Crest Pool Offers ‘Spirited’ Therapy Through SWIM, Inc.

WILDWOOD CREST — A spirited group of adults with physical disabilities join weekly at the Joseph Von Savage Memorial Pool, where they exercise and enjoy camaraderie through swim therapy.
Participants stretch, swim laps, work on strokes, or just float at their own pace.
Jean Kammer explained that the Specialized Water Interest Movement (SWIM, Inc.) originated in northern parts of the state.
Kammer and her late husband, Herb, have served as chapter coordinators since the program’s local inception here in 1982.
The Wildwood Crest chapter is the sole of its kind in Cape May County, she said.
The free program is offered Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to noon, October through May. The pool is handicap accessible, including a chair lift.
Doris Hollingsworth, a registered nurse, sowed the seed of the program in 1975 when she had welcomed people with muscular and arthritic conditions to her private pool, the SWIM Inc. Web site explains. The program expanded to community pools due to its popularity.
Tim Rickley, a former U.S. Navy diver who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, said the program has benefited him to relax, exercise and condition his muscles.
“At first I thought it would be a depressing atmosphere, but I’m thoroughly impressed with the spirit. Everyone is so upbeat. It’s been a very encouraging experience,” he said.
“For some, it is hard for them to just get out of bed and get dressed. They are an inspiration to all of us,” Kammer told the Herald.
She said she enjoys the contagious enthusiasm.
Distinction between volunteers and swimmers is blurred as handicapped swimmers assist one another, with the oversight of volunteers.
“We can’t tell who is a volunteer and who is a swimmer because they all help each other,” Kammer said. “They’re all smiling.”
“It’s so rewarding for both the employees and the participants,” Lifeguard Christine Petronzi said.
Volunteers are always within sight if assistance is needed, Kammer said.
“We’re very blessed to have never been without sufficient volunteers,” Kammer said.
Afterwards, a “kitchen committee” provides lunch as swimmers and volunteers mingle.
Jean’s daughter, Linda Jackson, helps the group provide after-swim lunches. She has stepped in to help where her father Herb left off.
“This is the most rewarding group we have,” said Joan Duncan, pool office clerk. “I see them walk in, enjoy themselves, and leave with huge smiles.”
“When I leave here, I have a different perspective on life. Swimmers don’t complain of pains. They seem to look at their handicap as a challenge, then the challenge becomes an opportunity to do things they hadn’t before,” volunteer Joe Jackson told the Herald.
“It’s definitely not a give-up atmosphere. It’s enlightening,” Rickley said. He’s participated for five years and, in that time, he said, he has not only limbered up, but also made friends, and mostly, he has gained inspiration.
There’s great emphasis on safety, Kammer said. Everyone is required to wear a floatation belt, and help is available for those who need assistance getting in and out of the water.
Adults of all ages are welcome to participate in the swim therapy. An application, available online at www.swim-inc.org, is required, along with a physician’s diagnosis and approval of participation.