Need a lift to take a dip this summer? Read on...

BY NADINE ARMSTRONG

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com

Yes, summer is here and the Hants Aquatic Center is gearing up to make a big splash again this season that hopes to be fully inclusive.

Aquatics Manager Sarah Boyd says she would like to see everyone enjoy the pool this summer, even those who may need a lift to take a dip. To that end, Boyd has initiated a fundraising scheme to install an 'Access Lift' at the pool so people of all abilities can enjoy a refreshing swim.

Her first goal as the new manager was to ensure the centre was fully accessible. “The one thing I realized we were missing at the pool was an Access Lift. I know a lot of people in the area that depend on a wheelchair or have limited mobility and I don't want them to miss out,” she said. “Recreation is for everyone.”

Through the school year Boyd volunteers with SMILE, an Acadia University program that offers free, accessible recreation programs, including swimming. There she met 23-year-old Charbel Rouhana, a fellow Windsor resident that lost the use of his legs more than three years ago following a motor vehicle accident.

Pool therapy really works

Rouhana would travel to Wolfville twice a week during the winter months to take in a swim and Boyd figured, why not offer the same option here in Windsor? “I really feel we'd have more people like Charbel coming out for a swim if there was an Access Lift. I don't want to see anyone held back; this is a beautiful facility and everyone should be able to enjoy it,” she said.

Rouhana and his family couldn't agree more. Although his recovery has come along well, the former weightlifting champ still has a long way to go and pool access gives him that extra edge, says physiotherapist Wanda Donnell. “He has come so far,” she said. “Charbel is so amazing.” Donnell notes that in terms of recovery, pool therapy really works. “Movement is just so much easier in the pool. The water setting allows for more adapted and weight-bearing exercises.” An added bonus is the pure pleasure of movement that on land takes enormous effort, she said. “Anyone with restricted mobility should try swimming; on the whole, it works wonders.”

Although not fond of cold water, Rouhana looks forward to diving into this initiative feet first. “I love swimming, not just like it.”

Can walk on water

His mom Norma hopes the addition of an Access Lift will also encourage programs like SMILE at the Hants Aquatic Center. “It would be great if the lift would encourage volunteers to come in and work with persons with restricted movement.”

She says Acadia’s program has made an enormous difference in her son’s life. “I noticed a big change when he started going to the pool. He can actually walk when he's in the water. The pool makes it so much easier for him; it's excellent therapy.”

The Access Lift is what makes the difference. “It's a lot of work to get him in and out of the water,” she said, “and without a lift I can't see how using the pool in Windsor would be possible.”

She hopes the facility at King’s-Edgehill School will also follow suit so her son can swim close to home, year-round.

The Rouhana family has owned and operated a corner store on King Street for years and it seems all those loyal customers are eager to make the lift a reality for Charbel. “Already we have raised more than $600,” said Rouhana's father, Chaker Rouhana. “It's fantastic everyone that comes in and sees the sign wants to help,” he said. “People seem really excited about this.”

Accessibility a guiding principle

However, the family wants people who come to the store to know the lift is not for their son alone. “This is a good thing for the whole community, not just our son,” Norma said. Especially for those, like them, living in a rural area, she adds. “We are not close to a lot of things here and it would be nice to have a pool in the area that is accessible.”

One of the guiding principles behind the Hants Aquatic Center has always been accessibility. A “walk-in” was designed to assist those who can't take the big plunge all at once, but the lift would raise the accessibility notch that much higher.

Boyd said the lift would cost about $3,000 and notes they are getting close to reaching that goal with corporate and private donations. As well, the Hants County Community Access Network has offered to match those efforts dollar-for-dollar.

Lifeguards at the pool plan to hold fundraising events in the near future. “Everyone that works here is really committed; we're all involved and believe in this,” Boyd said.

And if anyone can make it happen, Boyd and her like-minded peers such as Charbel will. “I want to see a lift here for this season. That's my goal and I'm dead-set on making it happen.”