"Detroit Swims" Looks To Teach All Detroit Kids To Swim
DETROIT (WWJ) - Children, especially African-American and Latino kids reportedly drown at a rate almost three times that of other children.
If staff at the Boll Family YMCA has anything to say about it -- all Detroit children will learn to swim.
WWJ's Laura Bonnell reports it's all part of the "Y's" swim initiative program that kicks off Monday afternoon.
Three time Olympic swim medalist Peter Vanderkaay, of Rochester, is part of the new program: Detroit Swims.
The goal of Detroit Swims is that all children will learn to swim by age five.
Vanderkaay is back in Michigan from Olympic training in Florida. He'll sign autographs and swim with the kids.
Vanderkaay is a University of Michigan All-American swimmer and Olympic gold medalist.
In 2008, he was on the Olympic 200 meter relay team with Michael Phelps that set the current world record.