A trip to Thailand proved to be a life-changing experience for 13 members of the Calvin men's and women's swimming and diving program this past May.

Led by Calvin head swim coach Dan Gelderloos, a group of Calvin swimmers partnered with the Paladin Rescue Alliance to teach children life-saving aquatic skills along with English lessons over the span of two weeks.

The Calvin group worked with K-8 grade students from the Huay Sing School in the Northern Thailand village of Mae Sariang.

It continued a mission trip committment that began with an initial trip to the village in 2019. Subsequent trips were delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic until this past May.

Using a portable pool supplied by Paladin Rescue Alliance, the Calvin swimmers taught local students basic swim skills with an emphasis on flotation and survival.

"The area we were serving has a high drowning rate," said Gelderloos. "The rainy season contributes to high water levels and flooding. By providing basic water safety skills, our goal was to teach our students skills that would help them stay alive."

Outside the pool, the Calvin swimmers were able to further their mission work with the teaching of daily English lessons to local children.

As part of the English lessons, they also emphasized the need for local students to stay in school and steer clear of human trafficking.

"Human trafficking is a problem around the world and where we were at, children will at times, drop out of school and enter the world of human trafficking," said Gelderloos. "The message we stressed to our students was to continue their education. Staying in school will decrease their chances of falling into that (trafficking) circle while also enhancing their positive life options and opportunities."

According to Gelderloos, the option to travel to Thailand was an incredible experience for his swimmers, particularly with their sports season committed to both the fall and spring semesters.

"As a two-semester athlete, it can be challenging to find academic and cultural opportunities abroad," he said. "This was a chance for our athletes to get that kind of opportunity and move outside their normal comfort zone. I thought they did an amazing job working with the local students. They really got to know the kids well and a strong connection was made. Sure, they had a chance to visit some neat sights and eat some awesome food; but the personal connections they made will be the things that will last a lifetime and enhance their view of the world."