Meet the Next Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer, José!

Over the past four months I have had the pleasure of working with an extraordinary young man named José. José is five years old and would not leave his mother’s sight when he first came to hang with us at Splash Pals Adapted Aquatics, now we can barely get him out of the water after an hour session! He has become more familiar with our family here at Adapted and has become more comfortable with the aquatic activities from week to week. Our little buddy, José, loves to have swimming races and is a self-proclaimed successor to Michael Phelps. He enjoys “surfing” on kickboards, performing pull-ups on starting blocks, and playing any sport where he can show off his strong throwing arm. José’s family is from Venezuela where they frequently return to visit relatives still residing in the South American country. He loves to eat pepperoni and cheese pizza, play FIFA as his favorite team Barcelona, and swim any chance he can! José never gets tired of watching his favorite movie Toy Story with his older sister Mariana and is excited for the fourth installment to be released. His favorite time of the school day is snack time; he also loves to draw using his favorite color, pink! This Halloween José will be trick or treating dressed as a wise old man.

The time I have spent with José has taught me to celebrate people’s differences and to stay strong through any adversity life may throw my way. José has taught me to keep a smile on my face at all times and to enjoy the little things in life with the people we love. José takes away the monotony of Mondays and is always sure to put a smile on the faces and warmth in the hearts of any members who are blessed to work with him. Come race José every Monday at 6pm at the Florida Atlantic University swimming pool!