Do Your Best Swim School

About Dawn Kelly

I am a Southern Maryland local. I started swimming competitively at four as a Shark on the Town Creek summer swim team. Later, I joined GMAC in their infancy as a USA team and the Great Mills High School swim team back in it's early years.

I have always loved the water and transitioned from competing to coaching and teaching. I was trained through the American Red Cross as a Water Safety Instructor and still follow many of their recommendations. In my first decade of teaching swim, I focused on their method of safety and form. As I enter the second decade of teaching, my method is more focused on safety, survival, and then form. I hope to eventually become ISR trained to better serve the community.

Who do I teach? Of course, 6 months to 18 year olds. I have also worked with young adults who are leaving for bootcamp and know they will struggle to pass their swim quals. I enjoy working with runners and cyclists who are ready to brave the world if triathlons. By far, my favorite demographic of swimmers are the kids who's adults say "they are have a really hard time in school" or they have a diagnosis that requires additional supports. I look to their adults for the tools they have found works well for these swimmers as well as my educational background in developmental psychology to provide a fun and safe learning environment.

I currently work part time with MedStar Hospice of St. Mary's in Bereavement Services. I have managed swim programs of nearly 300 swimmers, community pools, and the recreation portion of job corps program in the Maryland State Parks. I have taught experiential environmental science, team building, climbing, and backpacking. I served for two years in the Maryland Child Protection and Foster Care systems. Throughout my eclectic background, my one constant has always been teaching swim. I hope to complete my ISR Instructor training in the next year to continue serving the community.

Now, all my friends are having with kiddos convinced me to jump back in! I have been hesitant to teach due to public health and safety concerns. I am fully vaccinated and boosted and continue to be conscious of the local health and safety regulations and recommendations. I will always put the health and safety of others first request all swimmers do the same for me and my family.