Chandler McBride – His Story and Courage

At Texas Swim Academy, we’d like to share a story that is close to our heart. It’s about a boy and his courage and strength after he suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of a diving accident.

His name is Chandler McBride, a bright, kind, 17-year-old who loves football and hanging out with friends and family. Chandler is so bright, in fact, that he is taking duel-enrollment courses at Western Michigan University. It was the beginning of the summer, just after his junior year at Three Rivers High School, when his life turned upside down.

On June 16th Chandler was swimming with a group of friends at a backyard swimming pool when he misjudged the depth of the pool and dove into the shallow end. Chandler, a healthy 6-foot, 190-pound football player, broke his neck and severed his spinal cord leaving him paralyzed from the neck down.

Because of his strength and endurance throughout the ups and downs of his recovery, Chandler’s injury has encouraged us to share and educate people on the importance of swim safety. At Texas Swim Academy, we provide the education and training parents, young adults and children need to learn about swim safety, including diving. We’d like to share some tips we gathered from Think First Foundation and the North American Spine Society. Please share these top 5 tips for diving injury prevention with your friends and family:

• Always know the depth of water before you dive. When in doubt, test the water before diving by wading or walking into the water feet first. A great way to remember this is “feet first, first time.
• Never swim or dive alone, always have a buddy.
• To dive safely, hold your head and arms up and steer with your hands. Keep your arms extended over your head during the dive.
• Don’t dive off the side of a diving board – dive straight ahead of yourself and test the diving board for its spring before diving.
• Never dive into an above-ground pool or into the shallow end of a pool. We recommend the water be at least 11 feet deep for safe diving from the side of a pool or deck.

To learn more about Chandler’s story and his recovery please follow his cause on the Chandler McBride Care Page. We also encourage you to donate to him and his amazing family through Caringbridge.org.

SWIM SCHOOL IN KATY 

Texas Swim Academy is the best swim school near me offering result-oriented swimming lessons in Katy that cater to all ages and abilities. Our well-trained and experienced swimming instructors provide a variety of programs for infants through adulthood. For the little ones, we offer swimming lessons for babies and swimming lessons for toddlers focused on survival swimming skills to build a strong water safety foundation and foster water confidence at a young age. Once your child knows how to swim, our swim lessons for children will help refine techniques and build endurance, as the consistent practice of their swimming skills is an imperative part of becoming a strong swimmer. 

Our adaptive aquatics program is designed for children of all ages and abilities to ensure every child, including children on the autism spectrum, can benefit from these fundamental skills and enjoy the water in a safe and comfortable environment. Adults seeking to improve their swimming prowess or learn how to swim for the first time can enroll in adult swim lessons tailored to their specific goals.

Our swim lessons near me are a convenient and accessible way for you and your family to learn how to swim in a comfortable environment. Our dedicated instructors are passionate about teaching and ensuring your progress in the water. Take a few minutes to view Our Swimmer Stories to learn more about what other families are saying about their experience with Texas Swim Academy. 

Contact us to learn more about our programs or stop by our state-of-the-art swimming facility in Katy to register today. Be sure to follow our Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages for important news, updates, and swimming safety tips, and read our blog to keep up-to-date with important information on water safety and proper swimming lessons.