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SWAM Ottawa's mission is to provide affordable and accessible one-on-one swimming instruction to children with disabilities. Swimmer Louis with instructor (2019) Swimmer Louis with instructor Anwyn (2023) IMG_1070_edited_edited SWAM Ottawa Exec Team 2025 Swimmer Louis with instructor (2019) 1/3 S wimming W ith a M ission Ottawa SWAM's mission is to provide affordable and accessible one-on-one swimming instruction to children with disabilities. Read More Our Lessons SWAM runs one-on-one swimming lessons for kids aged 3-16 years with a wide variety of special needs. Swimmers work with volunteer instructors on their own goals, anything from getting comfortable in the water to learning strokes. Our goal is to help swimmers build a positive relationship with the water and improve water safety skills. Please note SWAM lessons are not affiliated with the City of Ottawa Swim City program. Click here to learn more about how the program works The Pool *Please do not call the pool, SWAM is not a City of Ottawa program. Jack Purcell Pool (320 Jack Purcell Lane) Jack Purcell is located just off of Elgin St. in Centertown. It is a warm therapeutic pool has a maximum depth of 1.5m (5ft). It is ideal for our younger swimmers and kids with mobility challenges because the warmth allows for more comfort and stretching. Jack Purcell is equipped with universal change rooms that have adult changing tables and lifts to get in and out of the pool. The facility is fully wheelchair accessible. * There is parking reserved for the community centre further down Jack Purcell Lane. We can provide parking passes for that lot. If it’s full, you can use the Elgin Street Public School parking lot off Gilmour during SWAM hours. Volunteers All of our instructors and executive members are volunteers! Our fantastic group, primarily composed of post-secondary students, aims to provide the most accessible and fun environment possible for the kiddos. We have an experienced team and multilingual team that is looking forward to sharing their passion for swimming! Click here to get involved! Subscribe to Our Mailing List Enter your email here Sign Up Thanks for submitting!

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Our Lessons S.W.A.M. runs one-on-one swimming lessons for kids aged 3-16 years with a wide variety of special needs. Swimmers work with volunteer instructors on their own goals, anything from getting comfortable in the water to perfecting strokes. Our goal is to help swimmers build a positive relationship with the water and improve water safety skills. Further details about the program are below. Lesson Format Lessons are 30 minutes, once a week. There is no specific curriculum so instructors will work with the kiddos on their specific needs. For example, comfort in the water, mobility, or stroke improvement. * Please note that the volunteer instructors may not have official aquatics certifications but they do recieve training through S.W.A.M. Times For Winter 2025, lessons will run Saturday and Sunday evenings at Jack Purcell from 17:05-19:20. Start, end and exception dates will be made available when registration is announced. Registration Registration is done on a first come, first serve basis. Classes will be made available on the registration section of this website at a predetermined time that will be advertised on the site and through the mailing list. * Please note that the demand for the program far exceeds our capacity, so a spot is not guaranteed. Pool Lessons run out of Jack Purcell which is a warm water pool located in Centretown. Jack Purcell is a full accessible pool with hand rails along the inside of the water and lifts to get in and out. Languages We offer lessons in French and English. Should the participant speak another language that one of our instructors happens to as well we will do our best to pair them. We use visual aids to facilitate communication with non-verbal participants. Conditions We reserve the right to remove a participant from the program if they are repeatedly displaying behaviour that is a danger to themselves or others at the pool. For example, repeated running around the pool deck or pushing instructors under the water. The Pool *Please do not call the pool, S.W.A.M. is not a City of Ottawa program. Accessibly Features Jack Purcell Pool Wheelchair accessible Universal change rooms with an adult changing table Ceiling and chair lifts to get into the pool Railings along the inside of the pool

Become a Volunteer! We are always looking for volunteers to join our instructor team! Why join S.W.A.M.? It is a great opportunity to get involved in the community and share water safety skills with kids in need. We are a team of like minded individuals who create lasting friendships beyond S.W.A.M. We provide official volunteer hours through uOttawa and can provide hours certificates for students elsewhere. Obtain training and development of accessibility and leadership skills. Have great experiences and learn together with the kiddos! Requirements Most of our instructors are post-secondary students, however we welcome anyone 16 and up! No aquatics certifications or experience are required but they are an asset. A Vulnerable Sectors Check is required before entering the pool. If you do not already have one from within the past 12 months, email ottawa@swamcanada.ca to receive a letter to get the VSC for free. If you are under 18 years old, email ottawa@swamcanada.ca to receive an Offence Declaration Form in lieu of a VSC. A swim test will be performed during instructor training to assess comfort in the water. Winter 2026 intake is now closed. Keep an eye on our social media for Fall 2026 intake! Feel free to email ottawa@swamcanada.ca if you have any questions! S.W.A.M. Ottawa Volunteers

