Meet the Team

Hi! My name is Philip and I am 16 years old. I started Swim Next Door because I genuinely love teaching swimming and I wanted to do it properly, not the way most swim schools do it with eight kids and one instructor barely watching. I have been working with kids for years through summer camps and aquatics programs, so I am very comfortable with children of all ages and abilities. I also have experience working as a swim instructor and lifeguard for the Town of Aurora, so this is not my first time on deck. I have real lifeguarding experience too, including guarding actual events with real emergencies. That stuff matters when you are trusting someone to be in the water with your kid, and when you trust someone to supervise people in the water.

I hold the National Lifeguard (NLS), Lifesaving Society Swim Instructor (LSSI), Lifesaving Society Instructor (LSI), Standard First Aid, CPR-C, and Emergency First Aid Instructor (EFAI) certifications, all kept current with no exceptions. Swim Next Door is also fully insured. I get in the water with every swimmer, every session, because that is where real coaching actually happens, not from the pool deck.

Outside of the pool I play rugby and love staying active, so I genuinely understand what it is like to learn a new physical skill and how much a good coach changes things. Watching a kid go from terrified of putting their face in the water to swimming a full length on their own is honestly one of the best feelings. I am excited to work with your family this summer!