Charleston needs public natatorium

The Charleston area has experienced remarkable changes over the past 20 years in numerous areas. We have had some constants as well, one being the lack of quality aquatic facilities in our area. David Quick addressed the demand for a premier aquatic center in the Dec. 27 Post and Courier, while touching on the four basic areas of aquatic use: recreation, competition, education and therapy/rehabilitation.

The term "natatorium" refers to a large aquatics complex. Today's natatoriums encompass multiple pools and related amenities for simultaneous and differing needs of its patrons. The facilities are seldom idle. Every aquatics participant has a story and a true natatorium is accessible to a wide cross-section of abilities, fitness, age, income and health levels.

A natatorium serves a child entering the water for the first swimming lesson, a citizen who enjoys a water-aerobics class or another who is rehabilitating from surgery. It can serve someone facing chronic health problems who begins swimming, a fitness swimmer maintaining an active lifestyle, or a high-level competitive swimmer training for a college scholarship or a national time cut. The remarkable end result is that they can all use the facility simultaneously. This is the potential of a natatorium, and it represents the changing face of aquatics nationwide.

South Carolina lacks a natatorium for public use. Locally, we find ourselves behind communities of a similar size nationwide that long ago recognized the blending of community benefit and economic impact, integrated into one outstanding facility. This blending is dependent on two main items — quality construction and easy accessibility to the public. It would serve our local population as well as visitors coming for special events, namely competitions that would take place in a natatorium.

In the aquatics world, there are nationally recognized experts with years of experience who specialize in high-level aquatics development, related financing, along with construction, and who can assist us in creating this tremendous asset. Attention to specifics and knowledge of details is vital — millimeters count in this type of construction.

Accessibility is heavily dependent on location. We must go where the population is located, whether at home, at work or at play. Natatoriums require skillful handling to turn a profit. Community support and considerable daily patronage are essential to success. A well thought out location allows the facility to serve the maximum number of patrons, while giving those patrons use at the most desirable times of day.

The typical patron will spend about 30 minutes in the water and must have quick access very early in the morning, at lunchtime or immediately following work. Of equal importance is minimal travel time. Keep in mind that our area's largest employers, two colleges and a medical university, our business center, our financial center and hundreds of small businesses are all located in the peninsular area. Its daytime population soars and it is directly accessible to tens of thousands of additional residents from numerous communities by auto, foot or bike.

We must also resist the temptation to serve only a single component of the community, such as a high school or age-group swim team. The facility must not be used as a political tool or placed in an area that is awkward to reach or in an outlying area of the community.

Charleston is a destination city, which places us in an excellent position to attract events that would bring international-caliber swimmers to our natatorium. It is tremendously motivating and good for the community to bring these types of opportunities and athletes.

We have an entire tourism infrastructure already in place to service a natatorium if placed appropriately. We know where visitors want to go. They want to see our historical district, Patriots' Point or take a quick run to the beach, and often within a limited time frame. Potential partnerships should be cultivated. They would be welcome and very fruitful for all concerned.

Many lives, my own included, have been bettered through aquatics. This new year will mark my 34th continuous year in aquatics, including training and competition, visiting facilities and, more recently, touring them with a critical eye and asking questions. I am happy to assist in this vision, sharing the vast body of knowledge and contacts I have acquired while working to achieve the best result for a facility and for our community. Let us consider bringing in a nationally recognized aquatics expert and enlisting help in determining what and where to build.

Please join me in voicing support for a well-placed, well-managed natatorium that will become a nationally recognized cornerstone of our community.

Kathleen Wilson, the first South Carolinian to swim the English Channel, represents District 12 on Charleston City Council.