SwimRVA is the non-profit community hub for aquatics in the Richmond region.
SwimRVA began as the Greater Richmond Aquatics Partnership (GRAP), a collaboration of five educational and youth sport leaders who shared the goal of providing a world-class aquatics facility in Chesterfield. Today – thanks to ever-developing and evolving partnerships with civic leaders, schools, community groups, and amazing organizations like the YMCA, the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs, and VSU – we’re building social bridges through aquatics that cross physical, racial, and economic barriers. Much more than just a pool, we serve as a catalyst for water safety, health and fitness, sports tourism, competitive aquatics, and possibility, for all Richmonders.
Making aquatics accessible is central to why we’re here
Our Drownproof Richmond initiative, in particular, has always been at the heart of our nonprofit mission to bring aquatic access and education to everyone in the region. Visit our Drownproof Richmond page to learn more about why it is critically important for SwimRVA to continue to provide free, top-quality learn-to-swim lessons to our community’s underserved youth.
Learn more about SwimRVA’s transformational impact. Read our annual report by clicking the image below.
SwimRVA is a nonprofit organization committed to transforming lives through aquatics and building a Drownproof Richmond. We believe swimming is more than a sport — it is a life skill, a pathway to wellness, and an engine for community growth. Through innovative programs, intentional partnerships, and a mission centered on access and equity, SwimRVA works every day to ensure that everyone in our region — regardless of age, background, or ability — can be safe, confident, healthy, and connected through the power of water.
At the core of our mission are three pillars that guide every initiative: Swim for Safety, Swim for Health, and Swim for Economic Vitality. Together, they form a comprehensive approach to strengthening families, transforming communities, and creating a lasting culture of aquatic safety and opportunity throughout the Richmond region.
Water safety is the foundation of everything we do. SwimRVA’s Swim for Safety pillar contains three essential programs — Learn-to-Swim, Swim School, and Autism Swims — each designed to ensure that every child and adult gains the skills and confidence needed to be safe around water. All three support our commitment to the Drownproof Richmond Initiative, one of the largest and most impactful community water-safety strategies in the nation.
Learn-to-Swim: Saving Lives Through Access and Education
SwimRVA’s Learn-to-Swim program provides cost-free, school-based swimming lessons to second graders across multiple districts in the Richmond region. Over seven structured lessons, students learn essential survival skills, water comfort, and foundational stroke techniques — giving them not only confidence but also the ability to respond safely in aquatic situations. With drowning remaining a leading cause of accidental death for children, these early interventions are critical for saving lives and closing generational gaps in water access and ability.
Swim School: A Pathway to Lifelong Competence
Our year-round Swim School welcomes individuals of all ages and abilities into a supportive, engaging environment built around progression, celebration, and personal growth. From toddlers taking their first splashes to adults overcoming lifelong fears, Swim School equips families with the water competency needed to stay safe for life. Many Swim School graduates continue into our competitive or recreational programs, creating lifelong swimmers and safer communities.
Autism Swims: Inclusion in Every Lane
Autism Swims is a specialized program designed in partnership with behavioral experts and experienced aquatic educators. This adaptive swim experience ensures children with autism receive personalized instruction that honors their sensory and learning needs. Through predictable routines, individualized goals, and a supportive environment, participants build water safety and confidence — often accomplishing skills their families once believed were out of reach.
Drownproof Richmond: A Community Commitment
All three Swim for Safety programs are part of our bold vision: to Drownproof Richmond. By delivering free lessons in schools, expanding accessible community instruction, and providing inclusive programming, we are creating a safer region where every child — regardless of zip code — has the opportunity to learn to swim and thrive around water.
SwimRVA believes wellness is a lifelong journey, and our programs are designed to help every individual — from youth to seniors — live healthier, happier, more connected lives through aquatics.
Senior Wellness: Fighting Isolation and Promoting Healthy Aging
Our Senior Wellness programs provide low-impact, high-benefit aquatic exercise opportunities that help older adults stay active, mobile, and socially connected. For many seniors, SwimRVA is not only a place to improve balance, flexibility, and cardiovascular health — it is a community that reduces loneliness and enhances overall quality of life. Through group classes, social events, and accessible aquatic workouts, seniors build strength and meaningful relationships.
