WORLAND — Cecelia Sylvester of Hyattville organizes activities for four homeschooled youth in her community and last fall she was looking for a Christmas gift for them. The gift turned out to be one that benefitted her as well … swimming lessons.

She contacted the Worland Aquatic Center and scheduled lessons for the Greer children — Stetson, 8; Dawson, 10; Allison, 12 and Madison, 14.

“I didn’t know how to swim but I know how important it is to not be afraid of the water,” Sylvester said.

According to swimming instructor Kathy Rougeau-Rogers, there are eight sessions for lessons. Lessons for the Greers were twice a week starting in

December and ran for 40 to 45 minutes.

During a party time on a Saturday, the aquatic center had the slide on and despite not knowing how to swim, Sylvester took her turn on the slide. Upon plunging in the water she got turned around and, with the help of Rougeau-Rogers, she was able to get out of the water and calmed down.

“She kept saying I can’t float and I told her I could teach her. I calmed her down and taught her to float [that day],” Rougeau-Rogers said. Sylvester signed up for private lessons and “now she can do everything,” Rougeau-Rogers said.

Everything includes floating, treading water, side stroke, freestyle, elementary backstroke, holding breath under water and blowing bubbles.

Sylvester said she learned a lot just watching the children’s lessons but learned more once she took her own lessons.

Rougeau-Rogers said she loves teaching older adults who are afraid of the water or who never learned to swim like Sylvester. She encourages any one, of any age, who doesn’t know how to swim to contact the aquatic center.

Everyone should learn to swim, she said, noting that swimming is very relaxing when you’re in the water, calms your body and helps you sleep at night.

Sylvester said she never learned to swim mainly because “nobody ever took me. I never had the opportunity. I also believed I was one of those who couldn’t swim or float, now the kids are helping me work on diving off the side of the pool.”

She added learning to swim, which helps her and the children be safe in the water, also provides a “great thing to do together.”

Sylvester added that learning to swim and being safe in the water is a great thing for anyone to learn and she appreciates the schools who provide the lessons.

Worland has swimming lessons as part of the school curriculum in grades kindergarten through fifth grade.

Swimming supervisor and South Side Principal Ken Deitz said the district offers the lessons to “focus on

being sure students can be safe in the water. We are one of a few districts that offers this in their curriculum.”

He said every year each elementary class goes for two weeks or 10 lessons.

Dietz said having it as part of the curriculum is unique.

He added, “My district when I was in school didn’t do that so what I got [for swimming lessons] was when we went to the pool as a family.”

Lessons by appointment are offered every day the aquatic center is open, Rougeau-Rogers said, adding that additional lessons are offered in the summer.