Partners dive into swim business

LAKEWOOD RANCH — As a registered nurse, East County resident Amy Mann has seen one too many children rushed into the emergency room.

With the number of cases of children drowning on the rise in recent years, Mann took it upon herself to do something about it.

After moving to from Central Florida nine years ago, Mann quickly discovered there weren’t any local swimming instructors teaching Infant Swimming Resource’s Self-Rescue program.

Recognizing the benefits her daughter, Shelby, gained from participating in the program when she was 18 months old, Mann decided to become an ISR instructor.

Now, Mann and her friend and fellow ISR instructor, Anita Pope, are hoping to provide East County children with the same benefits their children received several years ago as the owners of Swim Gym of Lakewood Ranch.

Swim Gym, located at 5002 Lena Road, Suite 103, Bradenton, officially opened March 26.

“Everything just fell into place,” Mann said. “This is a great time for child-oriented businesses.”

The new gym will host a free grand-opening party from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 14. During the event, guests will enjoy in-water demos of the ISR self-rescue technique, face painting and balloon sculpting, info and demos from a number of local children’s business and health and fitness organizations and more.

Like Mann, Pope decided to enroll her son, Parker, and subsequently her second child, in ISR so they wouldn’t be afraid of the water when they got older.

“It was very new,” Pope said. “It was something I hadn’t heard or read a lot about. I researched it and felt like it was what my son needed. I wanted him to learn self-rescue skills, and I wanted him to love the water.”

Mann served as Pope’s children’s ISR instructor. Pope soon became a certified ISR instructor, as well.

The two began talking about and researching the idea of opening their own facility about five years ago, but it wasn’t until they found the perfect space the last week in February that the two decided to turn their dream into a reality.

Swim Gym, which is open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 3 to 6 p.m., offers the ISR self-rescue technique, which focuses on drowning-prevention skills. Lessons, which cost $80 per week, are one-on-one for 10 minutes five days a week for four to six weeks, depending on the child’s age and progression.

Children under 12 months old focus on learning to hold their breath and survival floating, going from face-down to face-up, while children older than 12 months focus on independent swimming, floating and swimming to a point of rescue.

“There’s a big difference between having fun in the water and drowning-prevention skills, which is what we teach,” Mann said. “What you can do when you can swim and our self-sufficient in the water — it’s a whole different lifestyle for a child who can really swim.

“Its not just about training children,” Mann said. “We like to educate the community, pediatricians and every one in general about water safety. Of course, we encourage high locks, baby fences, alarms, etc.; but if all of that breaks down, and this baby gets into the pool, then the only thing left is for them to save themselves. We want to give that child a chance he or she might not otherwise have had.”

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].

INFORMATION
Swim Gym at Lakewood Ranch Grand Opening Party
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 14
WHERE: 5002 Lena Road, Suite 103, Bradenton
COST: Free
DETAILS: The event will feature in-water ISR self-rescue demos, face painting, balloon sculpting, info and demos by children’s businesses and health-and-fitness organizations, water safety and drowning prevention information and more.
PHONE: 753-7459
WEBSITE: www.swimgymlwr.com