YMCA of Southern Maine
For a Better Us.™
A Dream Fulfilled
Ibrahim
For years, Ibrahim carried a dream that seemed impossible. Growing up in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, he longed to learn to swim, but the rivers were far from the capital city and hotel pools were very expensive. When he moved to the United States, that dream
traveled with him.
It was Ibrahim’s wife who suggested he visit the YMCA of Southern Maine’s Greater Portland Branch. When Wellness Director Jeremy Norton asked what brought him in, Ibrahim shared, “My dream is learning how to swim.”
Jeremy showed Ibrahim the pool. “The first time I saw it, I felt like jumping into it,” Ibrahim remembers. He enrolled in swim lessons, joining a class with five other students. From the start, he faced challenges. Some classmates had basic swimming skills; Ibrahim did not. Watching others move through the water with ease, he felt afraid.
But his instructor met him exactly where he was. With patience and care, she taught him fundamental skills, helping him build confidence. “She helped me a lot,” Ibrahim says. “That helped me to get my confidence and to come every day, and I didn’t stop.”
The early days weren’t easy. Like every beginning swimmer, Ibrahim struggled. But with each lesson, something shifted. Day by day, he improved.
What Ibrahim gained went far beyond swimming technique. “It’s not only about swimming. It means not giving up,” he reflects. “It means if I want to do something, I can do it. Even though it’s bigger than me. Swimming lesson(s) taught me that if I want to do something, I can do it.”
Today, Ibrahim swims three to four times a week at the Y. Swimming has made his other passion, kayaking, safer and more enjoyable. “I used to kayak without knowing how to swim. But when you know swimming, it’s much better,” he says.
In the summer, Ibrahim visits family in New York and takes them to the beach. “I’m proud of that. I can swim and I can show them. I can go to the ocean to swim.”
Ibrahim’s transformation from someone who could only dream of swimming to a confident swimmer showcases the power of accessible programs. Through the YMCA’s Financial Assistance program, supported by donations, one in two members access the Y. Donors help individuals gain not just skills, but confidence that changes lives. Your gift can help write the next story like Ibrahim’s.
Ibrahim’s story is one of perseverance, but it’s also about access and opportunity. The Y gave him a place that welcomed him, taught him, and supported him through challenges. He found not just a skill, but confidence, community, and the chance to achieve his dream.
Thanks to generous donors, Aqua classes are available to all Y members, regardless of their ability to pay the full registration fee.
Stories like Ibrahim’s are possible because the Y believes that every individual and family deserves access to opportunities that serve to strengthen their bodies and minds. This belief stands firmly as a tenant of the YMCA’s mission thanks to the supporters who invest each year to secure it.
