MERIDIAN, Idaho — The Tomlinson South Meridian YMCA is home to the THRIVE center. It was created to be an inclusive place for everybody, including those who are neurodiverse or have different ability levels.
One of THRIVE's programs is AquAbility, a therapeutic aquatic program that teaches participants water safety and swimming techniques. On Saturday, they hosted their Second AquAbility swim meet. Dozens of swimmers participated in numerous events to show off what they had learned in their classes.
“We get a lot of positive feedback from families," said Andrea Parker, the Director of THRIVE. "There’s not a lot of opportunities in the valley and we’re just trying to create more.”
The Curtis family has been sending their son, Ethan, to AquAbility since he was 5. Ethan, who is now 13, swam in three events on Saturday. His family says that he gets more from the program than just learning how to swim.
“I think swimming gives him a sense of confidence that he doesn't get anywhere else and something that he can do on his own that he excels at," said Jessica Curtis, Ethan's mother.
Michaela Laufenburger is another participant. Her family came to watch her swim in the events. She says she loves the events because she likes to compete. Something her sister, Allie, loves to see.
“She loves it, she’s a little competitor and I feel like anything sports-related she loves," said Allie about Michaela. "So I feel like especially kids that love getting involved in sports and just love having something to do extracurriculars it’s the best. It’s been the best for her at least.”
The center hopes to continue these meets quarterly and build on the program by creating an AquAbility swim team.
Parker says the YMCA doesn't exclude people for an inability to pay. For more information on the program or how you can get involved visit THRIVE's website.
