cLEARN FROM THE BEST: Thuỷ is instructing Red Caps members swimming skills. Photos courtesy of Đội Mũ Đỏ

By Mai Anh

Every morning at 5.30am, when the sun is just beginning to stretch across the sky, the pool is already awake – alive with splashes, smiles and quiet determination to be better than yesterday.

Rain or shine, winter or summer, Trần Huệ brings his children to the water. He does not do it for medals or records, but because he knows they are not just learning to swim – they are learning how to grow and how to give. Just like hundreds of other parents who made the same decision when they let their children join Đội Mũ Đỏ, or the Red Cap Club.

At the heart of it all is Nguyễn Văn Thuỷ, a man with a booming voice, a warm heart and inspiring energy. He is not a celebrated coach or a national elite athlete, but simply 'Uncle Thuỷ' or 'The Wizard' to thousands of Red Cap Club members – the kind of person whose presence at the pool feels secure and joyful.

More than a decade ago, Thuỷ was just an ordinary office worker – stressed and dealing with obesity and early-stage heart problems in his thirties. At his doctor’s advice, he took up swimming as a way to improve his health. He did not expect much.

But in the water, something changed. “I started out just to deal with my personal health problems,” he recalled. “But then I realised swimming became more than a habit. It became healing, and beyond.”

In the summer of 2011, he began teaching his daughter to swim. But she quickly grew bored with swimming alone. So Thuỷ invited some of her friends – seven at first. By the end of that summer, his small swimming class had tripled in size.

In 2012, he officially gave the group the name 'Đội Mũ Đỏ' inspired by a red swim cap gifted to him by the coach who had once taught him to swim for free.

“The red cap stayed with me through every challenge I conquered,” he said. “It reminded me how my coach taught me, believed in me and encouraged me, and that I could do the same for others.”

When the club was founded, free lessons became its foundation. The Red Caps is now the club’s highest honour, awarded to those who can swim five to ten kilometres nonstop. For many, the journey takes months – even years.

It is a reward for those who push beyond their limits – a quiet recognition of persistence and resilience. “It’s important that you dare to challenge yourself. You get better than yesterday. You don’t quit. And you beat your limit,” Thuỷ said.

In its early years, Red Caps members won numerous medals at district and city-level competitions. But over time, Thuỷ felt something was missing as children became anxious, parents became pushy and swimming began to shift from joy to pressure.

“Swimming must be fun, not pressure,” he said. “Two near-drowning incidents also changed me and how I run the club. I realised that knowing how to swim is not always enough. I decided to shift the focus from competition to survival.”

Thuỷ teaches children what to do when they fall into deep water – how to stay calm, how to float and how to breathe. The goal is no longer to win races, but to stay alive, stay calm and stay strong.

In 2022, 11-year-old Đăng Khoa, a Red Caps member, was swept away by a rip current while on holiday with his family in Phú Quốc Island. He did not panic, but instead floated and stayed calm, just as he had learned in the club. He swam sideways and made it back to the beach, safe and sound.

“Not medals. Not trophies. Staying safe. That’s what it’s all about,” Thuỷ said.

“I’m so proud that over the past 13 years, the Red Caps has grown from just seven children to more than 4,000 swimmers. Nearly 1,000 of them have earned the red cap.”

The power of giving

Perhaps what sets the Red Caps apart is not just what the children learn – but who they become and how they give back.

Over the years, many members have returned to the pool, not as swimmers but as coaches. They once struggled to float, and now they lead and encourage younger children – from adjusting goggles to passing on what they were once taught.

TAKING PART: Members of the Red Caps participate in a game show to celebrate the club's 13th birthday in May.

“Everyone gives a little, and everyone grows a lot,” Thuỷ smiled. “This is my happiness – watching the children grow, seeing them become more confident, more caring and more willing to share. And they all call me 'Uncle Thuỷ'.”

For many families, joining the Red Cap Club begins with curiosity – and quickly becomes something deeper.

“I joined the Red Caps seven years ago to improve my swimming,” said T.N.V., who is now a coach at the club. “But I’ve gained much more than that. I’ve learned life skills and made close friends. I’ve learned to be more understanding, more patient and more giving when I teach younger kids to swim.”

“The Red Cap Club is more than a place to learn swimming,” his mother added. “It’s a family built on love, responsibility and connection. I’m so happy to see my child grow with the club – more confident, independent and proactive.”

“I’ve learned just as much from Uncle Thuỷ – not only how to swim, but how to teach, how to nurture, how to give love and spread it,” she said. “I see myself changing too. I’ve become more positive, more forgiving and more open to giving.”

Lê Trang, a mother of two from Hà Nội who joined the club this summer, said she was surprised the club did not charge a single penny, yet children learn more than just swimming.

From the first week, she felt something different – not just in the water, but around it. “The coaches, the assistants, even the parents – everyone shares the spirit of giving. It felt like a true family.”

After just one month, her children – once fearful of water – were swimming confidently in the deep end.

“Watching them laugh and float and dive at 1.8 metres deep and improve every day – I’m just so deeply thankful,” the mother said.

“My kids have also learned a lot from joining the club’s activities such as game shows, teamwork and swimming to raise funds for charity.”

For Thuỷ, the journey of the Red Cap Club is far from over. “My biggest concern is how to spread the spirit of Đội Mũ Đỏ to more people so that more can gain survival swimming skills,” he said.

The team is now working to digitise its survival swimming curriculum through platforms such as the LoveSwim app and online courses, in the hope of helping to reduce drownings in Việt Nam.

The club is also expanding its presence in the real world, with members taking part in open-water swim events such as Ironman, Oceanman, Aqua Warriors, and swimming across Lý Sơn Island.

What Thuỷ is doing is especially meaningful given Việt Nam’s persistently high drowning rate.

Minister of Education Nguyễn Kim Sơn recently said that more than 600 children die in water-related accidents every year – a rate eight times higher than in developed countries. The challenge remains significant despite ongoing efforts to promote water safety and introduce swimming lessons in schools.

Only around 30 per cent of school-aged children in Việt Nam know how to swim. Fewer than 60 per cent of physical education teachers are qualified to teach swimming.

“That’s why protecting children from drowning must be a responsibility shared by families, communities and society as a whole,” Sơn said. VNS

Thuỷ is instructing Red Cap Club members swimming skills. Photo Đội Mũ Đỏ

Members of the Red Caps participate in a game show to celebrate the club's 13th birthday in May. Photo Đội Mũ Đỏ