"I got started in swim with my dad teaching me at 7 years old. I didn't receive any extensive training until I was in middle school. During the Olympics in 2008 I watched a synchronized diving event and thought it was the coolest sport ever. I swam backstroke and in relays during my middle and high school years, but my main pursuit was springboard diving! Eventually I was granted a full academic scholarship to Niagara University in Western New York where I was also a member of the Swim and Dive team. From there I was recruited to dive for a professional entertainment company. During my time as a professional diver I performed at County and State Fairs in many different states across the U.S. During that time I found a job as a swim instructor, which I discovered I really enjoyed doing. So after retiring from my professional dive career I took to teaching swim full time. I am now in my fourth year as Swim Instructor. My favorite part about being an instructor is helping my swimmers persevere through their toughest or most fearing moments and seeing the excitement on their face after achieving it. That's an incredibly rewarding feeling and is what keeps me going everyday.”