PUHI — Kaua‘i’s Katherine Tan was on Maui last year when she saw a swimmer working through the swimming pool, without the aid of a special belt. The image got stuck in her mind, and one day Tan asked her
PUHI — Kaua‘i’s Katherine Tan was on Maui last year when she saw a swimmer working through the swimming pool, without the aid of a special belt.
The image got stuck in her mind, and one day Tan asked her coach, Sharon Peck, a simple question.
“Coach Peck, can I do that?” Tan said.
With the help of Kaua‘i High School swimmer Cinzia Bruno, YMCA Swim Director Billy Brown, and Peck, Tan worked on making that dream come true, Friday at the first-ever Special Olympics Swim-a-thon at the YMCA Pool in Puhi.
“Reach, Katherine, reach,” the coaches on the sidelines encouraged, Bruno threading water next to the swimmer who worked one arm over the other. “You’re almost there. Reach.”
Tan was working to qualify for the upcoming Special Olympics meet on Maui, along with seven other swimmers.
The Maui swim meet is a pre-requisite to the Special Olympics Summer Games, to be held May 27-29 on O‘ahu at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa and the Central O‘ahu Regional Park.
In addition to the qualifying swims, the swimmers committed to doing laps, raising funds for the Special Olympics Swim Team, the seriousness of the meet being punctuated by a series of fun water activities.
“The YMCA of Kaua‘i is one of the sponsors of this first-ever Swim-a-thon,” Peck said. “Tom Tannery, the YMCA director, said he would be willing to let us use the pool only if it was a fun event.”
A tube relay started the day, the Special Olympics swimmer being joined by Bruno, Cory Ritter and Elle Valentino, all Kaua‘i High School swimmers in breaking the ice.
Tamarine Carvalho, a Special Olympics swimming coach, said Walmart, Jamba Juice and Starbucks provided gift cards for the event, and Icing on the Cake created a special cake for the event.
“The community has been totally supportive of this effort,” Peck said. “It’s such a good feeling to know how much people care.”
Peck, into her fourth year as a Special Olympics swim coach, is also an assistant swim coach for the Kaua‘i High School swim team and put the offer for volunteers to the school’s swimmers with Bruno, Ritter and Valentino responding positively.
“I’m glad the Special Olympics program can use the pool,” Tannery said. “Having them here adds a bunch of positive flavor for everyone.”
Peck said swimmers making the trip to the Maui meet include Tan, Sarah Peck, Pua Rapozo, Makani Kapua, Lucas Moore, Chad Okino, Emily Sullivan and Abigail Jenkins.
“I can’t wait to go to Maui,” Tan said, excited after making her qualifying swim.
Peck said this is the first year swimmers in the program have come from outside of Kaua‘i High School; Moore is from Kapa‘a High School and Jenkins is a home school student.
“I was a non-swimmer,” Tan said. “But now, it’s different.”
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