Summer Camps: Where Water Safety Meets Adventure
SwimRVA Summer Camps give children unforgettable experiences filled with swimming, fitness, creativity, and friendship. Every camper receives swim lessons as part of camp — ensuring water safety remains central to fun. By reinforcing skills learned in school-year programs, Summer Camps help children become confident, capable swimmers while exploring new interests and staying active all summer long.
Hammerheads Masters Swimming: Fitness, Friendship, and Personal Growth
Our adult Masters program, the SwimRVA Hammerheads, welcomes swimmers of all levels — from beginners training for fitness to athletes preparing for national competitions. Hammerheads continues our mission of lifelong health by giving adults structured workouts, technique development, and the camaraderie of a supportive team environment.
Rapids Swim Team, Water Polo, and Artistic Swimming
SwimRVA is home to a thriving ecosystem of youth and adult aquatic teams:
Rapids Swim Team develops competitive swimmers through technique-based training, character building, and a positive, growth-focused culture.
SwimRVA Water Polo offers one of the region’s strongest programs, building toughness, teamwork, and advanced aquatic ability.
Artistic Swimming Team provides athletes a creative, expressive outlet that blends strength, artistry, and athletic precision.
Together, these teams help individuals stay active, form friendships, grow in confidence, and discover their athletic potential — reinforcing Swim for Health at every stage of life.
Aquatics is not only a tool for safety and wellness — it is also a catalyst for economic growth, workforce development, and regional opportunity.
Workforce Development: Preparing the Next Generation
SwimRVA partners with middle and high schools to teach essential swim skills and provide life safety certifications, including lifeguarding, CPR, first aid, and water rescue. These programs open doors for young people — many from underserved communities — to gain employable skills, professional credentials, and pathways to stable income. Through mentorship and training, we cultivate the next generation of aquatics professionals who will keep our region safe.
Lifeguard, Lifeguard Instructor & CPO Courses
Our training hub certifies hundreds of lifeguards, instructors (LGIs), and Certified Pool Operators (CPOs) each year. These highly trained professionals ensure that pools, waterparks, camps, and facilities across the region operate safely and sustainably. Communities thrive when aquatic facilities are staffed by competent, confident, well-trained professionals — and SwimRVA is proud to be the backbone of that safety infrastructure.
Competitive Events: Fueling Regional Growth
SwimRVA hosts local, regional, and national aquatic competitions that bring athletes and spectators from across the country. These events generate more than $7 million in annual economic impact, supporting hotels, restaurants, retailers, and tourism partners. Richmond’s reputation as a premier aquatic competition destination continues to grow, thanks to SwimRVA’s facilities, leadership, and commitment to elevating the sport.
Through our three pillars — Swim for Safety, Swim for Health, and Swim for Economic Vitality — SwimRVA is creating lasting change. We are saving lives, strengthening families, supporting older adults, empowering youth, generating jobs, and fueling economic development. Most importantly, we are building a community where every person has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive through water.
SwimRVA is more than a facility or a swim program. We are a movement — a commitment to a safer, healthier, more connected, and more vibrant Richmond.
SwimRVA’s program principles guide every lesson, practice, and interaction in our community. We believe in Courage — because while the competition may be tough, it’s no match for the strength you carry within. We value Persistence, turning disappointment into determination so every setback becomes a step toward victory. We celebrate Success, earned not only through talent and training but through humility and respect. We uphold Dignity, knowing that carrying yourself with character is more than good sportsmanship — it’s good lifemanship. And we practice Truthfulness, owning both successes and failures, being honest with others, and above all, staying true to yourself.
These principles shape who we are, how we teach, and the kind of community we strive to build at SwimRVA.
There’s some tough competition out there. But it’s no match for what you’ve got inside.
Turn disappointment into determination and any loss becomes a victory.
You can achieve it with talent and training. You truly earn it with humility and respect.
Carrying yourself with character isn’t just good sportsmanship. It’s good lifesmanship.
Own your successes and your failures. Be true to others. And most of all, be true to yourself.
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