OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST VISITS GOLDFISH SWIM SCHOOL

My daughter's favorite event in her Goldfish Swim Force swimming meets is the backstroke. So she was thrilled when Olympic Gold Medalist Ryan Murphy stopped in to Goldfish Swim School for a visit. Ryan won a gold medal for the backstroke in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and is a current world record holder in the event (100-meter backstroke). She was able to get some swimming tips from him and he let her wear one of his gold medals.

Ryan was in town to thank Goldfish Swim School for its partnership with USA Swimming Foundation's Make A Splash initiative. The objectives of Make a Splash are to raise awareness about the importance of learning to swim and providing free or low cost swimming lessons in low-income communities. Children in families with household incomes of less than $50,000 often have very minimal – if any – swimming ability. Because it has been shown that swimming lessons can reduce the likeliness of accidental drowning by 88 percent, the USA Swimming Foundation is trying to Make a Splash by helping kids obtain lessons who might not otherwise be able to get them.

Goldfish Swim School has partnered in this effort to provide the opportunity for every child in America to learn how to swim by asking the families of children enrolled in their swimming lessons to "Float it Forward" by making a donation to the Make a Splash endeavor. Ryan was in to town representing the USA Swimming Foundation to announce that so far in 2019 Goldfish Swim Schools have raised nearly $164,000 (including more than $24,000 at my kids' location alone) through Float if Forward donations supporting the Make a Splash initiative. He provided a very heart-felt thank you to the Goldfish Swim School community during his appearance on behalf of the USA Swimming Foundation, which is the philanthropical arm of the national governing body of the sport of swimming in the United States.

During his visit, Ryan was very personable and outgoing with everyone who had a chance to meet with him while he was at the Goldfish Swim School that my kids swim at. Not only is he an impressive athlete but Ryan also presents himself as an incredible ambassador for the sport of swimming. My kids were so geeked to be able to touch and wear an actual Olympic gold medal from the 2016 Rio Games.

Ryan expressed a generous interest in asking my kids about their swimming skills and interests. My son and daughter really had a nice time chatting with Ryan. They also had some fun showing off their swimming muscles with him.

I spent some time talking with Ryan too. This dad blogger appreciated getting a close up look at his gold medal. Wow … not only is it shiny but these medals have some weight to them. You have to appreciate all the effort that athletes like Ryan put into training and competing to earn one of these.

We've had some wonderful times spent at Goldfish Swim School and this was another great experience to remember. If you are looking for a swimming school for your kids, Goldfish is #1! For more information or to find a location near you, head over to goldfishswimschool.com