and, just like her daughter, continues to attend Graduate Open Swim and Family Day, improving her skills and safely enjoying herself and her family with every hour in the water.
"Who's next?" Rochelle wanted to know. After teaching her mom, it was time to work on her sister, Catina White. She was much more reluctant, but Rochelle made it happen. Once Beverly and Catina learned to swim, it was time for her 61-year-old aunt Deborah Taylor-Hicks to learn, too!
"It's amazing," Rochelle says. "I never thought I would be able to get them in the water. How can I say it nicely? I made my mom do it. I said, 'Momma, you're gonna learn. If I can't do anything else for you I'm going to give you the gift of learning to swim.'"
As for Catina, according to Rochelle, "She had no choice after momma. I forced her to do it!"
By the time Rochelle, Beverly, and Catina were all swimming, Aunt Debora was chomping at the bit for her turn. "She was open and ready to go," Rochelle says. "She watched a gazillion swim videos and she was ready. She was so amped up that I had to tell her several times to pipe down!"
Deborah English
Like many students before her, Deborah English once described her relationship with the water the same way one recalls a nightmare— haunting, insufferable, suffocating. The water was her enemy.
After a traumatic near-drowning incident as a child, Deborah swore off conquering this fear until later in life. Unfortunately, when that time finally came, she was met with grave disappointment. After spending exorbitant amounts of time and money on several programs and instructors, Deborah was disheartened, frustrated, and fearful as ever. One instructor she crossed paths with even had the nerve to tell her black people can’t float or swim due to the pigment in their skin. She was devastated.
Several months later, by chance, Deborah met graduate and newly-minted instructor Necolle Banks at the gym and the two became fast friends. When Deborah heard that Necolle learned to swim at Central (for free!) she was highly skeptical. “There’s no way they can teach me. I am unteachable,” she told Necolle. Necolle truly understood where Deborah was coming from and assured her to have faith she would be in good hands.
Fast-forward four weeks and Deborah is now a confident and safe swimmer who is chomping at the bit to return to the water to continue improving her skills. With the help of another graduate-turned-instructor, Shelia Coleman, Deborah no longer fears for her life in a swimming pool. Deborah said she cried happy tears the whole way home the night she truly floated all on her own.
Many of our students describe learning to swim as a journey— a winding one with many different beginnings, middles, and ends. And while Deborah’s learn to swim journey is remarkable, it represents so much more than swimming. It reminds us to be compassionate and have empathy and patience for others. It reminds us to meet our friends where they are and support them to their destination at the speed of their choosing. Most importantly, it reminds us that everybody shows up wherever they go with a little bit of baggage but no amount of trauma or uncertainty is insurmountable.