Page 355 - Total War on PTSD

more involved in the lives of Veterans – I help them to overcome their fears, anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), by coaching them in the pool. For some, that requires teaching them how to swim. For others, it’s giving them a template to live a healthy lifestyle. Our program works for all levels and abilities. Whether a swimmer has PTSD from being in the military or having had a traumatic childhood experience, we can help them to overcome those fears.
OUR ORGANIZATION
Before starting One with the Water®, I lived in Bolivia, Venezuela, and Spain, working as a volunteer for “sponsor-a-child” programs which provide education to children in developing countries. The projects I participated in gave sponsored children and their families opportunities to participate in skills training or livelihood initiatives, so they could begin to rely less on sponsorship and more on their ability to provide for their families, creating an educated path out of poverty. This mission aligned with my personal philosophy and set the stage for the values integral to One with the Water.
Our organization, a 501(c)(3) school, was founded in 2011 with the mission of providing greater access to the lifesaving skill of swimming. We are a community of people united by our love of swimming. Together, we are working to share the wonders of swimming with everyone. We have a twofold approach to achieving our goals. We offer premium swimming lessons to children and adults and include specialty lessons for all special needs, service-disabled Veterans and adaptive athletes. Since our inception, we serve an average of twelve Veterans per year. We also offer need-based scholarships for premium swimming lessons to all regular and special needs students and low-income families. Donations, grants, and paid swimming lessons make these scholarships possible. We have helped thousands of people become ‘One with the Water’ and have provided over 1,000 scholarships, helping those with the highest needs and risks learn to swim.
Our students are our heroes! We especially admire our Veterans, our special needs swimmers, and adaptive athletes. Watching them face their fears and be courageous
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