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In 1983, while planning the move to a neighborhood with open water close by, Liz Walker searched for a program that could teach her 16-month-old daughter to swim. She wanted to give her daughter more than just an introduction to the water, and she finally found a program that provided toddlers with actual swimming skills. As a trained educator, the process intrigued Liz, who began teaching other toddlers to swim. Through her own experience, she recognized the program's limitations and began developing her own technique. Her program, now known as SwimKids, teaches hundreds of toddlers to swim each year.
After it launched, SwimKids saw steady but slow growth. In 2001, its popularity and growth exploded, nearly doubling the number of lessons taught each year. SwimKids is based in Salt Lake City and has rented time at pools around the valley. Earlier this year, SwimKids also purchased its own facility in Holladay and launched the program in the Orem/Provo area.
SwimKids specializes in teaching swimming lessons to children ages 6 months to 8 years. The program is focused on providing young children with water safety and survival skills so they can be safe in and around water. Among other basic swimming skills, children are taught to be comfortable with eyes-open submersion, to roll on their backs and to float. The company's primary service is private lessons during which instructors work one-on-one with each child, addressing each child's specific needs.
Lance Walker, Liz's son who is heading up the Utah County venture, says most children move rapidly through the program as they master each skill. Although the Utah County program was launched only a few months ago, Lance says it has already been well received. Moving into the Holladay facility was also a big step forward for the company. In the future, SwimKids plans to expand into Davis County and open other facilities around the Salt Lake Valley.
SwimKids is distinguished by its unique swimming technique and the private lesson model, both designed to be optimally effective.
For Zions Bank, I'm Rob Brough. I'm speaking on business.
