Every day at the YMCA, we teach children how to swim and be safe around water. In a community surrounded by water, we all know how critical it is for children to have swimming skills. In YMCA swim lessons, children also develop a sense of achievement from mastering something new and build relationships with new role models.

We had the joy of seeing all of these impactful outcomes develop this summer in Jacob Moulaison, Kathryn and Walter Moulaison’s 9-year-old grandson.  

Jacob writes:

“My name is Jacob. I am nine years old. I live in Massachusetts in the winter and Boothbay Harbor in the summer. I have been coming to Maine since I was 1 ½ years old and took my first swimming lesson at the Boothbay Harbor YMCA when I was older.

“This summer my Grammy wanted me to take sailing lessons so we both agreed I should take swimming lessons as a refresher. This is when I met Shane and my swimming teacher, Amelia. I had to pass a test to swim in the deep end and I wouldn’t do it for a couple of days. I had to check it out! Amelia kept asking me if I was ready and I finally did it. It was a piece of cake and the people in both pools clapped and whistled for me. I was very happy.

“My two weeks of lessons made me very confident and proud of myself. Off I went to the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club for sailing lessons. On the first day I had to flip the boat and get it back up. I watched one kid do it, and then it was my turn. I had no problem! Then we did a swimming test. I was first out and first back with no trouble!
When I saw Grammy after the first day I told her I was glad I had swimming lessons. Because of swimming lessons, I wasn’t scared and was very confident. I want to thank Amelia and Shane for helping me to be a better swimmer.”

Do you have a transformational YMCA story? The Y is collecting stories as part of its “Pay It Forward” Annual Fund Drive theme. To share your story or learn how to donate to the YMCA, contact Lisa Van Dyk at lvandyk@brymca.org or 207-633-2855, ext. 291.