Fargo students use their swimming experience to help teach youth – InForum

FARGO — Learning to swim often brings a mix of excitement and fear, from awkward doggy paddling and struggling to float to finally feeling comfortable in the water. Many can recall the early days of clinging to the pool’s edge or feeling overwhelmed without the help of a pair of arm floaties.

But on Sundays at the Hulbert Aquatic Center, traditional whistles and drills are replaced with laughter, patience and encouragement — thanks to AquaFun.

AquaFun is a free, weekly swim program designed to make swimming enjoyable and less intimidating for kids. It is a volunteer-run, youth-led initiative founded by Davies High School senior Justin Jiang, with fellow Davies swimmer Helen Wu serving as a head coach, alongside assistant coaches and sisters Sunisha and Nashatawn Tangpong.

As Jiang puts it, the goal is simple: “to make the water fun.”

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Inspired by their own memories of learning to swim, both Jiang and Wu are committed to encouraging kids of all skill levels to give swimming a try — especially those who are “scared to even put their feet in.”

Jiang has been swimming since he was 8 years old, participating in club swimming and now swimming competitively in high school. He started AquaFun about three and a half years ago after a family friend asked him to teach their children how to swim.

Word spread quickly, and what began as lessons for two kids soon grew into a community program helping dozens of children.

Using their years of experience in the pool, Jiang and Wu’s aim to create a welcoming experience — enjoyable for all newcomers and swimmers developing new skills.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

AquaFun typically works with up to 15 kids at a time, ranging from about 6 or 7 years old to 11 or 12, and split into groups by age and skill level with Jiang teaching the more advanced swimmers and Wu and the sisters assisting the younger or less experienced children.

“We take all levels,” Wu said, noting Jiang’s observation that “some kids show up and they don’t want to get in.”

Unlike traditional swim lessons, AquaFun instructors embrace a more relaxed atmosphere, focusing on the fundamentals like floating, kicking and comfort underwater before progressing to strokes and harder skills like flip turns and diving techniques.

‘There’s no like yelling or drills,” Jiang said.

“I don’t like yelling,” Wu added with a laugh.

Lessons typically begin with a name game to help the kids feel comfortable with their instructors and fellow swimmers, followed by a group demonstration and skill practice — and always a snack break provided by the coaching crew.

The two are quite the pair — the type of teenagers that are seemingly chill in nature and just looking to have a fun time — and both say that teaching their lessons has made them better swimmers themselves.

“Teaching the little kids like reminds me to do stuff that I don’t do, don’t usually do,” Jiang said.

“Yeah,” Wu agreed. “You think about it more and then you’re like ‘Oh wait, I should work on this too.’”

The program operates entirely on volunteer time and grant funding. Jiang has raised thousands of dollars through science competitions and company grants which cover the lane rentals and snacks and allow AquaFun to remain completely free for families.

Alongside their happiness to volunteer, the pair say the most rewarding part is seeing the swimmers grow and become more confident.

“I remember this one student … at the start she couldn’t like put her head in the water,” Jiang mentioned, “But now, she just went off the high wall.”

“I was so proud of her,” Wu added. “She started when we first started teaching.”

Chris Flynn / The Forum

Parents are encouraged to watch, especially if their children are new, but many grow comfortable enough to sit back — or run errands — as their kids gain confidence. Over time, the coaches often see swimmers “graduate” from AquaFun and move on to club teams.

“Most stick around for a while,” Jiang said. “Some of them, after taking AquaFun for a while, they try out a club, and that’s when the intensive training starts.”

The youth swimmers typically transition to club programs around ages 11 or 12, with Fargo-Moorhead being home to several clubs, including the F-M Gators Swim Team at the YMCA, West Fargo Flyers, Moorhead Marlins USS Swim Club and Red Dragon Swimming.

Wu,15, has been swimming since she was 7 years old. She swam in club and has been swimming competitively for the Davies High School girls team since seventh grade. A sophomore, she recently concluded her swimming season in November by claiming the individual 50-yard freestyle state title, as well as claiming third in the 100-yard freestyle.

Jiang, 17, has been swimming since he was 8 years old. He started competitively swimming in high school and has been a captain on the Davies boys swim team since his junior year. His senior season started at the beginning of December, but last season, he qualified for state in the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual medley.

Sunisha and Nashatawn Tangpong, both swimmers at Fargo Shanley High School, joined AquaFun through their connections with Jiang and Wu in club swimming and now serve as assistant coaches.

Chris Flynn / The Forum

With Jiang preparing for college next year — and hoping to attend someplace warmer than North Dakota — leadership of the program will largely transition to Wu, with Jiang returning to help during the summer.

“I am excited, but a little scared,” Wu said. “I haven’t done it by myself, but I feel like it’ll be good.”

Both coaches hope AquaFun continues to grow and welcome new volunteers. For both Jiang and Wu, fun is at the heart of the program.

“If you’re curious, just try it,” Jiang said. “It doesn’t cost anything. You can show up and see how it feels.”

To learn more about AquaFun, visit

aquafuns.org.