Annual Report 24-25 Digital - Flipbook - Page 20
The Annual Report 2024-2025 | FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
MAKING WAVE S
with disabilities train alongside peers,
with in-water support and individualized
workouts. It’s competitive, empowering, and
community-driven — currently serving four
families and growing. This evolution re昀氀ects
a beautiful partnership between Aquatics
and our Disability Inclusion program, led by
Sarah McCutcheon who has spent much of
her career in aquatics.
Looking ahead, Aquatics Director Zachary
Altman is working towards a new program
for children ages 0–4 with disabilities, where
caregivers will join their children in the water
to learn foundational swim safety together
— an investment in con昀椀dence and skill that
begins at the earliest age.
This year, our Aquatics Program moved from
strength to strength — growing deeper in
impact, broader in reach, and more inclusive
than ever before.
At the other end of the age spectrum, Adult
Aquatics is making its own waves. This year
saw the addition of a new instructor who
also leads our JCC Master Swim program —
now nine swimmers strong. From beginners
confronting a lifelong fear of the water to
advanced swimmers re昀椀ning their strokes,
our new adult lessons serve a wide range
of needs. Five one-on-one lessons run
each week, and group classes like Swim for
Fitness are in development to help adults get
comfortable with lap swim.
After a brief pause during the pandemic,
our Adaptive Aquatics program relaunched
with a reimagined structure and a renewed
commitment to inclusion. Today, more than
40 families are actively participating. Thanks
to the specialized Swim Angel昀椀sh Adaptive
Swim training, our instructors are better
equipped than ever to meet the widespread
needs of young swimmers with disabilities
— setting us apart from other programs in
Greater Milwaukee.
Our proudest stories of the last year
showcase an adult who began with private
lessons who now swims con昀椀dently in the
JCC Master Swim program, and a young
swimmer, now a volunteer coach for the
JCC Trigger昀椀sh Swim Team who was once
a participant on that team. These full-circle
moments speak volumes – a testament to
growth, perseverance, and the power of
community.
“Families are reaching out in record
numbers, and we’re working hard to recruit
more trained instructors to meet the
demand,” shared Jess Lanke, Senior Director
of Programs. “For many families, the JCC
is the best option.” The growth has been
inspiring. And this year, the momentum
carried us even further.
Swimming is a life skill. But at the JCC, it’s also
a bridge to health, inclusion, and belonging.
From toddlers to teens, 昀椀rst-timers to future
coaches, every ripple in our pool tells a story
of strength.
After some time in our adaptive
programming, some children were ready to
transition beyond one-on-one instruction.
To support this, we launched a new
integrated model: a dedicated adaptive
swim lane within our youth JCC Trigger昀椀sh
Swim Team practices. Here, swimmers
And we’re just getting started.
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