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Swimming Instructors Serving the Durham and Chapel Hill, NC Areas

Instructors

One of the most striking qualities of our swim instructors is their extensive knowledge and proficiency in swimming techniques. Armed with a deep understanding of the intricacies of different strokes, breathing techniques, and water safety, they have the ability to tailor their instruction to meet the specific needs of each infant, toddler or child. Whether it’s helping beginners overcome their fears or refining the technique of advanced swimmers, our instructors possess the expertise to bring out the best in every individual.

Coach Katie C

OWNER
MASTER INSTRUCTOR
(She/Her)
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Coach Katie B

DIRECTOR
SENIOR INSTRUCTOR
LEADERSHIP TEAM
(She/Her)
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Coach Alasha

SENIOR INSTRUCTOR
LEADERSHIP TEAM
(She/Her)

Coach Gigi

SENIOR INSTRUCTOR
LEADERSHIP TEAM
(She/Her)

Ms. Martha

General Manager
(She/Her)

Coach Cris

INSTRUCTOR
(They/them)

Coach Kat

INSTRUCTOR
CPR Certified
(She/Her)

Coach Ana

INSTRUCTOR
(She/Her)

Katie Cleary

OWNER MASTER INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Katie Cleary is a former competitive swimmer and coach in both South Carolina’s Swim Association Invitational League and North Carolina’s Chapel Hill Summer Swim League. Dr. Katie is a 2013 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s doctoral program in Neurobiology. Her dissertation work focused on auditory sensory processing differences in children with autism and other developmental delays. Katie has a strong background in behavioral neuroscience. During her doctoral program she completed rigorous academic coursework in biological psychiatry, neurobiology, child development, and electrophysiology. She received intense training in working with human research subjects, including young children and infants of both typical and sensitive populations. Katie also has a strong knowledge of the administration, data collection and analysis of electroencephalography (EEG). Additionally, Katie is a graduate of UNC’s Translational Medicine program. She is also a 2008 graduate of College of Charleston’s Honors College with dual degrees in Psychology and English.

A lifelong swimmer, Katie began competitive swimming in South Carolina at age six and started coaching and teaching swimming at age sixteen. Katie has twelve years of competitive swimming experience in summer league, high school, and USA Swimming. She was named Most Valuable Player in high school swimming and was especially skilled in distance freestyle, Individual Medley, and butterfly. As a teenager, Katie was trained by a certified Total Immersion coach, and this heavily influences her current teaching style. In 2004 she was the youngest head coach in the swim league and recipient of its inaugural senior scholarship. She has coached swim teams ranging from sixty to over 300 swimmers from ages four to eighteen, including supervision of multiple assistant and junior coaches and program design and implementation. In addition to her extensive work with toddlers and children, Katie has been working with infants in the water since 2009.

Katie created a program combining her knowledge of behavioral science and the best ideas from worldwide swim schools. Her unique interest is the intersection between survival swimming and competitive-level stroke technique. She believes that correct technique and survival skills are not mutually exclusive and that an understanding of both is necessary to teach swimming properly. She strives to provide a program where the skills students learn will grow with them from skills necessary to save their own lives to ones that can provide a lifetime of enjoyment, as well as competitive success if they so choose.

Katie’s heart beats for warmed concrete and chlorine. She can’t wait to see you at the pool.

Coach Katie Blalock

SENIOR INSTRUCTOR, DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Katie B. is a former sprint triathlete and triathlete coach. She also has experience teaching fearful adult beginners how to swim. Katie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. She also has prior accounting and business administration experience with Raleigh Brewing Company and Charles & Colvard.

Katie has two boys herself and loves working with young children. She is a gifted teacher with special strengths in class organization, maintaining structure in a fun environment, and establishing a relationship of trust with her students. Katie has undergone over fifty hours of intense in-water and academic training to learn our method. She primarily manages all day-to-day business activities and is also an instructor. She currently teaches Survival, Kicks & Tricks, and, FUNdations.

Coach Jay

APPRENTICE INSTRUCTOR

Coach Jay is an experienced nanny who is very comfortable working with children of all ages. As a former athlete, exercise and physical fitness is very important to Coach Jay, and he is excited to share this passion with his students. Students love Coach Jay’s warm and outgoing personality, and he is known for his ability to build strong relationships with his students and their families.

Coach Jay has completed over 50 hours of training to learn our method. He currently teaches Survival Swim, Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations, Beginning Stroke, and Advanced Stroke.

Coach Cris

APPRENTICE INSTRUCTOR

Coach Cris recently relocated from Virginia where they worked as a Senior Swim Instructor. Coach Cris loves teaching swimming and is excited that they can continue to do what they love here in Durham! Cris’ prior experience as a swim instructor led them to easily learn each level of our curriculum, and they are known for their positive, outgoing energy and ability to connect with little ones!

Coach Cris has completed over 50 hours of training to learn our method. They currently teach Survival Swim, Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations, and Beginning Stroke.

Coach Will

APPRENTICE INSTRUCTOR

Coach Will is a student at Wake Tech Community College studying Art who has many years’ experience in childcare, babysitting, and swimming. As a former swimmer, the water is a big part of Coach Will’s life, and he is excited to share this passion with his students. He has been a volunteer swim instructor in the past to preschool-aged children and loves helping his students overcome their fears of the water and gain confidence in themselves. Physical education is very important to Coach Will, and he looks forward to sharing his love of exercise and movement with your swimmers!

