KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Cass, Miami, Franklin and Douglas counties with an emphasis on Lawrence. If you have a question about your community or a story idea, send Lily a tip.
—
For the last three summers, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City has offered free swim lessons, and this year, it expanded to a new club location.
Meha Asir co-founded the Shikha Memorial Foundation four years ago with her mom to provide swim lessons. She's since worked with the Boys and Girls Clubs to offer the life-saving lessons during the summer.
"To be honest, I only thought the program would only last a year or two," Asir said.
Asir wanted the program to fill a gap.
“The rate of drowning in the African-American community is very, very high," Waymond King, senior director of athletics and healthy lifestyles with the Boys and Girls Clubs, said.
“The makeup of most of our urban clubs is predominantly African American," he continued.
In 2024, 52% of white people in the United States have had swim lessons while 28% of Hispanic people and 37% of Black people have had lessons, according to the CDC.
Swim student Zorah said her swim skills are improving with lessons.
“When I swim, I feel more accurate, and I feel like I have more power to swim better," she said.
The program also builds relationships between students and college-age swim teachers, who are medical students with the University of Missouri - Kansas City.
“Through those relationships, the kids may be inspired to not only learn how to be safe around the water, but maybe become a swimmer and hopefully become a lifeguard and save a life," King said.
Just like lifeguard Sania Cay. She learned how to swim through Boys and Girls Clubs years ago, and now lifeguards the lessons. She is headed to University of Saint Mary this fall and will join its swim team in the spring.
"I got in here, ended up loving it, and I've just been sailing ever since," Cay said.
—