Special Olympian encourages children, inspires love of swimming

It's not easy keeping an eye on the Fairfield YMCA swimming pool, especially on days when open swim and beginner lessons overlap.

Youngsters splash and yell — some try sneaking under the shallow-end rope into deep water, while others run on the wet deck — and instructors chase after floating toys and tubes as their teary-eyed students (many first-time swimmers) sit teetering along the pool edge, crying and grasping for parents on the bench.

But lifeguard Lisa Ellis is up for the task, and has set a high standard of professionalism and vigilance, according to Aquatics Director Maureen Scinto. She can be counted on to diligently scan the pool with a whistle around her neck, rescue tube under her arm and first-aid kit buckled around her waist.