By Abri Nelson
In just a few weeks, the new “bubble-dome” pool near Maury River Middle
School in Lexington will welcome its first swimmers, making swim coach
Leslie Ayers’ dream a reality.
“This is the hardest thing I have ever done,” Ayers said. “We still have
a little ways to go.”
Ayers is a board member of the Friends of Rockbridge Swimming, which
promotes swimming in the county. She also coaches Rockbridge County High
School’s swim team, the community Rockbridge Storm club team and the
adult masters’ swimming program.
Ayers and her husband, John Gunner of Gunner Construction, envisioned
the pool over five years ago when the a community movement for an area
YMCA began in earnest. Ayers said they had hoped to build a pool in
conjunction with the YMCA, but found that the YMCA organizers were not
open to a pool that would also serve high school swimmers.
“The pool was really one of her dreams,” said 16-year-old high school
swimmer Anne Hinely. “I’m glad to see it’s actually coming true. Leslie
really wanted it, and she got it.”
Anne is one of the key swimmers returning
for this year’s season. She holds several county records from her days
as a Rockbridge Storm swimmer, and last spring she set an RCHS school
record for the 50 freestyle.
The RCHS swim team holds several state records
for relays, and swimmers have gone on to
compete and excel in college swimming. Yet until now, the team was a bit
of an orphan.
The swimmers have been finding pool time at Virginia Military Institute
and Washington and Lee University, but the time and space allotted for
public swimming has been decreasing. Ayers said she realized that soon
the public would not be able to use the pools at all, and so she started
looking for other options.
Plans for the new pool and enhancements to the outdoor community pool at
the site were approved a year ago by the Lexington City Council.
The City of Lexington provided the land to build the pool. Much of the
funding came from private individuals. A Pool-a-Thon in January raised
$35,000, and another is scheduled for later this month. FOR Swimming has
launched a final campaign called Raise the Roof to finish paying for the
all-weather bubble dome. Total costs for the project came to just over
$300,000.
Her vision was to serve four main groups of swimmers: the high school
team, club swimming, adult masters’ swimming, and “Aquasize” fitness
classes.
The facilities will feature the removable dome for the winter months,
locker rooms with special services for the elderly and families with
young children, and a lift to lower wheelchair-using swimmers into the
pool.
The 25-yard lap pool is designed to be directed by programming, with set
hours for public open swimming.
“It’s important that this be for everybody,” said Ayers. “You wouldn’t
expect the football or basketball teams to compete without space. [The
swimmers] have done a hunk of the work and they deserve this.”
Ayers is at the site each day, doing everything from logistical work to
mixing concrete and washing the pool deck. Gunner Construction took on
the project, and others have provided services at a reduced cost.
And Ayers isn’t done. She said she hoped that this pool will not be the
last community pool built in Lexington and that the swimming community
will grow as more opportunities become available.
Produced by Washington and Lee journalism students.
Lead supervisor: Prof. Claudette Artwick
Reporting supervisors:
Technical supervisor: Michael Todd