August 30, 2007

Swimming as fast as she can

Almaden’s Farnsworth Swim School closes pool after 27 years

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Marianne Farnsworth is a lifesaver.

For the past 30 years Farnsworth, 67, has taught swimming lessons. She savors the appreciation from families whose children’s lives were saved because they knew how to swim. Or how a former student saved another person from drowning; or adventurous tales of aquatic competitions and water sports.

“Marianne is strong-willed, with strong faith and determination. We’re determined we’re going to make it through this,” said Jerry Farnsworth—pictured here with Marianne—regarding his wife’s diagnosis of brain cancer. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

And the numbers are impressive: Almaden’s Farnsworth Swim School has taught an average of 600 students every summer.

“My youngest child [now 4 years old] almost drowned earlier this year,” said an Almaden parent who wished to remain anonymous. “We were at a neighbor’s house and she wandered outside and fell in. I was very scared when I walked to the pool but there she was, treading water in the deep end, barely keeping her face out of water. She wouldn’t have known what to do without the lessons. I’ll never forget how relieved I was. Marianne saved her life. It was great investment.”

Accomplished swimmers
The Farnsworth Swim School has turned out accomplished swimmers from toddlers to teens spread by word of mouth throughout Almaden. The affordable lessons were a favorite for parents who brought their children to learn how to swim. Farnsworth had success with all, even the “water fearing” kids. With abundant amounts of skill and patience, she trained them to swim. And with 27 years of summer classes, she taught generations of children. As they grew up, some even became instructors.

“All four of my children and a niece and nephew have attended Marianne’s swim school,” said Evergreen resident Melinda Wong. “My oldest was even an instructor for one summer. She still remembers being in the parent-toddler class. Now she’s in her second year of college. Marianne’s been awesome. I hope the swim school continues.”

But the swim school may be coming to a halt. Farnsworth was diagnosed with breast cancer a year and a half ago, a reoccurrence from a bout with the disease 20 years ago. The tumor metastasized, spreading to her lung and then spread to her brain. Throughout the chemotherapy and radiation treatments, Farnsworth continued her swim school and personal swimming regime as she had for decades.

“I got involved with the Red Cross Backyard Swim Program when we moved to San Diego because I always wanted to teach swim lessons,” said Farnsworth. “So I opened a swim school. The first class I ever taught was when my daughter Megan was 5 and she had five other friends in the class. I added a few classes every year. By the time we moved to San Jose I was teaching six months of the year. Twenty-seven years later, I’ve taught half the kids in Almaden!”

Marianne Farnsworth swimming with the Almaden Swim and Racket Club masters team a few years ago. Courtesy the Farnsworth family

Farnsworth is trim, attractive, astute and appears healthy belying her diagnosis. She has slurred speech from the ongoing radiation treatments. Her sense of balance is also a result of the therapy but she remains mobile with the help of a cane, walker or husband Jerry who is always by her side. They hope that when the treatments end, the side effects will subside. Determined, she still swims three times a week at the Almaden Swim and Racket Club [ASRC] as well as supervising her instructors and students at her swim school.

This past summer has been one of the busiest at the Farnsworth Swim School with seven instructors and 600 children in private and small group classes. The curriculum follows the American Red Cross swim program consisting of seven levels with two additional pre-levels, and a parent-tot class. Students learn survival skills, including treading water and back floating.

“Marianne’s swim school has done a terrific job for many years,” said ASRC swim Coach Jerry Macedo. “Whenever we had a young applicant for our swim team that had taken lessons from Marianne, we knew the swimmer would be ready for our competitive program.

“As for her personal training habits, just like the postman who delivers the mail despite threatening elements, Marianne would be in the dark waters year round at 5 a.m., despite rain, sleet, hail, wind or freezing temperatures. She is a real stalwart and it has been a pleasure to watch her commitment to swimming. What an inspiration this woman has been to the coaches, parents and children at ASRC!” added Macedo.

Farnsworth successfully swam on ASRC’s Masters’ team for 20 years continually placing in national competitions. She was awarded swimmer of the year and coach award three times.

Volunteering at the Santa Clara Valley Chapter American Red Cross, she taught lifeguarding, water safety instruction, CPR and first aid for 27 years. The organization lists the Farnsworth Swim School as an approved aquatic facility. Her other vocation was an educator for the Milpitas Unified School District [MUSD] teaching reading and special education for 22 years at Burnett Elementary. In 2005, she retired but still works part time consulting in reading for MUSD.

Loved to swim
The woman who would teach thousands of children to swim was born in the arid climate of Winnemucca, Nev. where she “lived in the community swimming pool” and “always loved to swim.” She was the youngest of a family of four when the family moved to Brigham City, Utah and continued perfecting her strokes. At Box Elder High School, she became a member of the varsity team when only a freshman. The family moved to Cedar City, Utah when she was in the tenth grade. In her senior year she started dating her future husband, Jerry. They attended the University of Utah, graduated and married when she was 21.

In 1970, a job offer brought the Farnsworths to San Diego. She started the Farnsworth Swim School in the backyard pool of their home and taught swimming.

They moved to Almaden in 1980 raising daughters, Megan, Jill and Jamie and son Brad, who like their mother loved aquatics. At their new home a swimming pool was built to accommodate her vocation. For 10 years, Farnsworth taught youngsters by herself but as the students increased, she added instructors. Some were past students and her daughters also taught classes training future swimmers.

“I always loved the water,” said Marianne Farnsworth. Pictured are Farnsworth and student Faith Woll. Photo by Jeanne Carbone Lewis

“When I first went to Leland High School, all my teachers knew me because they had certified in one thing or another with my mom,” said daughter Megan Farnsworth. “I remember I was the drowning victim in my mom’s lifeguard classes. She told me to thrash around like I was really drowning. She wanted her students to have the experience of a real-life situation. My mom always held very high standards for all her students in any class.”

Family life
The family vacations yearly in the Caribbean, swimming and scuba diving in the tropical aquamarine waters. This year they traveled to Aruba in the spring and in the summer enjoyed a cruise to the Grand Caymans, Belize and Cozumel, Mexico. Farnsworth bypassed diving because the chemotherapy left her drained.

Farnsworth is an avid reader. She also started quilting, creating colorful quilts for her four grandchildren with a fifth child expected soon. The couple looks forward to their 50th high school reunion this fall. And all the kids and grandkids will visit for Labor Day as well as the coming holiday season.

“Marianne is strong-willed, with strong faith and determination,” said husband Jerry. “We’re determined we’re going to make it through this.”

Though Farnsworth admits it’s a difficult decision to close the pool to swimming instruction, daughters Megan and Jill, teachers with summers off, are considering continuing the Farnsworth Swim School.

“When I say my name is Marianne Farnsworth, people say you’ve taught everyone how to swim,” said Farnsworth. “It makes me proud to know that I’ve done that. And I guess that’s why I feel sad to let it go. I feel like we’ve done such a service to everyone.”