The City Swim Barracudas showed off their moves, and some high-profile people helped support the program.
More than 60 Barracudas — and a few local celebrities — raced up the lanes Saturday at the Booker T. Washington Park pool, marking a second solid summer of introducing city kids to the water.
“I didn’t expect so many people,” enthused Kesha Younger, who was with friends from the Acts 2 Ministry church, which used its van to bring swimmers to Saturday’s swim meet. “Usually kids in the city don’t learn to swim real well. This is great!”
“They love it,” added Bernice Gallagher, who watched her 6-year-old granddaughter Sophia and 9-year-old grandson Deshaun kick their way down the pool in one of the early events.
Set up by the Advancement Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes community assets, the meet spotlighted the aquatic gains of the members of the City Swim Barracudas, a team that the foundation launched last year with the city and a bevy of sponsors. Last year the Barracudas had more than 150 members, Advancement Foundation President Annette Patterson said. This year there are more than 180. The team includes children and adults, but Saturday’s meet was mostly younger swimmers.
The exception was a fundraising celebrity swim-off, "Battle of the Roanoke Stars," featured part way through the meet. It pitted entrepreneur River Laker against City Manager Chris Morrill and an assortment of local business, media and community group figures. Laker won the two-part match, first paddling a foam noodle adorned with a seahorse head and tail to victory, then holding a kickboard and kicking his way down another length of the pool.
“Whatever it takes,” Laker said afterward, laughing about his varying techniques.
“It’s worth embarrassing yourself for a good cause,” added Morrill, who took second in the swim-off.
The top prize among the celebrity group, however, was for money raised. It went to Jason Cromer, president of the Old Southwest neighborhood group, who collected $1,000 in pledges for his participation. Such fundraising will help the City Swim Barracudas return next year, said city Councilman Sherman Lea, who was Saturday’s master of ceremonies.
The morning threat of rain didn’t keep away the scores of swimmers and their enthusiastically cheering supporters.
As the sun came out, towels spread along the concrete and weary swimmers gulped down hot dogs and other snacks. Lifeguards urged runners to walk, coaches called to swimmers to go faster, and helpers wading along beside some of the youngest competitors encouraged them to just try to keep going.
Constance Crutchfield, president of the Gainsborough Southwest Neighborhood Association, raced up and down the side of the pool, cheering on her niece Jarree, 15, and any other swimmers who might need applause. She also praised head coach Louis Tudor and his crew of assistants, many of whom coach at other area swim programs.
“The skills they have taught the team are wonderful,” Crutchfield said.
Ahmad Ramathan, 11, said that before he joined the Barracudas this summer, he could swim “but I didn’t know how to kick so well.” On Saturday, he held a blue, first-place ribbon that he won in the 25-meter kick event.
“It’s been fun,” he reflected. “It makes it easier and funner to learn how to swim.”
Innocent Seromba, also 11, confessed to nervousness as he waited for his 50-meter freestyle event to be called. He said that he hadn’t known how to swim before joining the team. Of all he’d done as a Barracuda, he added, he probably had most enjoyed leaping off the diving board.
A few minutes later Innocent was at the other end of the pool, and Tudor was calling his name as the heat winner.
Darson Daughtridge, 10, won a close race in another heat of the 50-meter freestyle. “First place!” he exulted. “One millisecond!”
Saturday’s meet was dedicated to the memory of Alice B. Roberts, the Gainsborough historian and community organizer who passed away last spring.
It was the summer’s final inter-squad contest for the Barracudas, Patterson said, many of the more-skilled team members will be participating in one more event this summer — the Roanoke Valley Aquatic Association’s city-county championship meet on Friday and Saturday at the Salem YMCA.
