Thursday, June 9, 2022
Radiant Aquatics Provides Free Swim Lessons for Foster Kids
Photo courtesy of Radiant Aquatics.
“We are a big mixed family,” Trelka said. “The holidays are awesome.”
Trelka and his siblings continue this service as adults with their own families. For the past five years, Coach Trelka and his wife have also fostered children, and currently have four kids under five years old. Trelka’s siblings also foster children.
Faith runs deep in their household, so when Trelka founded Radiant Aquatics in 2018, he knew the program would hold those same values. Located in Clearwater, Florida, their mission statement of “Cultivating individuals who will be a light in their community” rings true for the team’s goals. Their website also states, “Our hope is that each child will develop into a fast swimmer or advanced diver, but more importantly, they will consistently know they are cared for, respected, and cherished. We believe this is the key to having a great team and community.”
“The number one priority of the swim team is to build character,” Trelka said. “The second is we want to be a Gold Medal Club.”
To grow the program and become a Gold Medal Club in the Club Excellence Program, he decided to start a swim lessons program last summer.
“We thought, ‘Alright, we can do our own swim program. We can do lessons,’” Trelka said. “It would be great for our teenagers to work with younger ones because even high-level athletes, it humbles them, and they can pass it on and serve the community.”
In addition to offering lessons to children in the area, Radiant Aquatics provides free swim lessons for foster children. In 2021, 42 athletes participated in swim lessons, with over 30 being foster children.
In addition to fostering children, residing in the swimming hotbed of Florida creates added responsibility to become safer in the water.
“There are pools and lakes and the ocean everywhere,” said Trelka. “You hear about these drownings that happen all the time, and there are foster families we know that a kid has drowned, so we were like ‘let’s do foster lessons for free.’”
After deciding to provide this service to the community, Trelka mentioned it to the Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA), and they wanted to help.
“We mentioned it to the FSPA in passing and they were like, ‘Wow, we want to get behind that,’” said Trelka. “So, they give us some grant money. I mean, we wouldn’t turn the kids away anyway, but that grant money they give us allows us to pay the instructors and purchase any of the gear or equipment we need.”
Currently, the program consists of three certified instructors and high school swimmers who volunteer.
Radiant Aquatics also has support from Man Up and Go! - a faith-based non-profit who works to provide father figure individuals in single-family homes. The Florida chapter provides marketing for the program.
“They really help us market it and push it out to the families, so they are aware,” said Trelka.
Last year, the club was sponsored by Dolphin Swimwear, who provided goggles for the swimmers.
“This year we are TYR sponsored, and TYR has committed to giving us more goggles and caps,” Trelka said. “They’re all about it too.”
Since 2007, the USA Swimming Foundation has awarded more than $6.3 million dollars to help fund learn-to-swim programs across the country. Radiant Aquatics plans to apply for a grant next year.
“I really need to,” Trelka said. “Obviously, we are a swim team and I do foster care and coach full-time, so if I need anything I just buy it, but essentially it all comes out of my paycheck.”
As the swim team continues to grow and develop athletes in Clearwater, they will hold fast in their focus to develop great people.
“It took about five years to be recognizable in the community, and now we are,” he said. “And people see the impact we are having.”
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