Thoughts on The Kinsmen Pool
I remember cool mornings in August waiting in the Kinsmen Pool change room for swimming lessons. All the kids would try and
warm up by sneaking showers until the guards would ask us to shut them off. I often thought that it would be better to be at home in bed and warm, but like many things that are worth doing, it does not always come easily without some sacrifice. Swim lessons at the Kinsmen Pool
opened a door for me that I could not have planned. Starting from Red Cross lessons to joining the summer swim team, it helped me to plan goals, obtain them and set new ones.
There were several firsts at the Kinsmen pool. My first lap of the pool, my first backstroke flip turn, my first outdoor swim meet and the
first time I assisted in coaching a swim team.
My first coach was Doug Leonard, who was a no non-sense type of coach, who volunteered his own time to coach kids.
If we were not doing a stroke correctly he would often jump in and show us how. The early support that I received from the
city of Fort Erie spurred me onto compete in two mini-triathlons and three Paralympics. I also receive financial and moral
support from various community groups and individuals, For that I am grateful.
As a child I did not consider the ability to swim anything special. Most of my siblings also learned how to swim. It was not until
I was older that I realized that some people do not know how to swim and they never had lessons. I also became aware that people
actually feared the water. Imagine a day at the beach or boating being a terrifying or dangerous experience.
I am glad that my parents had me take swimming lessons, the town of Fort Erie organized, and that the Kinsmen Club
had the insight to build the pool in the Sugar Bowl. It was accessible, affordable and in my local neighbourhood.
In 1996 I was inducted in the Ontario Swim Hall of Fame as an athlete. I felt like an athlete but I also felt like a representative
of the town of Fort Erie. It will always be my hometown.
Phil Mindorff |
