It’s summer, the heat is on and nothing looks better than cooling off in a swimming pool. We were thrilled to chat with Gina, owner of Goldfish Swim School Winter Park about all things swim and safety.
Gina, her husband Jon, and their two kids moved to Central Florida from Dublin, Ohio. A former professional dancer and teacher, movement education is part of Gina’s core values. Since moving to Florida she dove right in (we love puns!) to business ownership and the Central Florida community.
When Gina was transitioning out of her life as a dancer, she knew she wanted to do something with purpose. Gina and Jon decided to become first time entrepreneurs and open their own business. After some research and consideration they decided to open Goldfish Swim School Winter Park. The school provides swim instruction to children ages 4 months to 12 years in a unique setting with highly trained instructors, small class sizes (max 4:1 student-teacher ratio), shiver-free 90-degree pools, and a state-of-the-art water purification system. Classes are offered in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay®.
Let’s hear from Gina on what makes Goldfish Swim School so special!
On deciding to open a business:
“I knew I wasn’t cut out for a desk job and knew that I liked helping people. We wanted to create something that our family could be involved in. We knew that it had to be meaningful. Goldfish’s core values really aligned with ours. It trickles down from the top but Goldfish is built by parents for parents. We knew from a parents perspective how important swim lessons were and let that guide us.”
On what drew her to the company:
“One of the things I loved about Goldfish from the beginning was that they’d thought of everything. Things like the private changing huts, I remember taking my kids to swim lessons in Colorado where it was just a regular changing room and my son was almost six and I didn’t want him to be by himself but he was getting too old to be in the women’s. The private huts solve that.”
On going all in:
“It’s a lot of work and we knew that going in. I think what’s surprising is how involved I want to be. I don’t think I could be a business owner that comes in once a week for a meeting and leaves. It’s much more my third baby. I’ve become so invested and passionate about it.”
On believing in her team:
“We’ve got a great team here. I really value and trust our management team. So they run a lot of the day to day stuff. I try to be here as much as I can. I’m so passionate about this, it’s hard to find a balance.”
On her favorite part of the business:
“We have the best kids. They’re so adorable. I love getting to know the families. We do a lot in the community at events and spread water safety and education awareness which has been fun.”
On the light bulb moment:
“Having taught little kids dance and being able to see them work on a physical skill for a long time and seeing the light bulb go off, the pride they have is something I’ve always enjoyed.”
On the importance of swim lessons:
“The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) just came out with updated guidelines which all of us in the swim industry are really excited about. It’s things that we have been talking about for a very long time. And it’s great that there’s now documented information to back it up. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in children under the age of four. In Florida water is accessible year round so it’s even more of an issue. Studies have shown that while drowning isn’t 100% preventable swim lessons will help in that fight.”
On starting young:
“The earlier you get the kids in the water the better. We start as young as four months. From a developmental standpoint the AAP recommends one year old. But we start earlier because we want to get them before they develop that fear of the water. At four months they’re not that far removed from the water based source they came from. They develop a love of the water along with some fundamental water safety skills. We see a lot the kids get older and they are a little more timid. By 18 months, they’re less willing to detach from parents and it gets harder.”
On learning to swim well:
“It’s a life skill but it’s also a physical skill and sometimes we forget that. We have a lot of parents that tell us, ‘Oh my parents just threw me in the lake and that was that.’ You can do that. That’s not for everyone as a parent. But when we really think about swimming there’s getting from point A to point B and there’s also swimming that has technique involved as well. We teach both. We have a wide spectrum of swimmers with various skills. I liken it to any other physical activity. You would never enroll your kid in karate and expect that after six weeks they have a black belt. And it’s very similar.”
On the perks of being a Goldfish Swim School member:
“The open swims we provide during the week and on Friday evenings are an opportunity to come in and practice their skills. The great thing about being here is, we’re an indoor facility so we don’t close for weather and are open year round. We do family nights out which become a bigger deal and we make a party atmosphere out of it with pizza and crafts. It’s a great sense of community.”
On making things fun:
“Every month has a new theme. And our members get a celebration prize each week, whether it be stickers, tattoos, or a small bath toy. It’s just something they can celebrate their efforts each week. We also have our ribbons. Part of our core values are celebrating life’s daily accomplishments and so when the kids learn these skills they’ve worked so hard on, we want to celebrate it.”