Our Story SWAM is a program that has been making waves in the Ottawa community for over 15 years! With a rich history and proven track record, it's no wonder why so many people have benefited from this incredible program. Here's a quick snapshot of our history! 2009 Swimming with a Mission (SWAM) has come a long way since its inception in 2009. Initially known as Making Waves, the organization started with just 12 swimmer-instructor pairs. Over the years, we have evolved and changed our name twice before finally settling on SWAM. 2018 In 2018 we underwent our final name change to Swimming with a Mission (SWAM); after being SwimAbility from 2016-2018. We also had the privilege of serving over 100 swimmers during that year. 2020 Our program continued to thrive despite the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to the tireless of our instructors. They went above and beyond create a plethora of online resources, social media content, and videos to keep our students engaged and learning. Today We are determined to bring our program back to pre-pandemic levels, and we're making great progress. We're thrilled to that our program keeps growing year to year!

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About SWAM SWAM is a registered not-for-profit organization that aims to run affordable and accessible swimming lessons for kids with a wide range of disabilities. SWAM has been running in Ottawa as a University of Ottawa club for over 14 years with the goal of making water safety skills available to everyone! We aim to create a fun and accommodating space where kids can learn to be comfortable in the water and play safely. Click to learn more about... The Program Our Team Our History SWAM Canada Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more updates!

