CHARLESTON COUNTY PARK & RECREATION COMMISSION The Tides Have Changed

By Gina Ellis-Strother, Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission

It is hard to believe that only four years ago the small rural town of Hollywood, SC had no access to a public pool to recreate and/or learn how to swim. Well, the tides have changed. In 2019 Charleston County Park & Recreation Commission (CCPRC) built the West County Aquatic Center and opened the Genesis Pool, named in honor of a 14-year-old Hollywood boy who had tragically drowned a few years earlier. Since that time the aquatic programming at this facility has grown from offering basic swim lessons, aquatic fitness programs, and a swim club to the formation of their very first competitive swim team!

The West County Wahoos swim team will represent the West County Aquatic Center at their very first swim competition this summer organized by the Coastal Carolina Aquatic Association. Swimmers ages 5-18 will train hard to compete at six CCAA-sanctioned meets from June 1–27 and then head to the championship City Meet to be held July 8-9 at the North Charleston Aquatic Center.

CCPRC Fitness and Wellness Manager Allison Foster explained “the swim team is the natural progression of WCAC efforts, providing a platform for area youth to showcase their swim skills and gain valuable life experiences through hard work, discipline, patience, perseverance and teamwork.”

The Charleston County Parks Foundation’s, Genesis Swim Safety Fund provides the funding for the West County Wahoos swim team and other swim safety programs at the aquatic center. The fund was established to reduce the number of drownings and equip people with the knowledge and skills to be safe in the water.

As the new West County Wahoos swim team embarks on these new uncharted waters, the hope is other youth will be inspired to learn how to swim, maybe join the Wahoos swim team, and possibly cultivate a lifelong passion for swimming.” Go Wahoos!