We had heard stories of how the swimming community was dealing with the devastation left in Hurricane Harvey’s wake, but we wanted to really see the impact it had left. So SwimSwam visited the Houston area to hear about how Harvey had affected the swimming family, and how the swimming family had dealt with it and given back.
We visited Blue Tide Aquatics, many of whom were also students at Kingwood High School. Kingwood high school suffered 8 feet of water damage, rendering it unusable for the rest of the school year. This not only forced Kingwood students to attend Summer Creek High (for half days) for the remainder of the year, but also forced Blue Tide Aquatics to split their practice time between the Summer Creek High and Kingwood Park facilities, limiting when they are able to have practice. In addition to the loss of their high school, there were several members of the club who lost their homes to flooding as well, turning swim practice into more than just a workout; an escape from the fact that suddenly their home life was a friends floor or a trailer.
The team has embraced this realization, and has come together to grow from it. The atmosphere of the practice is positive, the chatter between sets lively. Everyone left practice with a smile and a handshake too their coach, grateful for the simple opportunity to be present and better themselves a little bit at a time.
Moved to Arizona, we don’t have hurricanes and I see Texas plates here all the time.
That’s my team, let’s go!