MSU Department of Kinesiology hosts Adapted Swim Instructor Certification

Contact: Bryce Mitchell

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University’s Department of Kinesiology recently hosted a Starfish Aquatics Adapted Swim Instructor Certification, preparing instructors to teach individuals with special needs the foundations of swimming and water safety. The certification was held in concert with the fall MSU Adapted Swim Camp at the Sanderson Recreation Center.

Eight participants earned certification, including MSU doctoral students Iuliia Kizner and Leo Chen, both lead instructors for the university’s Adapted Swim Camp. Others certified were Gregg Twietmeyer, camp director; Isabella Lorenz, a master’s student in disability studies and apprentice lead instructor; Maria Haider, doctoral student and camp volunteer; Sarah Twietmeyer, MSU chemistry staff and volunteer; and Kristy Gourley, doctoral student and volunteer. Alana Turner, an MSU graduate now serving as an assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Southern Mississippi, was also certified.

Kizner, completing her second certification, praised the MSU Adapted Swim Camp’s impact.

“We had an amazing week,” she said. “I’m very proud of our campers who put a lot of effort into building their swimming skills; and I'm grateful to our wonderful volunteers for their dedication and support throughout the week.”

The certification builds on the Department of Kinesiology’s commitment to helping individuals with special needs engage in physical activity, and it significantly increases the number of certified instructors in Mississippi.