As Atanu Mukherjee stood on the white sands of a Florida beach, he looked into the Atlantic Ocean with envy in his eyes. Mukherjee, 32, a UF foreign exchange student from Calcutta, India, could not swim. But for Mukherjee and other aquatically challenged adults, it's not too late to learn.
The O'Connell Center pool holds free adult swim lessons every Monday and Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for faculty, staff and students with valid Gator 1 Cards.
"We won't turn anyone away," said Katelyn Nelson, 22, assistant swim and water safety instructor.
The free swim lessons, which were first given in fall 2006, are taught by Red Cross-certified guards and trained water safety instructors.
"It is best to learn with only 20 minute increments because after that, they become frustrated," Nelson said. "We teach them in steps."
Teaching adults is different than teaching kids because they really want to learn, and they stay in the program until they get it, said Meghan Daniels, 20, swim and water safety instructor.
They are here because they want to be here, Daniels said.
Many of the students remain in the water for the entire two-hour block while the instructors coach the other students, she said.
Instructors stand on the pool deck and get into the water alongside the students to explain how to move in the water.
"We stand by their side the entire time and tell them what to fix and work on," she said. "A lot of the time they go on their own [to practice] and then come back and show us what they worked on."
While there are some advanced attendees who come to refine their strokes, the majority are foreign exchange students who don't know how to swim, Daniels said.
"When I first came here and visited Florida's famous beaches, I was jealous watching people swim in the ocean, and I wanted the opportunity to, as well," Mukherjee said. "That's why I started learning here."
After graduating from the swim lessons, many attendees join the Gator Swim Club or take classes for credit to improve and practice their learned abilities, Daniels said.
"I feel really proud and like I've accomplished something along with them," she said. "It makes me happy when I have a long day."
