IM Program
The program is designed to encourage healthy and active lifestyles for participants by offering water-safety courses, recreational pool activities, swim training as well as health and wellness education. was developed by the Michael Phelps Foundation.

To see our program structure, click here.

The Michael Phelps Foundation developed in 2009, collaborating with Kidshealth.Org, the Michael Phelps Swim School and some of the same instructors that taught Michael as a child, creating one of the first water-safety courses to offer accessible and affordable world-class instruction to children across the country.

is named after Michael Phelps’ signature event, the Individual Medley, while also abbreviating the self- affirming “I am.” Like many other aspects of life, the Individual Medley requires resilience and versatility, two characteristics found in all program participants. was piloted in six Boys & Girls Clubs of America in 2010. Each club averaged 120 participants with 180 hours of programming.

In August of 2011, after Michael Phelps became a global ambassador for the Special Olympics, the Michael Phelps Foundation partnered with Special Olympics to launch the international pilot program of . was piloted in seven countries across six continents for Special Olympic athletes. In this expansion, was not only adapted for children of varying skill levels but also of intellectual and physical abilities.

IM family in pool Currently, is offered at the following Boys & Girls Clubs:
Broward County* (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) Tennessee Valley (Knoxville, TN)
Harford County* (Baltimore, MD) Benton & Franklin Counties (Pasco, WA)
San Antonio* (San Antonio, TX) Greater Milford (Milford, DE)
Los Angeles* (Los Angeles, CA) Deep East Texas (Nacogdoches, TX)
Toledo* (Toledo, OH) Green Country (Pryor, OK)
Southern Maine* (Portland, ME) Taunton, Inc. (Taunton, MA)
Madison Square (Bronx, NY) Midlands, Inc. (Omaha, NE)
Hurlburt Youth Programs Central Arkansas (Little Rock, AR)
*Original Pilot Program Locations IM MP in pool Currently is offered in the following Special Oympics International teams:
China United States Australia
India Brazil
South Africa UK-Scotland
To inquire about the program, click here. IM Statistics
PARTICIPATION:   2700+
BECOME WATER-SAFE:
Over three-fourths of participants pass the Water-Safety Review.*
75%
NEW & BEGINNER SWIMMERS:   80%
AFRICAN AMERICAN or LATINO:
(2 to 3 times more likely to drown than caucasian children statistically)
60%
12 YEARS or YOUNGER:
(2nd leading cause of death is drowning for children 14 and under)
82%
IM Successful
Believe they can set and achieve their goals.
98%
*All participants receive instruction in how to be comfortable and safe in the water.
IM testimonial