GULF SHORES - Splash! The swimmers hit the water with authority. And while their form might not be the same as Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, the spirit and will to win is there.

The Star Fish, as the team is called, practice every Saturday morning at the Bodenhamer Center in Gulf Shores. The Center donates the practice time to the Star Fish.

They’re like any other team, with enthusiastic swimmers and those who are … less than enthusiastic about laps.

But, there is one thing that is different about the swimmers. They all have physical or mental challenges.

Sharon Brindle of Foley is their coach.

“I worked with he Special Olympics in 1989 with my brother, George,” explained Brindle. “I was hooked.”

George later died, but by then Brindle was teaching swimming classes and gravitating to special-needs swimmers.

“They just bloom,” said Brindle of the program. “It keeps them physically healthy and gives them something outside of themselves.”

Brindle’s “fish” have a wide range of mental and physical difficulties. One swimmer has autism. Others have mental retardation. All clearly enjoy the time they have in the water.

While the difficulties Brindle’s swimmer have to overcome are many, their ages are also all over the map. Brindle says the swimmers on the Star Fish team range from 10 years or age to 50-something.

And Star Fish progress isn’t measured in gold medals (the team wins their share at meets they attend twice a year) but in the progress each swimmer makes.

Brindle mentions one swimmer who could barely be coaxed into the water and now, “swims 100 yards.”

For Tracy Hill of Magnolia Springs, the Star Fish is a great outlet for her son, Alexander, 12.

“We started coming a couple of months ago,” Hill said. “I had heard about it from another mother. Before, Alexander could not swim laps, now he does. It is good for his muscle tone. He loves the water. It is a good fit.”

Alexander has two brothers, Sterling, 8 and Nate, 10. While his brothers play tennis, Alexander swims.

“It gives him something that is his,” said Hill.

Elizabeth Johnson of Spanish Fort has Fred and Mary in the program. They have been with the Star Fish since it began seven years ago.

“It gives the kids  something healthy to do. Sharon is an excellent teacher.

It’s also a form of socialization, and gives them a purpose,” Johnson said.

Mary swims on the Spanish Fort High School team, doing the breaststroke and freestyle events. Mary also took gold during the 2006 Special Olympics in Ames, Iowa.

Judie Flanigan has been with the Star Fish as a parent for the past two years. Her daughter, Sissy, is a team member. Judie also serves as the group’s treasurer. While there is no expense for a swimmer to participate, the club does have expenses for meets, suits and travel costs. Donations can be sent to Alabama Special Olympics - the Star Fish, 380 Clubhouse Drive, W3, Gulf Shores, AL 36542.

The Star Fish is a 501(c)3 organization, so donations are tax-deductible Flanigan says.

The Star Fish have some other sponsors, including the Knights of Columbus, Our Lady of the Gulf Altar/Rosary Society, Carleton Photography, Norman/Janne Franz, Jan/Seth Phelps, Edith Brooks, Margaret Harkness, Judie Flanigan and the Gulf Shores Women’s Club.

For more information, call 978-0295.