by Kenneth Rippetoe, One with the Water

Our research and teaching has showed us that swimming is highly therapeutic and satisfying for people with Autism, and we’ve developed an approach to teaching swimming that works very well with the unique needs and challenges students with Autism experience. [more]

by Paola Alvarez, parent

Tatiana our almost 5 yr. old was diagnosed with autism in 2011, Thank God since then her progress has been incredible. She has many hours of therapies and attends a school for children with special needs. She will be going to kindergarten in September. Since then, Tiffany our 3 year old girl received also the diagnosing of autism last year. Although you can never be prepared for this, we know and trust that God has a purpose for us all and especially for our girls. Nobody is an accident. [more]

by Rolf Henriksson, parent

Like a lot of people, I moved to Los Angeles from out of state. Even though I’ve been here for years, when I think about home I often think about Michigan, where I grew up, and not where I live. I’ve tried to convert some of my deep-rooted allegiances. For example, the Dodgers had my attention, but after some tough years I found myself gravitating back to my Tigers. I root for the Lakers, but then again going to games is so expensive; you get busy, lose track, and it never became a part of my DNA. Don’t get me wrong, I love the weather and never thought about leaving this wonderful place; I just never had that emotional connection to Los Angeles. I have wonderful friends and family, again I just didn’t have the love for our city, something to point to and say that is, “my LA.” [more]

by Esteban Gonzalez, parent

100 miles on a bike is tough. If you add winds and cold weather, you have the ingredients for the impossible.

Over the course of our training we logged hundreds of miles and overcame countless hurdles. For instance, It rained during our Malibu ride and we learned to share the road with cars driving way too fast. Palos Verdes gave us amazing scenery and challenging hills to climb that tested us all. Our Oceanside ride gave us the coldest weather (37 degrees) and rolling hills that seem to never end.  We sacrificed our sleep, and time with our families, but with each ride a new confidence was found and our commitment to accomplishing our goal grew stronger. During the many hours on our bicycles, the mental toughness inculcated in us would prove to be the most valued aspect of our training because what waited for us in Palm Springs proved to be like nothing that we had collectively ever experienced. [more]

At 5:50 am on a dark and cool Tuesday morning in your neighbourhood pool, the parking lot is quickly filling up.  Within a few minutes, cars line up against the wall of the lot as there are not enough spaces.  A group of people with towels, goggles and bags filled with other swimming paraphernalia gathers in front of the door, which opens promptly at 6 am. By 6:05, Speedo-clad swimmers of all ages are lined up, with kick boards, pull buoys and water bottles neatly arranged at the edge of the pool, ready to jump into the water.  A young woman in a wheelchair maneuvers herself closer to the steps leading into the pool, while others adjust the straps of their goggles and swim caps.  Their swim coach approaches, giving them instructions for a warm-up, the first step of the swim workout.  Half the pool’s lanes are taken by this group, but who are they? [more]