Swimming for all: Cleveland kids learn to float, breathe at the pool

An AquaMissions student provides an interview response to the Cleveland Fox 8 News Team.

by: Roosevelt Leftwich
Posted: Feb 26, 2026 | 05:30 PM EST
Updated: Mar 4, 2026 | 09:42 AM EST

CLEVELAND (WJW) — There are times in life when you just have to take the plunge.

With a few exceptions most of these fourth graders at Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Garfield Elementary School have had little-to-no experience in a pool.

But after four weeks of lessons about breathing, floating and making good safe choices around any body of water, they now all find being in the water no big thing and that actually it’s pretty darn fun.

“I learned how to dragon breathe and I learned how to shuffle like this, I learned how to float,” 9-year-old Teddy said.

Learning to float can save lives, in fact a big part of what the AquaMissions team does is help children remain calm in the water so that if they find themselves truly in over their heads, they can keep a cool head and save their life…