The summer of 2024 was indeed special for Aledo sophomore Jaxon Robinson and his father, Jason.
A member of the Aledo swim team, Jaxon traveled with his dad to Florida with the Adapt-Able Foundation, using his swimming abilities to assist with diving certification and other aquatic activities for those with special needs.
The motto of the foundation is “Bringing adaptive and able-bodied communities together to experience the magic of scuba.”
Making the experience even more memorable for Jaxon was the participation of Jaxon’s cousin and Jason’s nephew, Jacob Kiser, a special needs student in Aledo.
“It’s pretty special. I always have been the one to more interact with Jacob, and being able to watch him do that was amazing,” Jaxon said.
The recent event was over the course of a week in Panama City, Florida. Jaxon was a “Dive Buddy,” and a Dive Master Candidate.
“I helped move people, things, set up gear etc. I just did helpful work,” Jaxon said humbly.
Jaxon learned about the program through a good friend, Dive Master Kyle Davie of Lone Star Scuba in Fort Worth.
“We were talking about getting Jacob certified when he told me and my father about the program,” Jaxon recalled. “It’s just a great skill to have. The earth is 75% water it’s a good idea to be able to move in that percentage.”
A few years ago Jaxon and his dad decided to get scuba certified to have an activity to do together. They both received their open water, advanced open water, rescue diver certificate, and Professional Association of Diving Instructors Adaptive Support Diver certificates. They are also both in the process of finishing up their dive master certification.
Jacob was accepted to do a discovery dive. Jaxon and Jason immediately volunteered to help and be there with him, Jason said.
“Jacob loved the experience and we devised a plan to be able to get Jacob open water certified,” Jason said.
Then It was onto the Adaptable camp in Florida.
“We spent a week with an amazing group of kids and adults alike. I thought going into this adventure we would be the ones helping and teaching all the people at the camp, but in return we had just as much to learn as they did,” Jason said.
“‘Walk a mile in his shoes’” just resonates through me and Jaxon. We got to experience what these kids and adults with disabilities go through on the daily basis, and what they’re able to achieve through the Adapt-able Foundation is remarkable itself.
“As far as Jaxon goes, I had to take a step back and realize that he was still at 15-year-old kid at times because he was in the mix working to do whatever needed to be done, from grabbing tanks, putting together dive gear, to getting people in and out of the water. I was so proud of him in the fact that he wanted to be there at that camp to help these kids, interact and become friends with all of them.”
Jason said it was one of the top “dad and uncle moments of my life.”
As a freshman last season, Jaxon narrowly missed qualifying for the state meet. He was part of the boys 200-yard freestyle relay that set an Aledo High School record of 1:33.64 at regionals to finish third, joined by the now graduated Porter Lane, sophomore Kale Roberson, and senior Tyler Jackson.
Aledo swim coach Meghan Roberson praised Jaxon for using his skills to help others.
“It’s great to see our athletes using their abilities to help others in the community find a common joy in their sport. Jaxon displayed such patience and compassion with the participants, and was an excellent example both in character and of what our swimmers accomplish outside of the competition pool,” she said.
While this is the first such activity Jaxon has done, he said he wouldn’t hesitate to say yes if asked again.
“I think scuba diving and swimming are some of the best things you can get into,” he said.
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