Greetings!

It’s hard to believe another year is coming to an end. The time seems to pass more quickly as I get older. 2025 marked my 41st year of teaching swimming, which is crazy to think about. Who knew, all those years ago, when I started a swimming business at the age of 12, that I would still be doing it 41 years later?!

After 41 years, though, it is time for me to retire. My last day will be Thursday, May 28. This may come as a surprise, but it has been in the making for several years, and there are many reasons. Four decades of teaching have taken a toll on my physical health. You would never know or notice, but I have arthritis in both thumbs (which are super important for teaching), chronic tendonitis in both elbows and forearms, neck, back, and shoulder issues from lifting and maneuvering kids, and some other medical issues that I have put off because they require surgery and a long recovery. I’ve never been able to find the time in the schedule to do that while still honoring the session commitments I’ve already made to people.

I had hoped to find and train someone so I could just scale back on my teaching load and maybe finally schedule the surgery. However, for over 5 years, I have actively sought someone to train and certify, but unfortunately, there has not been the right candidate. As this business is my baby, I would NEVER hand it over to just anyone. You and your children deserve the best. As a business owner, I have found it super challenging and frustrating to find quality people over the years.

I also have a new granddaughter that I adore and want to spend time with. She’s 6 hours away, and my teaching schedule hasn't allowed much free time to visit her, and that just won’t do. ☺ Being Sassy (my grandma name) to her and more frequent visits are my priority now!

My husband and I are about to be empty-nesters and are looking forward to traveling together; I want and need the freedom to do that.

In addition, my husband and I both have aging parents who live in town, who will soon require more time and care from us. We promised them we would do everything possible to help them age peacefully at home for as long as possible, and we will honor that promise. That will require me, in particular, to be free to come and go as needed to care for them or coordinate their care.

All of these things just made it clear, it is time. It is bittersweet for me because I genuinely love what I do, but I am in a season of life when I need and want to be more available and present for my family and to take care of my own health.

What does this mean for you and your kiddos? I will teach my last two sessions in January 2026 and March 2026, and conduct the recent graduate maintenance lessons for those students. We will continue maintenance lessons for everyone else through Wednesday, April 29. The schedule is already available for you to book from January through April. You will need to use all of your maintenance and stroke lesson credits by April 29, as I will not be able to credit partially used packages. If you will need just a few more lesson credits to get you through April, I have worked with the software company to create a single maintenance lesson credit. You will see that in the store and can use it as you see fit.

For lessons after April 29, I recommend contacting Angela Brown, the only other certified survival swimming instructor in town. You can contact her at 979-412-7718, angela.brown@infantswim.com, and https://h2osurvivalswimschool.com.

Please Note:

>> She is with ISR, a different company from mine. ISR is a company, not a method. Her programming, costs, and scheduling will be different, and neither you nor I will have any control over that. Please be flexible and understanding as you make the transition.

>> She does offer maintenance lessons and stroke lessons, but I have no personal knowledge of what those look like or how often they are offered. My recommendation for her is based solely on the fact that I know the quality of the training she received, and because she is literally the only other one in town who teaches the survival swimming method. For continuity, you want someone who is trained and certified in this method to maintain your child’s skills.

>> She only has access to an OUTDOOR pool in her backyard, so her teaching is very much seasonal and not year-round. It is possible that you can do maintenance lessons up until about October each year, and then she doesn't start teaching again until March, so yearly refreshers are very likely.

I am beyond grateful to have had the opportunity to do this for so long, and I truly cannot thank each of you enough for entrusting your most precious little ones to me. It has been an honor to work with you, and I will miss each of you dearly.

Sincerely,

Miss Shellie