Jamaican five-time Olympian Alia Atkinson has partnered with the PanAm Aquatics organisation to offer free swimming lessons to residents of Montego Bay, St James at the Doctor’s Cave Beach.

PanAm Aquatics is an organisation that supports the development of aquatic sports in the Americas. Sharing the important message of drowning prevention, the group held swim courses in the open sea in Montego Bay last Friday and Saturday (March 10 and March 11).

PanAm Aquatics President Maureen Croes noted there was an impressive community turnout that saw children in and around Montego Bay participate in the open water swimming courses.  

“PanAm Aquatics is proud but most of all grateful, to the flexible and expertise of the open water and communications team that we brought to Jamaica who was able to rally the community and put the focus on learning to swim and techniques for open water,” said Croes in a statement to the World Aquatics.

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AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY

She added that the various techniques taught in the open seas by the swimming stars from the Caribbean can be easily transferred to the pool.

In several posts on her social media accounts, Atkinson was seen promoting the event, stating that it is an excellent opportunity for people to learn and ask the questions they never got the opportunity to ask.

She added that the lessons are “so that we cannot just be safe in the water, but confident as well”.

Also assisting with the lessons were Jamaica’s Zaneta Alvarenga and Pan American Junior Games record-holder Patrick Groters from Aruba.

In addition to the two Caribbean swimming stars, the event featured an open water stroke technique lesson from former open water standouts Rick Walter and Dennis Ryther for the local club swimmers ahead of the open water event.

The PanAm Open Water swimming series started earlier last week in The Cayman Islands and Jamaica was the second stop on the Caribbean tour. The team will then move to Puerto Rico, the final stop in the Open Water series.