Upper St. Clair couple making waves in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is not the top travel destination for recently retired people. However, Chet Dudzkinski and his wife, Linda, discovered the strife-riddled country to be an oasis for optimism.
The Upper St. Clair couple serves as members of the board of directors for the Nica Nadadores. After Chet’s retirement from the Cipriani & Werner Law Firm, they visited the swim team’s home in Managua for the first time.
“The remarkable experiences of stepping foot in Nicaragua during a time of civil unrest and being with the team and their families will remain with Chet and I for life,” said Linda. “Being there for just a week, I found it unusually hard to say goodbye to these wonderful children and their families and to Timmy Hayes, whose vision is being realized.”
Four years ago, Hayes founded the organization after earning a Spanish degree from the University of Virginia where Chet and Linda’s son, Kyle, swam for the Cavaliers. Kyle was also a teammate of Scot Robinson, another of the co-founders for the organization. The third is Kyle Shoemaker.
The swim team is a youth development program, community service vehicle and scholarship initiative. The 501©3 tax-exempt organization does more than teach children how to swim. Not only does it empower student-athletes to dream big and achieve their goals in life, it enables them by providing financial resources they need to succeed academically. Swimmers receive tuition and scholarships to private schools along with books, supplies, tutoring and uniforms.
Of the program, Chet said that most of the kids have never swum before, “competitively or otherwise,” but they are learning skills that hopefully can improve their lot in life.
“The goal is to send students, obviously, to the best schools possible in Nicaragua and perhaps reach out to get scholarships in the United States,” he said. “We are trying to get the word out that despite the fact there is unrest in Nicaragua, there is a great need for these kids to get an opportunity to not just swim fast but to get their scholarships.”
Chet Dudzinski became a swim official for obvious reasons. He and his wife, Linda, had three children that competed in the sport.
“I was going to so many swim meets that it made sense for me to spend my time wisely not just sitting in a chair and watching them,” said the Upper St. Clair resident. “It also helped keep me quiet as opposed to screaming and yelling as most parents will.”
As he gained expertise regarding stroke mechanics and turn legality, Dudzinski silently applauded and quietly cheered as his children progressed into scholastic and collegiate All-Americans.
Kyle, 26, Brittany, 24, and Ryan Dudzinki, 22, all were WPIAL champions for Upper St. Clair High School. Kyle and Ryan captured multiple state titles.
Kyle swam for the University of Virginia while earning an undergrad degree in psychology. He earned a Masters degree in management from Michigan. Currently, he is a health care consultant for Booze, Allen, Hamilton International in Washington, D.C.
Brittany swam four years at Miami (Ohio) and earned a degree in marketing and management. She now works in management and sales for Ernest and Julio Gallo.
This fall, Ryan his senior season at Stanford. The three-time academic and multi athletic All-American is majoring in science, technology and society.
“It’s the nerds liberal arts,” said Chet with a laugh.
Chet added that Ryan is swimming “fantastic” since having wrist surgery from breaking a bone from hitting the wall to hard on a turn.
“The kids are all doing well. Thank you,” he said.
“Two of them are out on their own and making their way in the world,” he added. “I am so proud of each of them.”
Of the one-week visit he added, “We needed to learn more and we did. It was a beautiful experience for us.”
For Chet, serving as a “pseudo” coach during a technique clinic given to members of the Nica Nadadores was enlightening on many levels. He stepped in as an instructor when many of the students and coaches coming from the United States for a swim camp canceled because of the political upheaval in the country.
Through his sessions, Chet accomplished something it is taking him a lifetime to achieve with his children. In addition to Kyle, Brittany and Ryan also were standout swimmers at Upper St. Clair High School and at NCAA Division I colleges. During his instruction, the national official for USA Swimming gained the respect of the Nica Nadadores.
“It was rewarding,” Chet continued. “I did enjoy the coaching aspect.”
Chet, however, did not relish seeing the abject poverty and tremendous challenges the young swimmers from Managua face on a daily basis. For example, the swimmers walk about a mile to a drop-off point, then Coach Hayes picks them up and transports them to the pool for their workouts.
“Humbling,” Chet said was his first reaction when he saw what was happening. “We have a lot that we take advantage of and take for granted in America. Things that we routinely throw away are treasures to these people.”

Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Chet Dudzinski poses with Kyle Shoemaker, one of the founders of the Nica Nadadores. The two appeared at a recent PEAQ Swim Meet at Scott Park to talk about the organization.
Chet and Linda Dudzinski treasured most the time they spent with the swimmers outside of the pool. They lived, ate and communicated with the families although neither knew Spanish as well as their children.
“I should have better followed along as my children learned Spanish during their collective years as USC,” said Linda, who has been the editor of USC Today Magazine for the past 20 years. “We had a definite language barrier but smiles alone communicated in wonderful ways what words could not. To be surrounded by a group of people who spoke little to no English, but who so willingly shared their homes and their time, made us both more fully appreciate life’s simple joys.”
“To say that they are poor is an understatement,” added Chet, “but boy are their hearts so large. I came away understanding the beautiful hearts of the people in Nicaragua. Every day, they welcomed us into their humble homes. We had dinners, lunches and breakfasts and felt like we were here. That is how beautiful the people were.”
Though they have since returned to Upper St. Clair, Chet and Linda Dudzinski plan to continue helping the “beautiful” people affiliated with he Nica Nadadores.
The long-term goals for the organization are to raise enough funds to purchase property to build a school equipped with computer labs and construct an aquatics center. The short-term aim is to ensure that education is seamless and to bring the model currently being designed to other parts of the world.
“We are optimistic,” said Chet, “and thankful for the opportunity to help spread the word about the Nica Nadadores. When I recently left the practice of law, my wife kind of suggested that there were things out there that I could spend my time wisely on and boy, this is a great one.”
Linda agreed and added the trip proved positive despite all the negativity, even hearing the nightly mortar fire in the surrounding villages.
“We had trepidation going in,” she said, “but only a wonderful sense of fulfillment coming out.”
Visit www.nicanadadores.org to learn more about the organization or to donate to its fund-raising efforts.

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