From our very first days, The LIMU Company has had a special connection with people in need. It’s the reason we always look to reach out and give back to our communities on behalf of all of LIMU Nation.
Last weekend, we had a special opportunity to give back in a new way, a way that touched us immensely. We did it quietly and without fanfare, to help children that needed a unique touch at an important time.
That event was recently made public, and for that reason, we wanted to share our heart with our readers.
Nothing Comes Close.
This past Friday, April 25th, LIMU Brand Ambassador and 3-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Rowdy Gaines visited and hosted a swim clinic with over a hundred children and their parents in Newtown, Connecticut. Many of these children were students at Sandy Hook Elementary School during last year’s tragic shooting. Rowdy puts the day’s events best in his own words:
I’ve done a lot of things in my life. Since I’ve been with LIMU, or even before… this was without a doubt one of the most memorable and inspirational things that I’ve ever done in my life.
Over half of the swim clinic went to Sandy Hook Elementary School. I just can’t imagine the pain and suffering they’ve had to deal with. It affects the whole community. So I wasn’t going in to change their lives. My goal going in was always about putting a smile on their faces for a couple of hours. They haven’t had a lot to smile about for the last few months.
Peaks and Valleys
After the clinic, Rowdy encouraged the children to keep striving through the difficult times in life.
When I go through a valley, when I go through a really tough time, I reflect on it. It defines you, and it defines how you’re going to handle everything else. I didn’t talk about the event, the tragedy. I just wanted them to know that each and every one of them has a gift inside, and they were put on this earth to share this gift with the world.
What this gift is, I don’t know. And as I said to them, they might not know yet. But it’s never too late to start — after all, I didn’t start swimming until I was seventeen.
Much-Needed Healing
Several parents approached Rowdy at the end of the clinic to say that it was the most unbelievable thing they’d had in that town since the tragedy. One father related that it was the first time since last year that he remembered seeing his daughter smile.
There’s a much bigger picture here for us. It sure defined a lot for me, put a lot of things in perspective for me: how grateful I am that my kids are alive and healthy, and how lucky we are to have a roof over our heads. I’m so lucky that I have a company like LIMU that allows me to do something like this. Because whatever I did for those kids Friday, they were a blessing to me. And I’m thankful for them.
Editor’s Note: We at LIMU are incredibly proud of the strength and perseverance of the families in Newtown, CT. They represent the best that is America, and we are all truly honored and privileged to have had Rowdy share in their lives.
