Many water sports enthusiasts gather in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough. Swimming lessons, competitive swimming, artistic swimming, water polo, fitness (aquagym, aquafitness, etc.) and lifesaving are all on offer. The Centre aquatique de l’Est de Montréal (CAEM) offers all these activities to help you discover the joys of water. From babies to seniors, this club is open to everyone!
Learning and swimming safely are priorities.
CAEM Swimming is present at the Pierre Lorange, Annie-Pelletier, and Édouard Montpetit swimming pools to teach your children or yourself how to swim.
"Our club's primary mission is to teach people how to swim. We have a civic responsibility to do so. Given the lack of education on the subject in schools, that's why we exist," says head coach Johnatan Portes. He continues: "We're in Quebec, and there are lots of bodies of water. Many people have access to them in both winter and summer. It's simply unacceptable to have a child who can't swim. Swimming is a must."
CAEM is a club whose mission is to teach people how to swim. It is also one of the only clubs to offer a complete aquatic school curriculum. This curriculum allows participants to improve their skills and comfort level in the water over the years.
Johnatan Portes and the entire CAEM team take great care of your children and know just what to say to motivate them and help them overcome any fears they may have about getting in the water.
"We try to motivate children and, above all, make parents aware that life jackets are not a permanent solution. Swimming is done with your arms, so swimming with a life jacket is like running with your feet tied to a rubber band."
Once you have learned the skill, you may discover a new passion.
The competition for the most passionate.
For those who are passionate about water sports and competition, CAEM can support athletes and help them develop their potential.
"Both in terms of the artistic side and the swimming side of competition, we try to get people who are committed. The key words are perseverance, diligence, and respect for the rules," explains the head coach.
Through a more competitive program, CAEM is there to support the most experienced swimmers, even if enjoyment remains one of the priorities. "We try to teach them why they are there, why they train every day. They don't just come to take a bath. I never give them my goal, but I try to help them discover their own through different methods. We help them walk the path, but we don't create it for them," says Johnatan Portes.
The Montreal East Aquatic Center also offers two sports-study programs. The first is in artistic swimming and the second is in competitive swimming with Édouard Montpetit School. They also have an agreement with Mont-Royal College.
Swimming and taking care of yourself even as an adult.
CAEM Natation is also an aquatic club that offers fitness training through a wide range of activities.
"We have a mandate to provide care and promote well-being among adults. People need to move because we are not meant to stay cooped up and sit in a chair. Even though free baths are great, even though access to water is great, it's still nice to have someone to motivate us and teach us things we don't know how to do. We need to learn while doing ourselves good," says Mr. Portes.
Aqua fitness is ideal for maintaining your physical fitness through a low-impact activity. There are also classes reserved for people over 50.
For people with weaker joints or those recovering from injury, aqua jogging may be a solution. It is practiced in deep water wearing a flotation belt: you will be weightless in the water!
CAEM also caters to pregnant women by offering gentle exercise through prenatal aqua classes, as well as to new mothers through aqua stroller classes. Parents can get back into shape while sharing an activity with their baby.
CAEM also offers aqua spinning, aquatraining, and aqua bootcamp. With this wide range of activities, CAEM continues to grow, introducing young people to a variety of water sports.
"We launched an in-house program that attempts to offer a range of motor skills across all six levels of the aquatic school, touching on all of our different disciplines. The goal is for children to discover multiple aquatic activities so that by the end of swimming school, they can choose a discipline that suited them during their learning process," explains the passionate coach.
Everything is in place at CAEM to educate young and old alike.
