Northern Aquatic Club, a youth swim club and nonprofit founded in Santa Fe found its new beginning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic after two families banded together to serve the community's needs.
After closing the team in 2018, co-founder and board president, Audrey Herrera Castillo, and her husband, Miguel were approached by Natasha Duran, and her husband, Tomas to reopen the team in 2020.
"We partnered up with them, started conversations with the city, and we've been working since on developing an infrastructure that's really good, and again just navigating limitations of lane space, and all of the things, but what we really have learned is there is a huge desire, and a huge need," Castillo said.
A year later, and with fewer public health restrictions, the club is looking to expand its swimming team and recruit new swim coaches to accommodate the wide age-range of swimmers.
"I would also say that we're trying to grow cautiously, to be able to provide a quality product. As I mentioned we have six coaches right now on staff. But, there's going to be a greater need so that's an area that we're hoping to recruit, if there's any experienced coaches out there that want to work with us and are committed to, you know, working with us we would love to find that out," Castillo stated.
NAC's comeback allowed the couples to witness how the club's impact lived on.
"it was really, really nice to see that so many of the kids who were on the club earlier, were still swimming, and that was an affirmation of the good work that had been done before, you know, kind of that, that goal had been met to impact the lives of these families and the youth and that they continued to swim so that's really good," Castillo said.
Duran now serves as the club's developmental director. She says her decision to become involved in the club was because of her family's personal ties to the sport.
"It's been a part of our family. My husband and I both were competitive swimmers growing up so the more people we can get to love the sport, you know, the happier we are to give back so awesome. I just look at it as a lifelong sport," Duran said.
The pair's husbands also serve NAC as the head swim coaches.
NAC is a 501c3 nonprofit and serves as a year-round competitive swim team offering coaching and technique instruction. To join the team swimmers must be able to safely navigate the water on their own without a flotation device.
The club hopes to offer swimming lessons for younger children in the future as they continue to grow.
Spots to join the NAC are filling up quickly, but if you or your child is interested in joining the team, you can visit their website here to get involved. Experienced swimming coaches who are interested in joining the team, are encouraged to reach out as well.