SWAM Ottawa Executive Team Co-President Anna B. Anna has been a member of the SWAM executive team since 2023. She has worked as a lifeguard and aquatics instructor since 2019 and specializes in providing aqua-therapy classes for people with disabilities and chronic pain. She is currently finishing her Honours degree in Health Science in the French Immersion stream. Anna has a lot of experience in instructor training, advanced aquatic programs, and swimming lesson management. She is ecstatic about the growth S.W.A.M. Ottawa has undergone since Fall 2023 and can't wait to work on our big goals! Co-President Gabby T. Gabby has been with SWAM Ottawa since Fall 2023, starting as an instructor and then becoming VP Social and Communications Executive, and now President. As President, she enjoys seeing our swimmers thrive and supporting our volunteer team as we continue to grow. Swimming was a big part of her life growing up , and she believes everyone should get to experience the joy and confidence that comes from being in the water. Outside the pool, Gabby is a Health Sciences student at uOttawa, dog lover, and WNBA fan. VP Communications Maya W. Maya has been a dedicated volunteer with SWAM since Summer of 2024. She is currently studying Biomedical Science with a minor in psychology and joined SWAM because of her love for working with kids and wanting to give back to the community. SWAM has given her the perfect opportunity to do both. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, and dancing. Maya is excited to be part of the SWAM team again this year and looks forward to another great year! VP Volunteer Coordinator Scarlett R. Scarlett has been a dedicated volunteer with SWAM since 2023. She grew up taking swimming lessons and eventually worked up to a lifeguard/ swim instructor. Scarlett has always loved teaching lessons. When she came to university, she didn’t know anyone and found SWAM by chance on Instagram. Having grown up neurodivergent, and with a brother who has a disability, she thought it would be a great opportunity for her to use lived experiences to help others. She joined us as a permanent instructor and the rest is history! Head Instructor Gemma R. Gemma started volunteering with SWAM as an instructor, and now she is a head instructor. Gemma is excited for the upcoming year with this organization. Gemma has extensive experience in aquatic instruction and is very strong at adapting lessons to individual needs. She is currently a Multidisciplinary Design student in the Faculty of Engineering at uOttawa. Gemma is looking forward to seeing the progress of kids who return to the program and getting to know her peers! Head Instructor Paige R. Paige has been SWAM's head instructor since 2024, and has been working in aquatics since 2021, serving as a Head Lifeguard, Swim Instructor, and Advanced Aquatic Program Trainer. She is also a third-year Nursing Student with a strong passion for pediatric nursing. Paige chose to join SWAM because she believes every child should have equal access to swimming lessons and essential water safety knowledge. She is excited to bring her experience and dedication to creating a safe, fun, and inclusive environment for all children. She looks forward to all the progress the swimmers will make and seeing their bonds grow with the instructors. VP Lesson Coordinator Myriam B. Myriam has been a volunteer instructor with SWAM since Winter 2024, and is now one of our lesson coordinators! She loves swimming and being around the water, as well as working with kids. SWAM allows her to combine these passions while helping kids gain confidence in the pool and have fun! She is excited to see the kids grow each week with our SWAMily. VP Volunteer Coordinator Eva N. Eva has been with SWAM since Winter of 2024. She is currently in her 4th year at uOttawa studying Psychology and has a huge passion for working with children. Before SWAM, Eva worked as a swim instructor helping swimmers of all abilities and she is able to continue this passion on our team. When not in the pool, you can find Eva studying at coffee shops and playing Sudoku. VP Social Teslin H. Teslin started volunteering with SWAM 2025! She has just graduated from architecture school and is taking a gap year before going into a masters of planning. Teslin has an athletic background, playing competitive ringette for most of her life along with a handful of other sports to keep her busy. She wanted to be a part of SWAM because she loves making a difference within the community. Having volunteered for a therapeutic riding association before SWAM, getting back into volunteering for children with disabilities is really special for her. She also has a love for content creation and being creative which she is able to tap into with this role. She looks forward to getting to know the other executive members and SWAM kids! VP Social Claudia W. Claudia has been volunteering with SWAM since 2025. She is a Health Sciences student at the University of Ottawa, and outside of school she loves skiing, running, and staying active. Coaching has been a big part of her life, and she really enjoys being a positive role model for kids and helping them build confidence. Claudia joined S.W.A.M. because she believes every child deserves the chance to learn essential skills. Swimming is such an important life skill, and she loves being part of a program that makes lessons accessible to all families. VP Equity Brayden M. Brayden has been one of our wonderful volunteers since Winter 2024. He has been a lifeguard for 6 years and worked at numerous different places. During that time, he gained a lot of experience with water safety and supporting swimmers in a pool environment. Brayden chose to be a part of SWAM because he wanted to use the skills that he has acquired over the years to good use, making a positive impact by helping participants feel safe, confident, and happy in the water. He is looking forward to seeing the joy on swimmers faces this semester. VP Fundraising and Sponsorship Sparsho C. Sparsho has been volunteering with SWAM since Fall 2024. As a former competitive swimmer, Sparsho has always had a special place in his heart for swimming. After leaving the sport at the end of highschool, he felt the void that leaving the sport gave him. SWAM gave Sparsho the opportunity to fill in that void and give back to the community. Sparsho is looking forward to all of the fundraising opportunities for the program. VP Fundraising and Sponsorship Theresa A. Theresa has been volunteering with SWAM since 2024. She is a Health Science student at the university of Ottawa and has been a swimming instructor for the past 4 years now. Theresa loves teaching swimming lessons and sharing her passion for swimming and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to have affordable swimming lessons. She is looking forward to this years fundraising events VP External Clarice D. Clarice has been volunteering with SWAM since winter 2025. She grew up as a competitive swimmer and the sport has always been a big part of her life. She is currently studying human kinetics and health sciences and SWAM ties into her passion for helping children while giving back to her community. She is looking forward to seeing the progress the kids will make this semester. VP Internal Wura O. Wura has been with SWAM since 2024. She grew up in South Africa and swimming has always been a huge part of her life. This tied with her passion to volunteer and help children made SWAM a perfect fit for her. Wura places a lot of value on swimming as a life skill and wants to help others with affordable lessons. She is really looking forward to getting to know the new kids and volunteers! S.W.A.M. Ottawa Volunteers

Donate Now! Help us grow the program! First name Last name Email Do you wish to support a specific team/swimmer? Enter the amount you wish to contribute: C$ Comments Donate Thank you for your support! *Please note that S.W.A.M. is a registered not-for-profit organization so all receipts are not tax-deductible. FUNDRAISING Learn more about our fundraising goals: At SWAM Ottawa, our goal has always been to keep our programs affordable and accessible for the families in our community. This winter, our pool rental costs increased by 20%, but we made the choice to keep registration fees the same. Our aim is to reduce financial barriers so that every child can access water safety and feel confident in the water. Your donations help make that possible, especially as pool fees continue to rise every session. We’re also thinking ahead. There is a growing demand for our programs, and we’re excited about the possibility of expanding into a second pool so we can welcome more participants. We hope to invest in new adaptive equipment such as adapted lifejackets and sensory toys to improve our participants' experience in the water! None of this happens without community support. SWAM Ottawa is built on people who believe in inclusion, access, and meeting kids where they are. Thank you for supporting our work, believing in our mission, and dreaming big with us. SWAMathon 2026 Thanks to donations and community sponsors, we raised over $6700 for the 2026 SWAMathon! Teams of volunteers swam laps depending on how much the fundraised and competed against each other. The event was wildly successful and was a huge contribution to maintaining low registration fees. Click here to view our Community Sponsors

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