Aquamotion Ability Foundation
Sep 15, 2020Aquamotion was created in 1991; we didn’t call it that, but it’s what we were becoming. We began teaching everyone, but a few years later we found that senior citizens WERE our favorite age group. In 2003 we began teaching specifically for seniors at the local city college. It was an absolute blast. When the parking became bad, we moved to a city pool which is where we have been until March of this year.
In 2018 I decided to become a non-profit so that we could get grants to help pay for more clients to attend classes (it’s not cheap at a city pool) and create a program that helped more people. Our first grant was specifically for diabetics and heart disease clients and all services provided had to be free, plus we had to keep detailed reports on their progress.
Our dream of helping seniors became more concrete as we worked with them in our programs. We realized that their exercise options kept getting cut and they were only getting exercise formats that didn’t compliment their issues. Many of our participants have joint PROBLEMS, surgeries and medical issues that require therapy. Insurance only pays for a limited number of physical therapy appointments, so we love that we can offer a program that supplements their therapy needs in a safe environment.
Our water aerobics format is fun, full of variety and OFFERS challenges at all levels. All our instructors are trained to teach multiple levels and depths. We constantly give options so that clients can pick the exercise style that works best for them that day.
What sets Aquamotion Ability Foundation apart from other programs is the community we foster. People meet each other, encourage each other, and create lasting friendships. I have one client who has been with me for 40 years and many like her have been with us for many, many years. It’s not just the loving instructors, but the bonded clients who make the difference.
One time I got a call from someone who had heard that we are inclusive and kind. I was thrilled to hear that and said that we welcome everyone as long as they are willing to be open minded and kind to everyone. She then told me that she is a trans woman going through the transition. I was a bit worried, but my class welcomed her with open arms, a true example of the community we have built.
And then came the pivot-Covid 19 and we had to shut down 7 pools, put 4 instructors on furlough, and figure out our next plan. Like a gate, we were anchored to our desire to help seniors with their fitness needs, but now we had no pools and needed to change direction. We quickly, within a week, got our equipment together and started filming live Facebook classes on land with a chair option. We were getting about 150 views per day, so then we decided to create a water option.
Our Silver Mermaids program was born and 2 months in, we are slowly perfecting our program, helping clients find pools to borrow and how to use the software at their pool. We are now getting paid to continue our online live classes on Instagram and Facebook, but we are offering this exciting water option as well. Seniors are not super savvy or excited about learning new software, but as the months progress they are stepping up and asking for help so that they can move better and feel better again-which is our mission! We have no idea what will happen over the next year, but we will stay the course and keep trying to keep our seniors active. Staying flexible both mentally and physically is the key to success for all of us. Stay well!
Author: Linda Hicks
