Seffner, Florida - Nancy Roth is the Director of Dolphin Babies Swim Babies in Seffner. She would like every child to be able to do what Amelia Gall can. At 21 months Amelia can swim, dive and float.
Nancy says the earlier you get your child in the water the better.
She says teaching toddlers how to swim is essential because they have not yet learned bad habits.
Nancy is a former teacher who has always known her calling wasn’t in a school but in a pool.
- Nancy Roth/Dophin Babies Swim School
- “Whenever I woud hear a news story of a drowning, it grips all of us, but I knew that I had an interest in being certified to do this and it really hurt knowing that I could be making a difference and that I wasn't certified yet.”
Mother Michelle Moore says it was a close call with one of her own children that served as her wakeup call.
Her infant daughter accidentally fell into a pool.
- Michelle Moore/Mother
- “I turned my back for a second to look at the clock to see what time it was and when I turned around my younges one was in the water. I knew that day that I needed to do something.”
When her youngest, Thomas, was just ten months old when Michelle enrolled him in an infant swim class. Now at 22 months he comes to Dolphin Babies Swim School to brush up on his technique.
The Bushes recently had a pool installed at their home. Their first priority was to get their son, 22 month old Sean Junior, enrolled in Nancy’s Dolphin Babies Swim School.
- Sean Bush, Sr.
- “It gives us great peace of mind. Just knowing that if he slips outside and fall into the pool he has a fighting chance.”
Scott Gall is little Amelia's dad. He says at first the lessons are hardest on the parents.
- Scott Gall/Father
- “At first it is kind of rough when they are crying for you. But you know you can't go in there and save them because if you save them because they have to be able to o in there and save themselves.”
Click here for more information on the swim class.
Ginger Gadsden, Tampa Bay's 10 News