LaPlace mom learns to swim with 11-year-old; Now it’s 6-year-old’s turn
Published 12:06 am Wednesday, June 22, 2016
- Esohe Adun stands next to the public pool located at 194 Regala Park Road in Reserve. The location is important to the LaPlace resident because it’s where she and her 11-year-old son learned how to swim last year. Now, Adun’s 6-year-old son is taking swimming lesson. (Raquel Derganz Baker/L’Observateur)
RESERVE — Esohe Adun was always interested in having her children learn how to swim.
Akpobaro Takpor, 6, and Tobore Takpor, 11, are enjoying their summer in the pool with help from the St. John Parks & Recreation Department.
Not knowing how to swim herself, Adun decided last year to take swimming classes with her oldest child Tobore Takpor.
Through summer swimming classes put on by St. John the Baptist Parish’s Parks and Recreation department, Adun, 38, and Tobore, 11, took the plunge together and learned how to swim.
Now, the LaPlace family is ready for more.
“I guess it took me so long to learn how to swim because the opportunity was never really there for me to learn,” she said. “I was scared at first. I was scared of drowning. (The teachers) built up my confidence and told me there was nothing to be scared of.”
Adun said it is a wonderful idea that the parish offers swimming lessons to the public.
“It’s good to teach kids, growing up, not to be afraid of water,” she said.
Along with learning how to swim, Adun said she and her son were also taught about pool safety.
“They taught things such as no horse playing around the pool,” she said. “We were taught if you don’t know how to swim, you’re not supposed to go in the pool if you see someone drowning. You are supposed to look for help or throw a pool noodle or something to help pull them out.”
Adun said she did spend some time around water before learning how to swim but avoided going into deeper water.
Having her son Tobore there last summer cheering her on as she learned to swim was a great feeling.
“He would say, ‘look, my mom knows how to swim,’” Adun said. “It was a little challenging knowing the kids where there, but seeing their faces and hearing them say ‘Mommy, you can do it’ gave me courage. It was great.”
Tobore said learning to swim was initially hard, adding he got more comfortable being in the water as the days went on.
“I know how to swim now,” he said. “Now, if there is an emergency around a pool or something, I know what to do. I like the fact that my little brother is now learning how to swim. He always encourages me. I hope he learns how to swim well too.”
Six-year-old Akpobaro Takpor is learning how to swim this summer.
Tobore said it was fun to learn to swim with his mother and he encourages other families to take swimming lessons together.
“It was a nice mother-son bonding time,” he said. “I’m proud of my mom.”
Learning how to swim changed Adun’s life, she said, adding it was nice letting go of her fear.
“I am able to stick my head underwater, take a deep breath and know things will be OK,” she said. “Even if something were to go wrong, there were life guards to be able to respond.”
Adun said learning how to swim as an adult is a great opportunity for parents to show their children there is nothing to be scared of in the water.
“We go to the pool together often,” Adun said.
“Being a life guard might be nice, but I don’t think I’m ready right now. I’ve learned a few things. I wouldn’t say that I’m a great swimming but I’m OK. I’m still learning.”
By Raquel Derganz Baker
