At what age did you learn to swim? Who taught you?

I was swimming, dog paddling, at 5. Learned to swim for real around 8 or 9 at a summer camp. My instructor was Al Wardlow, an ex golden gloves boxing champion and a Detroit school teacher who worked summers at the camp as a Water Safety Instructor. I attended that camp as a camper until I was 16 and worked the next two summers there.
Al was one of my heroes growing up.