My name is Cyndi Griffin and I started Swim Columbia County because Columbia County Georgia is a fabulous place to live, but we desperately need a public swimming pool. I am a wife, a mother, a teacher, a former lifeguard, and a swim mom. Advocating for the needs of children has always been part of my life and career. Growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, I spent much time at the local public pool. When I had children, we went to our local public swimming pool for swim lessons. Then we moved to Evans, and I was shocked that Columbia County did not have a local public swimming pool. Fortunately, my family was able to join our neighborhood pool and we joined the summer swim team in another neighborhood. It was a stretch for our family to afford, but our children love summer swim team, and we were able to make it happen. My children thrived and grew to love competitive swimming. We joined ASL, the Aiken Augusta Swim League, and my children took lessons and swam competitively. We drove to the Augusta Aquatics Center every day for years. I did all my shopping in Richmond County while I waited for them to finish swim practice. When my daughter started high school, she decided to stop doing ASL and focus on the high school team and summer swim league. When we were on ASL, the need for more lanes and a site in Columbia County was apparent. When we joined the high school swim team, the need was even more obvious. Our Columbia County students are either bussed or must drive to the Augusta Aquatics Center, which takes quite a bit of time in the afternoon and evening traffic. Their practices are too short, and they do not have enough lanes for practice. The Augusta Aquatics Center is not convenient and is overcrowded. This past year, when Covid hit, the high school swim teams in Columbia County were severely impacted. The number of swimmers had to be drastically cut. The Augusta Aquatics Center closed. Swimmers and swim teams were scrambling for pools to hold practices. Some teams were traveling across the state to meets at other pools. My own children joined YMCA so that they could swim locally. The YMCA is also located in Richmond County, but it was the only option. We love the YMCA swim team and will continue swimming there. I am not a swimming expert; I am a mom who is frustrated with the lack of swimming facilities in our fantastic county and decided to do something about it. Columbia County offers its citizens so much and with a public pool that could be used year-round, we could be even better. I am a public pool, water safety, and swimming lessons advocate and I hope to use this page to build a group who will join me.
