A Learning Lesson That Helps All Academy Swim Club 

In the sweltering Southern California heat, there’s nothing more refreshing than a dive in the pool, especially when the temperatures reach record highs as they tend to here in Santa Clarita. For everyday swimmers, the pool is an inviting sight, offering relief from the heat and a chance to cool off. But for others, it’s a more dangerous one, and one SCV family in particular has an important lesson to share with the rest of the community.
Nikki Miller is co-owner of Academy Swim Club, an organization dedicated to emphasizing water safety and drowning prevention, specifically through the education of young children early on. The facility opened up in 1985, and today, they partner with local nonprofits and other groups in Santa Clarita to push forward their goal of lowering the number of drowning incidents, which are the number one cause of accidental death for children under five years old.
Their mission is heavily inspired by a tale within the Miller family themselves. Since Nikki’s youngest son was allergic to chlorine, he hadn’t learned how to swim yet, and when she and her husband returned home from an outing to see that her older son had rescued him from a would-be drowning in their jacuzzi, she was equal parts grateful and inspired, knowing that most child rescues turn into double drownings.
Shortly afterward, she met another mother who had a similar, but horrific experience, coming home to find her twins face down in the pool.
“Both of them survived, but needed 24/7 professional care for the rest of their lives,” she shares. “My husband and I felt so blessed, and decided that there was a message that we needed to spread, to educate our community on drowning risks.”
Their story was the foundation for Academy Swim Club, which has had its share of ups and downs when it came to hitting the ground running. Though they first had to struggle to find and fund their business, they’re now considered to be an essential organization, which has helped tremendously in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic – an event that has unfortunately led to an increase in drowning incidents.
The club offers a wide variety of lessons, including private, semi-private, group, parent-and-me, and adult group classes, all of which have the ultimate goal of prioritizing water safety and spreading awareness on how to prevent drownings.
Today, Nikki runs the academy alongside her husband and youngest son, Dakota – the same son who was rescued by his older brother Garrett all those years ago.
“Every letter we receive from a parent about a near drowning turned self-rescue the family experienced is a huge win for us,” Nikki says. “And I know that for every letter we receive, there are dozens of incidents that were prevented without fanfare.”
The club aims to teach people skills that they can rely on for a lifetime, and after signing up for one of their programs, you’re not only in for a fun dip in the pool, but you’re that much closer to preventing a drowning incident in your own life.
“Our main goal has always been to have every child be a swimmer by three years old,” Nikki says. “If I had it my way, kids would be swimming by the time they can crawl!”
For more information on the club, you can reach them via email at info@swim4life.com, or visit them at http://swim4life.com. You can also find them on Facebook at Academy Swim Club, and on Instagram at @academy.swim.club.

Comments