Michael Phelps Speaks at Boys & Girls Club Event in Knoxville

The greatest Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, made an appearance in Knoxville, Tennessee yesterday to help in the final fundraising efforts push for a new Boys & Girls Club pool at the Caswell Avenue location, home to the Haslam Family Club University swim team.

Last fall, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley started a campaign entitled “Our Kids, Our Future” in an effort to fund a brand new pool, “along with a gymnasium, teen center, technology center, medical center and offices.” Phelps is connected to the project as The Phelps Foundation helps the Tennessee Valley club with its “IM” program.  The program strives to promote the sport of swimming, especially to children, and encourage overall healthy lifestyles.  (Knoxville Sentinel)

Phelps, adding his signature charisma and star power to the event, spoke to the crowd and described what learning to swim meant to him as a child, saying, “the skills gave me a sense of safety and confidence.  It is a life-changing thing when you learn to swim.” Standing by his side was a Haslam Family Club University swim team member quite familiar to Phelps.  William Watson III received the first “Head & Shoulders Confidence Award” from Phelps in 2012. (Knoxville Sentinel).

Below is video of Phelps, courtesy of Knoxville News Sentinel, as he instructs young swimmers and speaks to the audience (NOTE: audio quality is a little weak).

The new pool will be named after Knox County Juvenile Court judge, Tim Irwin, a longstanding supporter of the local Boys & Girls Clubs.  That is, once the “Our Kids, Our Future” campaign wraps up the final $300,000 it needs to meet their funding goal for the new pool.

A list of Boys & Girls Clubs offering the Michael Phelps Foundation “IM” Program can be found here.