Can you swim? Almost Half of America Can’t Swim (house, elementary)

[Pinkmani]

Almost Half of America Can’t Swim, Survey Says - Time Magazine

My parents took me to the YMCA as a toddler, and I'm a strong swimmer. With summer coming, we are going to here those sad stories of people drowning. I urge you to use those floatation devices and maybe take a swim class. Don't drink and swim!

[Almrausch]

Knowing how to swim as a child was a must with all the ponds we had in our areas.We always gathered after school or in summer and went for a swim.

[High_Plains_Retired]

When I first entered the military service as a very young fellow (1968), to my surprise, one of the questions they asked was whether or not we could swim. I had naively thought that if you could walk you should be able to swim. At any rate, while there, I worked a full summer as a lifeguard at the base pools.

I still checked "weak swimmer" in your poll. These days I'd probably float much better than swim.

[pekemom]

I took lessons at the YWCA when I was about 10...I can swim but wouldn't say, at 67, that I
am a strong swimmer.

[cloven]

Would I win a race or be able to complete a swim marathon ? Heck no.
However, I'm quite capable of swimming-haven't done it in long time, but still remember how/am physically able.
Used to visit my grandparents' summer cottage on a lake in Maine, plus my town had a public pool at park.

When I was 18, a dear friend of mine died swimming in a quarry-it's not clear whether he got stuck/caught or not-
but I remember that in our freshman year of high school, he was one of the people who could not swim.

[saintmj nyc]

A much loved uncle ( rip ) who was a Marine Corps vet threw all us kids in the surf of the atlantic at ages 5 - 7 y o .

We all swim like fish

sigh - the 70 s - when a man could rough house with his kids and nephews and nieces and not get arrested

[elnina]

Yes. Where I come from, learning how to swim was a part of PE in an elementary school. If not for anything else, it was important for safety reasons. Swimming teaches children essential safety and skills that may one day save their life.
Swimming is also a great for of exercising

[dnvrsoul]

Yes, even though I spent my childhood in Colorado I have always loved the water.

[Adi from the Brunswicks]

Yes, I have been pushed into 20 feet of water by some drunk dude as a child and survived thanks to swimming skills. Getting to the nearest pillar was my path to survival. I was impaled for 2 days by this event.

I love swimming in deep water, but it has been several years since I last did swimming.

[MeteoMan]

Yes I can swim fine. I have no worries about water.