THE PERFECT BITE AT THE PERFECT' RI 41111 Lenny Krayzelburg RESTAUR T WEEK Get In The Swim! January 28 - February 1 & February 4-8, 2013 Steve Stein Three Course Lunch $15, Three Course Dinner $30 I Contributing Writer Join us for two fabulous weeks of quality dining at Birmingham's finest restaurants. It's an experience you'll never forget. Bon appetit! As always, the first two hours in the parking decks are free. For menus, chef bios, and more info, visit BirminghamRestaurantWeek.org J Like our Facebook page: Enjoy Birmingham NOW HARVEST ForgottenHarvest.org Birmingham Restaurant Week is partnering with Forgotten Harvest to raise money to feed those in need in Metro Detroit. Just $5 is enough to provide 25 nutritious mea/s. Learn about how you can support Forgotten Harvest inside participating restaurants. .. ARCADIA • Home Care & Staffing -- Hel •ing people stay at home & healthier longel AIMS, A full service agency providing quality care for your loved ones. • Live-In or Hourly • No minimum hours • Complimentary Assessment • Ongoing Care Coordination • All employees are bonded & insured Caregivers Assist With: •Medication Reminders 'Safety Monitoring 'Transportation Call Lynn Feinberg Today 'Bathing & Dressing 'Kosher Prepared Meals 'Skilled Care (248) 594-4574 visit us online • arcadiahomecare.co 48 January 10 • 2013 JN L enny Krayzelburg was a 14-year-old swimmer from Los Angeles, a face in the crowd, when he competed at the 1990 JCC Maccabi Games in Detroit. Just one year after moving to the U.S. with his family from Odessa in the Soviet Union, he spoke little English. But he loved his time in the Motor City, and not just because he won sev- eral medals. "The opening ceremony for the Maccabi Games was at the Palace of Auburn Hills," he said. "I was a big NBA fan, and I knew that's where the Detroit Pistons played. I was thrilled to be there. I also really enjoyed the cama- raderie of the athletes and the Jewish pride the Maccabi Games instill." Fast forward to 2013. Krayzelburg, now 37, is one of the most decorated swimmers in U.S. history. He won four gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics and was recognized at the time as the top backstroke swimmer in the world. He was USA Swimming's "Swimmer of the Year" in 1999 and 2000. Swim Academy At JCC Krayzelburg no longer competes, but he's still quite involved with swim- ming. His Lenny Krayzelburg Swim Academy is coming to the West Bloomfield and Oak Park buildings of the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit. Through a partnership with the JCC Association that was launched in 2005, the academy is in seven JCC locations across America. The JCC of Metropolitan Detroit will be the eighth. The academy is in two JCCs in Los Angeles, along with JCCs in Brooklyn, N.Y., Atlantic City and Cherry Hill, N.J., Newton, Mass., and Louisville, Ky. Learning to swim, not competition, is the focus of Krayzelburg's academy. While classes are geared for students ages 1-9, there also are parent-and-tot sessions. "We focus on progression:' said Krayzelburg, who speaks with a slight Russian accent. "First we teach the proper body position, then we go to kicking and arms. Students receive stickers and ribbons as rewards for successfully learning a lesson. They really like that:' After a student completes all seven levels, Krayzelburg said, he or she has the necessary fundamentals to become a competitive swimmer. "All they need is endurance he said. "And they'll get that from their com- petitive program:' Meeting Times Set Up Krayzelburg will be in town Sunday, Jan. 27, to meet with prospective acad- emy students and their families. He'll be at the JCC in West Bloomfield, 6600 W. Maple Road, noon-2 p.m., and Oak Park, 15110 W. 10 Mile Road, 3-5 p.m. His appearance will kick off a week of free swim evaluations at both JCC campuses. Lessons will begin Sunday, Feb. 3. Ronda Brodsky, director of the West Bloomfield JCC's aquatics program, and Judy Front, director of Center Splash at the Oak Park JCC, are thrilled about adding the academy to their offerings. "Everything Lenny does in his program makes sense Brodsky said. "Many learn-to-swim programs focus on covering yards of water but my first concern is safety, just as it is for the academy:' Front added, "The academy is a proven successful business model. Because of its emphasis on water safe- ty, a reward system and easy-to-learn swim techniques, it will bring our pro- gram to a new level:' For information, contact Brodsky at (248) 661-5430 or Front at (248) 967- 4030 or go to www.jccdet.org. ❑ Please send sports news to sports@ thejewishnews.com.