Coach Will has completed over 50 hours of training to learn our method. He currently teaches Survival Swim, Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations, Beginning Stroke and Advanced Stroke

Coach Izzy

APPRENTICE INSTRUCTOR

Coach Izzy is a Medical Anthropology major at UNC Chapel Hill who loves working with young children. She has been a babysitter and nanny in the past and has experience working with newborns through elementary school aged children. After spending a summer as a nanny that included daily pool time and helping one of her charges pass their swim test, Coach Izzy knew that she would love teaching swimming! Her positive energy and attention to detail help her ensure that her students are having fun while learning correct swimming technique. Coach Izzy especially enjoys teaching Survival Swim and working with the toddler age group!

Coach Izzy has completed over 50 hours of training to learn our method. She currently teaches Survival Swim, Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations, Beginning Stroke and Advanced Stroke

Coach Jeannette

APPRENTICE INSTRUCTOR

Coach Jeannette is an experienced swim instructor who is very comfortable in the water and working with young children. She loves making sure that her students are having fun while learning! She loves helping others and has previously worked with adults with disabilities as well as a financial advisor. She has a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Florida State University. Coach Jeannette is also bilingual and is comfortable teaching swim lessons in both English and Spanish! In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her son and adorable dog.

Coach Jeannette has completed over 50 hours of training to learn our method. She currently teaches Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations, and Beginning Stroke.

Coach Arielle

INSTRUCTOR

Coach Arielle is an experienced childcare provider who has worked with infants, toddlers, and young children in both home care and school settings. She has been a nanny and babysitter in the past as well as worked for a local after school care program. Coach Arielle has a natural gift for working with children, and her positive attitude and warm demeanor make children gravitate toward her! She especially loves working with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers and teaching them how to be safe in the water. In her spare time, Arielle loves music and singing!

Coach Arielle has completed over 50 hours of training to learn our method. She currently teaches Survival Swim, Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations, and Beginning Stroke.

Coach Kat

INSTRUCTOR

Coach Kat is a graduate student at NC State University and former children’s karate instructor who loves working with young children. She holds an undergraduate degree in English from William Peace University with a Political Science minor. As a former children’s karate instructor, Kat enjoyed adapting the curriculum to fit a variety of students’ learning styles and serving as a positive role model for her young students. Coach Kat is great at forming relationships with her students and helping them get excited about what they are learning! Her meticulous and detail-oriented learning style has allowed her to quickly grasp every level of the PhD curriculum, and her communication skills make her a favorite among both students and their parents.

Coach Kat has completed over 50 hours of training to learn our method. She currently teaches Survival Swim, Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations and Beginning Stroke.

Coach Alasha Thornton

SENIOR INSTRUCTOR

Coach Alasha is a full time mom to a handsome baby boy and two beautiful pitbulls. She’s from Durham, NC, and her favorite time-passers include writing poetry, reading and going on walks. Her favorite color is blue and she loves coffee!

Alasha is very family-oriented and grew up in a large family who taught her to swim at the age of seven. She began teaching swim lessons herself at sixteen, when she also began competitive swimming and continued for four years. As a mom, Alasha understands the importance of water safety for young children as well as the importance of building a trusting, positive relationship with her students. The pool is a second home to Alasha, and she cannot wait to instill that same joy in your little ones!

Coach Alasha has completed over 50 hours of training to learn our method. She currently teaches Survival Swim, Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations, Beginning Stroke, and Advanced Stroke.

Gigi De La Torre

SENIOR INSTRUCTOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Coach Gigi is a a mother of two highly active boys and a sassy little girl. As a dedicated parent, she has been a room mom for many years for all of my kids’ schooling and plans to continue. Gigi has always loved the water and children, especially babies, so what could be better than combining the two things! She loves interacting with children and seeing their progress grow and gain confidence in themselves and in the water.

Prior to having children, Coach Gigi grew up in Durham and was very involved in competitive swimming with her local neighborhood team in the summers. She truly enjoyed the camaraderie and the ability to learn a lifelong skill, and she credit summer league swimming for helping her develop a deep love for swimming and the water. Coach Gigi has an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Meredith College and was a Banquet Captain at The Umstead Hotel and Spa, where she met my husband and started a family.

Coach Gigi has undergone 50 hours of in-water and academic training to learn our method. She currently teaches Survival Swim, Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations, and Beginning Stroke.

Coach Shannon McCabe​

SENIOR INSTRUCTOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Coach Shannon has an undergraduate dual degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. She has a Masters of Arts in Forensic Psychology and she is a licensed clinician. Her first career was in the public school system with exception youth, and in addition to swim teaching she now provides counseling to adults struggling with mental health and addiction challenges. She has served on various boards and commissions in the Durham area and is very active in giving back to the community.

Coach Shannon also has a son and a daughter who is a participant in the PhD swim program and the center of her universe. In her free time she is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and shares her home with a variety of interesting creatures.

As a PhD Swim School mom as well as coach, Coach Shannon understands what it’s like to start a new swim program and is excellent at helping children and their parents adjust to lessons. She has undergone over 50 hours of academic and in-water training to learn our method and currently teaches Kicks and Tricks, FUNdations, Beginning Stroke, and Advanced Stroke.