New iCanSwim Camp at MSU helps individuals with special needs
Contact: Aspen Harris
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥旂哿κ悠碘檚 Department of Kinesiology is hosting its first iCanSwim Camp in partnership with non-profit charity iCanShine to teach swimming and water safety and help individuals with specials needs reach their aquatic goals.
iCanShine is a national organization that works with local groups to host bike, swim and dance camps for those with disabilities. The May 22-26 swim camp at MSU will be held in the university鈥檚 Sanderson Center and requires swimmers to attend one 45-minute or 60-minute session, depending on age, per day.
To be eligible to register for the camp, participants must be at least three years old and have a diagnosed disability. Participants with a tracheostomy or a G-tube stoma younger than two months are not eligible.
The registration fee is $100; however, full scholarships are available for those in need.
MSU also annually holds iCanShine鈥檚 iCanBike Camp for individuals at least eight years old with special needs to learn how to independently ride a two-wheel bicycle.
The iCanSwim and iCanBike Camps are supported by grants and sponsorships from the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities, Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services, Knights of Columbus, Project Start, Rehabilitation Association of Mississippi, Civitan Clubs of Starkville and Tupelo, and the T. Alan and Patricia Twietmeyer Family.
Associate Professor of Kinesiology Gregg Twietmeyer, director of both camps, said both iCanSwim and iCanBike are valuable reminders of the importance of kinesiology to human well-being.
鈥淪killful human movement isn鈥檛 just about extrinsic goods such as health or competitive success. At its best, physical activity is about the joy of play. As such, it should be open to all. These camps help us accomplish that goal,鈥 Twietmeyer said.
For more information on registration or volunteering, visit for iCanSwim or 聽for iCanBike.
For more on information on the camp or to inquire about a scholarship, contact Twietmeyer at g.twietmeyer@msstate.edu.
To learn more about MSU鈥檚 Department of Kinesiology, visit .
For a listing of the university鈥檚 broader camp offerings, which range from athletic and academic to recreational and many other enrichment and specialty topics, visit .
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