Teen swimmer raises funds to expand NYC swim lessons

UPPER EAST SIDE (WABC) -- A 5-year-old learning to swim and a teenage athlete determined to prevent drownings came together this week at Asphalt Green, where a student-led fundraiser is helping expand access to watersafety programs for New York City children.

Parker, 5, splashed through her lesson as her father watched from the pool deck, grateful for the chance to see her grow more confident in the water.

"It's confidence in myself. It's confidence in her," said her father, Brennan Lodge. "You know being able to go into the water and enjoy it. I wish every New Yorker had the chance to come here and get the ability to learn how to swim."

Asphalt Green, a nonprofit on the Upper East Side, has long been home to young swimmers, including 17-year-old team captain Alison Wright.

Wright remembers being in the same position as Parker not too many years ago.

"Learning how to swim is the line between life and death, and I think it's horrifying to know that someone just trying to go to the beach and enjoy their day ends in a tragedy," Wright said.

She said she has seen the consequences of limited access to swim instruction, particularly for children in neighborhoods with fewer pools and higher costs. "The prices are higher and there's fewer pools so it's definitely a lot harder for people to learn how to swim," she said. "And I think a lot of my friends and even myself included take the skill for granted. And so I wanted to change that."

Wright is preparing to host her third "Turning the Tide" swimathon on Saturday, an event that has already raised more than $110,000 for Asphalt Green's water safety programs. The nonprofit's Senior Director of Aquatics, David Rodriguez, said the support is critical.

"3,000 to 3,500 second graders - a year - get access to our free 'learn to swim' initiative. And we think it's absolutely crucial," Rodriguez said.

Wright trains daily in the same Olympic-sized pool where younger children take their first strokes. Last year's fundraiser brought in $75,000, allowing an additional 130 children to join the program.

"Seeing the lessons happen here every day just makes me happy knowing that more and more New Yorkers will be safe in the water," she said.

The swimathon will take place on Saturday at Asphalt Green on the Upper East Side.

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