Life and Work with Allison Dubovsky

Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison Dubovsky.

Allison, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My husband and I are the proud parents of three children and two Australian Labradoodles. While “Mom” is my most rewarding title, I’m also known to many as “Coach Allison.” I am proud and honored to have taught over a thousand children in Sandy Springs and the surrounding areas life-saving swim skills over the past ten plus years (*Note: I am not a survival instructor).

When mid to late April rolls around every year, I put on my wetsuit, sunscreen, baseball hat, and sunglasses and get in the pool for multiple hours a day. I teach an 8-day learn-to-swim class for new swimmers and also offer a refresher program for those who need a quick brush-up before summer arrives. It’s in late spring when all parents want to ensure their kids are prepared for Atlanta’s hottest months since pool time is a daily occurrence for most Atlantans during the summertime.

While I had always been issued a business license from the City of Sandy Springs to hold lessons in my backyard, in early 2018, I got a notice that my license had been “erroneously issued” over the past years and I could no longer teach out of my home pool.

Not teaching wasn’t an option. Having taught hundreds upon hundreds of kids in Sandy Springs and surrounding areas and having hundreds upon hundreds of parents constantly reaching out to me to find out when my registration opens, I was bound and determined to fight for what I believe in and get back in the pool doing what I do best… teaching kids life-saving skills in the pool.

And so, the year-long battle with the City of Sandy Springs began. My husband and I spent every waking minute researching, writing, campaigning, and fighting for what we felt was only fair, with an entire community of supporters behind us. We had meeting after meeting with City officials, City Councilpersons and lawyers, wrote email after email, made phone call after phone call. In the end, all of our hard work and efforts paid off. After a long and somewhat grueling process, the City of Sandy Springs listened. We got the City to recognize what was needed… the City of Sandy Springs amended the home occupation ordinance to allow certain business to be conducted outdoors subject to a discerning and rigorous process. So now, people like me could legally teach “life-saving” skills in Sandy Springs in the privacy of our backyards.

While this entire process was extremely stressful, expensive, and all-consuming, the lessons that were learned by my own children were worth every tear shed. To show them how to fight for what you believe in and for those efforts to be legitimized, made the entire process surprisingly worthwhile.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It was a scary road. Talk about overcoming fear. Prior to teaching swimming, I was a school teacher and then a stay-at-home mom. So, transitioning into the role of “Coach Allison” was something brand new for me. Many children are naturally afraid of the water, so when parents passed their children to me in the pool, a very vulnerable place for those that can’t swim, I had to quickly gain their trust, like immediately, in order to teach them the life-saving skills their parents wanted them to have. Talk about a daunting task!

In early 2018, after many years of being “in the groove,” the City of Sandy Springs refuses to issue me my annual business license. Out of nowhere, all my hard work put into: 1) making a career transition, 2) overcoming my own fears, 3) creating and starting my own business, and 4) developing and maintaining a brand, and just like that everything gets taken away at the opening of a letter from the City.

I had a choice to make; it was time for me to “sink or swim,” pun intended. I was either going to: 1) close my business or 2) fight for a cause I felt so strongly about. The same fear that I help my swim students overcome every day in the pool taught me that I too could overcome the challenge I was now facing. With a huge support system, including the communities surrounding me and families of present and past students, we took on the City of Sandy Springs, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and it’s Mayor and City Councilpersons. We wrote letters, emails, made calls, petitioned in person on many occasions, all while facing opposition. Our fight took enormous amounts of time, energy, and money. In the end, our community prevailed and we were successful in amending the ordinance to allow legitimate outdoor businesses. Additionally, as a credit to Sandy Springs, they recognized the importance of certain outdoor instruction that our community had clearly voiced was important.

All I can say to other women, particularly young women who are just starting out, is follow your heart and fight for what you believe in. It’s not a question as to whether or not you will hit bumps in the road, because you undoubtedly will; just know that if you are fighting for something that is extremely important in your heart, then face any fear, any obstacle, any doubt head-on and be tenacious in your fight to effect change.

Please tell us about Swim With Allison.
Like I mentioned before, my most proud title is “Mom.” But being “Coach Allison” isn’t too far behind. If you were to look at my website (www.swimwithallison.com), never having worked with me before, you would quickly learn that I teach life-saving swim instruction to young children. In terms of “what am I known for;” you would have to ask the parents of my students, but the feedback that I constantly get is my ability to instantly gain trust from my students; it is that bond that enables me to connect with them and enables their learning in such a short period of time. I am most proud of being known in the community as “Coach Allison.” When I’m in the grocery store and a 4-year-old comes running down an aisle screaming “Coach Allison” asking me where my hat and sunglasses are, or when a mother points out to her child that “Coach Allison” is right there but the child doesn’t believe her because the fact that a person exists underneath the hat, sunglasses, wetsuit, and sunscreen is so out of context. Priceless moments. So very grateful to be able to do work that I love. Lastly, maybe what I am most proud of, is my ability to help children conquer and overcome fear, certainly a skill set they will be able to use for life.

Who have you been inspired by?
I recently lost my 97-year-old maternal grandmother, my children’s great grandmother. Since her passing, I’ve learned so much about her life and the struggles she endured. What amazes me the most, is that having lost her mother when she was only nine years old, she never once complained or pitied herself for growing up as an only child with a single dad who worked mainly evenings and wasn’t around as often as I know she would have liked. My grandmother never once complained. She took what life gave her and made the best of what she had. I miss her daily but am grateful for the lessons she taught her family.

And then, there’s my mom. My constant cheerleader. My children’s biggest fan. Grateful to have a role model like her that taught me all there is to know in life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.swimwithallison.com
• Email: swimwithallison@icloud.com

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.