Making Water Safety Accessible to All Children

We are thrilled to announce that Swim Angelfish has been selected as a grant recipient of the Stew Leonard III Foundation and Step Into Swim Program!

The Stew Leonard III Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting water safety awareness and education, and works tirelessly to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn vital swimming skills. Each year, this foundation funds hundreds of lifeguard trainings and provides 10,000 free or low-cost swim lessons to children in need.

In partnership with Step Into Swim (a philanthropic initiative committed to giving all children access to lifesaving swim lessons), Swim Angelfish has been awarded with a grant to support swimming lessons in 2024 for children who qualify for financial assistance.

Connecticut Benefits From Free Adaptive Swim Lessons Thanks to Stew Leonard’s Family and Olympian Rowdy Gaines

Stew Leonard, Ailene Tisser and Rowdy Gaines

Swim Angelfish Grant Award Announcement

This week, The Stew Leonard III Foundation and Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines announced their plan to award organizations in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey with free swim lesson grants for underserved communities.

The announcement was led by Sen. Richard Blumenthal and joining him was Paralympic swimming hopeful Ali Truwit, who lost her leg in a shark attack, the teams from Stew Leonard III Foundation and Step Into Swim, as well as our very own Ailene Tisser.

Ailene Tisser, on behalf of Swim Angelfish, received a grant award for $10,000 to provide 13 children with autism, weekly lessons for 13 weeks.

Ali Truwit and Ailene Tisser

“The expenses of raising a child with special needs are enormous and to be able to take one worry off of their shoulders and to say ‘we’ve got you, don’t worry about the cost and we’ll get your child safer’ is such a gift,” said Ailene Tisser, co-founder of Swim Angelfish.

We understand the challenges swimmers of all abilities face and believe that everyone can learn the life-saving skills of swimming. Meeting Ali Truwit was incredible, she is a huge inspiration for our younger swimmers with physical challenges and we wish her all the best with her goal of making the Paralympics and representing the United States!

How to Secure Financial Assistance for Your Child’s Adaptive Swim Lesson

This grant represents a significant milestone for Swim Angelfish and supports our commitment to making swimming accessible to all children, regardless of their financial circumstances.

By partnering with the Stew Leonard III Foundation, we will expand our reach and provide more families with the opportunity to access high-quality adaptive swim lessons for their children with special needs.

We believe that every child deserves the chance to learn lifesaving water safety skills, and this grant will enable us to make a positive impact in our community. If you’re interested in applying for an adaptive swim lesson grant for your child or would like more information, please reach out to us at office@swimangelfish.com.

Together, we can work towards a safer and more inclusive future where every child can enjoy the benefits of swimming.

Thank you to the Stew Leonard III Foundation and Step Into Swim for their generous support!

Ailene Tisser, MA, PT, Founder

Ailene is a pediatric Physical Therapist with more than 25 years of experience treating a variety of diagnoses, both in and out of the water. She is NDT (Neuro-Developmental Treatment) trained in pediatrics and is trained in DIR/Floortime. She is currently certified as an Autism Specialist by IBCCES. Ailene brings all of her Physical Therapy expertise into the water, where she helps children of all abilities feel safe, confident, and independent. She combines her passion and skill for working with children with special needs with the therapeutic properties of the water to achieve amazing results. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience by educating other Aquatic Professionals so that they can also make a significant impact on the lives of swimmers with special needs.

Cindy Freedman, MOTR, Founder

Cindy is a recreational therapist and an Occupational therapist. After working for ten years as a recreational therapist in a variety of settings, she pursued a Master’s degree in OT. Her career as an OT includes specialty training in sensory integration, reflex repatterning, and aquatics. She is currently certified as an Autism Specialist by IBCCES. As a swimmer and national champion diver, Her love of the water combined with her education and work experience created them an opportunity for Swim Angelfish to become a reality! “Our mission is to create an aquatic community of trained instructors so that together we can decrease the alarming statistic of drowning being the leading cause of death for children with special needs.”