Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathaniel du Toit.
Nathaniel, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was a competitive swimmer as a teenager and taught traditional swim lessons when I was in high school and college in South Africa. After graduation, I got a job in my field of study and thought I had left my days as a swim instructor behind. I went on to get married and begin my family, and when my oldest son was six months old we moved into a house with a pool. Once my son began crawling, I realized how scary it was to have a pool just steps away from the house. I began to research water safety and was astonished to learn that drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages 1 to 4.
In my quest to provide my son with a safe environment, I came across a video touting survival-oriented swim lessons which showed a toddler falling into a pool, rolling onto his back into a float, and remaining in a floating position until an adult came to his aid. I had no idea such a thing was possible before viewing that video and knew survival-oriented swim instruction was something I wanted for my son. While such a program was available in the metro Atlanta area, my part of town was underserved and I was driving 45 minutes each way to swim lessons each day. I knew there were many other parents in my position that did not have access to high-quality survival-oriented swim instruction. That same year, I participated in an intensive course to learn how to teach survival-oriented swim lessons myself and AquatiKids of Atlanta was born.
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?
Fortunately, many clients come to AquatiKids of Atlanta because they have heard about the program from a friend, or because they are know that survival-oriented swim instruction is important to them. For potential clients unfamiliar with the program, it can be a struggle to defeat any preconceived notion that survival-oriented swimming is taught by throwing kids in the pool and hoping they figure out how to float.
To the contrary, children are taught in a very deliberate and progressive manner beginning with breathing control. Similarly, some parents are concerned that the intensive program will make their children fearful around the water. Quite the opposite, participants that complete the program become confident in their ability to maneuver in the water and love swimming.
AquatiKids of Atlanta – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
AquatiKids of Atlanta specializes in teaching survival-oriented swim lessons to children ages six months and up. At six months old, a child can be taught to roll into afloat in a simulated fall into the pool and remain floating for an indefinite period of time. Once a child can walk, he or she can be taught to swim, roll into a floating position, and alternate between swimming and floating to reach the side of the pool.
At the conclusion of each lesson, each child is taught how to get out of the pool with no steps or ladder. Once a student masters the basics, if desired we move on to age-appropriate swim skills including breathing technique, kicking, and stroke. Although survival-oriented swim instruction can be found elsewhere, AquatiKids of Atlanta is unique in that we offer continuing maintenance lessons year-round to ensure that graduates of the program keep up the skills acquired.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moments occur every time a parent tells me their child fell into a pool or lake and was able to float or swim to safety.
Pricing:
- $85 Registration Fee
- $100 per week for 4 x 10 minute private lessons or 2 x 20 minute private lessons (duration of lessons depends upon age and experience)
- $25 / 10 minute or $50 / 20 minute private maintenance lessons at desired frequency after graduation
- $37.50 / 30 minute semi-private lessons after graduation.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2878 Ridgemore Road
Atlanta, GA 30318 - Website: www.AquatiKids.com
- Phone: 404-913-5385
- Email: swim@aquatikids.com
- Facebook: facebook.com/aquatikids
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