SafeSplash Swim School owner Chris Peters has been passionate about swimming his whole life. He's now bringing the amazing benefits of swimming to students in two locations in Holland and Perrysburg, Ohio.
Olympic Swimmer
Chris gravitated to water starting from a young age. He loves Northwest Ohio because it has so many beautiful natural bodies of water to enjoy, including the Maumee river, lakes, and ponds.
He swam competitively growing up and was a successful college swimmer for the University of Missouri. He was All-Conference four years in a row and qualified for the 2000 Olympic Trials in the 100 and 200 backstroke in his senior year.
23 Years Coaching
After a stint working in television at ESPN, the lure of water drew Chris back. He became a swimming coach and teacher in Phoenix, Arizona. He steadily honed his skills, and in 2004 when he became an Assistant Swim Coach at the University of Missouri.
During his time coaching at Mizzou, Chris helped elevate the program to national prominence. The Men's and Women's teams earned top 20 ranking, with many team members being NCAA All-Americans and Olympic Trial qualifiers.After his time at Mizzou, Chris returned to his home state to become a member of the swim coaching staff at Ohio State University. While there, the OSU teams had multiple top 15 finishes at the NCAA Championship Meet, multiple All-Americans, and were B1G Conference Champions. Many team members qualified for the Olympic Trials.Chris then became a head swim coach at the University of Toledo. He coached multiple Conference Champions and school record holders. Under his coaching, former walk-on Sammy Richard qualified for the 2016 Olympic Trials.Chris then retired from coaching. He wanted to spend more time with his family, and they decided to remain in the Toledo area because it's a great place to call home.
Teaching Confidence & Lifelong Skills
While retired from coaching, Chris still had a deep love for swimming, and that led to the launch of SafeSplash Swim School. He launched the Holland location in 2019, and the Perrysburg location followed in 2023.As the school's owner, his goal is to welcome all ages and abilities and help them learn to swim.
"We really want our swimmers to enjoy the process and gain a life-long love of the water. Our curriculum and instructors are second to none and it's so much fun to see the positive impact we have on all of our swim families," says Chris.
Two of his biggest passions are swimming and the local Toledo-area community. He feels very fortunate to combine those passions at SafeSplash Swim School.
Ready to learn more about swim lessons? Call the location nearest you or reach out online today.
Connect with us on Facebook!