Families interested in swim lessons, water safety, or simply learning what happens inside the Winchester‑Clark County Parks and Recreation pool will have a chance to explore it all during an open house on Saturday, April 25, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Winchester-Clark County Parks & Recreation facility located at 15 Wheeler Avenue in Winchester.
The event will introduce the community to the Winchester Swim Academy, the Learn to Swim program directed by Austin Bellamy, who has spent the past several years building a structured, Red Cross–certified curriculum for swimmers of all ages. The open house will include pool stations for children, demonstrations of safety equipment, and hands‑on help for parents navigating the sometimes‑tricky RecDesk registration system. The first ten families will receive a small goodie bag.
Bellamy, who has lived in Winchester for nine years and worked at the facility for six, said the open house is part of a larger effort to make residents aware of the high‑quality instruction already taking place inside the building.
“We still have families who have no idea we’re here or that we have an amazing program with amazing instructors,” she said.
A Parks & Rec program with its own identity
The Winchester Swim Academy is a program of Winchester‑Clark County Parks and Recreation, but Bellamy said it became clear that the swim program needed its own identity to help families find information more easily.
Parks & Rec offers dozens of activities, and swim lessons were often buried on the RecDesk platform. So Bellamy proposed giving the program its own name and website — winchesterswimacademy.com — where parents can read about the curriculum, fees, instructor training, and class options.
“It just made sense,” she said. “This way people can actually find us, understand what we teach, and know how to register.”
A Red Cross–certified curriculum from babies to adults
Bellamy grew up swimming, coaching, and directing a Learn to Swim program in Lexington before moving to Winchester with her husband to raise their family. When she joined the local facility, she noticed that although the pool was already a Red Cross–certified lifeguarding site, it did not yet have a standardized Red Cross swim curriculum for lessons.
She worked with then‑aquatics director Kevin Ryan to implement the full American Red Cross Learn to Swim program. This nationally recognized system trains instructors to teach everyone from six‑month‑old babies to adults preparing for specialized swim tests.
“It’s one of the greatest, simplest, most progressive ways to learn how to swim,” Bellamy said. “It’s been around for over 100 years.”
The academy now offers:
- Group and private swim lessons
- Parent‑and‑child classes for ages six months to three years
- School‑age and teen instruction
- Adult lessons
- USA‑sanctioned club swimming through the Swimchester Sailfish
- Water aerobics and deep‑water fitness
- Red Cross lifeguard training
Other organizations, including scuba programs and fitness groups, also rent pool time.
A focus on safety, comfort, and play‑based learning
Bellamy emphasizes that the academy’s approach is rooted in safety and comfort, not fear‑based survival training.
“We want kids to love the water, to know how their body feels in it, and to know what to do if something happens,” she said.
Parent‑and‑child classes are among her favorites because early exposure builds confidence and helps families practice safe habits even at home in the bathtub.
Partnership with Clark County Schools
One of the academy’s most meaningful expansions is its partnership with Clark County Public Schools, which now provides free swim lessons for local preschoolers.
Students receive a classroom safety lesson, followed by four in‑water sessions over two weeks. Funding covers swimsuits, towels, and transportation.
“Even just putting those kids in the water who might not ever have another opportunity — that’s huge,” Bellamy said.
How lessons work
Private lessons cost $50 for a 30‑minute session. Group lessons cost about $20 per class, with small class sizes: 2–3 students for younger children and no more than 4 for older groups. Sessions typically run four to six weeks.
Membership in Parks & Rec is not required, and there is no member discount — everyone pays the same price.
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Open house details
The April 25 open house will include:
- Pool stations for kids (bring swimsuits, towels, goggles)
- A safety corner with lifeguard equipment and CPR mannequins
- Help with RecDesk registration
- Information about summer sessions
- Goodie bags for the first ten families
Bellamy hopes the event will help more families discover the program.
“We want people to know we’re here and that we’re ready to meet them wherever they are,” she said.
Photo gallery
All photos courtesy of the Winchester Swim Academy website.
