BRIGHTON – For the first time in years, Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School held its swim Olympics Sept. 18, where elementary school students showed off their swimming abilities by racing across the Brighton community pool.

“We haven’t done this for five years,” said physical education teacher Pam Matthews. “This is a highlight; they have been looking forward to it.”

For three weeks leading up to the swim Olympics, students practiced and improved their skills daily. Swim lessons included blowing bubbles, floating, using kickboards and doing superman glides in addition to learning the freestyle stroke and backstroke.

Races included a freestyle long race- two laps on the short side of the pool, a one-lap freestyle race, one-lap backstroke races- one with and one without a kickboard, a freestyle kickboard race and a two-lap buddy relay race.

Families, PECS teachers and staff cheered for the swimmers, as did their classmates on the side of the pool awaiting their own races.

At the end of the races, a podium awaited the first, second and third place winners in each race, where they received their gold, silver and bronze medals. Some students won numerous medals.

After a fun 40 minutes, students boarded the bus back to school as another grade level headed for the pool.