Our Pod.
2 Locations
around Portland, OR
5+ Coaches
Founder / Owner
I am the founder of DolFUN. I am married and a mother Spencer and Bryce, stepmother to Forrest, Jacob and Jessilyn.
I don’t remember learning to swim, I do remember at the age five, my mother being successful at begging the swim team coach to let me on the team. In 1994, I re-discovered my love of the water when I started Aqua-Tot classes with my first son Spencer when he was only 18 months old. A passion was instilled in me to inspire other families with infants on why and how it is safe to bring them back to the water after their birth. My enthusiasm began to grow for educating all ages, all stages and all abilities in the water. I then began my journey in establishing DolFUN SWIM Academy and creating a SAFE, FUN and JOYful aquatic environment where families can gain a positive experience through water safety and learning to swim. I am dedicated for life to passing on the blessings that this wonderful world of water has offered myself and others. I am intent on teaching families about all the layers of drowning prevention and that swimming lessons an important layer of protection.
I am privileged to be surrounded by an amazingly talented, knowledgeable, devoted and loving staff, we graciously call our DolFUN Pod.
I also pass my passion to others through presenting domestically and internationally in such countries as Australia, China, England, Figi, Hawaii, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Vancouver B.C.
United States Swim School Association Member (USSSA). USSSA Infant Toddler Committee Member, coop writer of the course. USSSA Infant Toddler Course Presenter. Swimagine Institute Faculty member.
I joined the DolFUN family after seeing one of Debbie Sayers presentation at the first Baby Fest Expo in Portland. I was amazed at the work that she has done with the development needs of children and how she incorporated those needs appropriately in their swimming lesson even with babies as young as 2 months old. I knew that this was the next step in swimming I was looking for. I started swimming when I was five years old and never really left the water after that. I was on competitive swim teams and then started working as a lifeguard and swim instructor when I was 16. I taught in the Portland Parks program for 7 years, then I moved to Salem where I taught and coached in a Swim America program for 3 years. After moving back to Portland, studying Child and Family Studies at PSU and trying out other things, the water called to me and I started looking for a swim program that would push my knowledge of the water even further. Thus I started working for DolFUN SWIM Academy in 2014.
Seeing how my own children love the water has really been a joy for me. They both love being in the water as much as I do. It keeps pushing me to help all the children that I teach understand how the water can bring them joy in their movement through it. Watching all of our DolFUN families grow and the children’s enthusiasm for swimming develop into a passion is truly amazing.
I have also had the opportunity to become a Certified Lifeguard Trainer through Starfish Aquatics and Community Outreach Coordinator while working for DolFUN. This was an exciting extension of my knowledge of lifeguard practices and first aid/CPR skills and sharing knowledge about safety and drowning prevention.
Certified in First Aid, CPR, Lifeguard Professional Rescue, DolFUN Master Level Certificate. USSSA Infant Toddler Online Course
I am the mother of three beautiful pre-school children, Hunter, Paige, and Loreli. I starting working for DolFUN SWIM Academy in early 2006. As soon as I first saw the program that DolFUN provided, I was hooked. I began to soak up all the information that I could about the techniques and beliefs that Debbie has designed into a wonderful program. After working with DolFUN and learning all that I have, I can not imagine working for any other swim school program. I love working with all of our DolFUN pod of Aquatic Educators because I know that their first priority is the well being of each and every precious student that we have the privilege of being able to teach. I believe that DolFUN has the very best approach, to teach our students water safety, swimming skills and the pure joy of being in the water. Overall my goal for every student that I have the privilege of teaching is that they learn to love to BE in the water, learns to swim and knows how to be safer around the water.
Certified First Aid/CPR, DolFUN 3 Level Certificate, Lifeguard and USSSA Infant Toddler Online Course.
I started swimming when I was a very young child. I was the pool rat at the local pool for years. From age 5 until about age 12, I would be at the pool from about 6am, and wouldn’t leave until the pool closed every day. When I was 12, I became a “Junior Lifeguard” through Portland Park and Recreation. After that, I joined the local swim team, where I swam until I was 15. Then I became a lifeguard and swim instructor.
Eventually, I moved onward with the City of Portland, and became an Aquatic Manger for a few summers until I decided to go back to school, to focus on my degree as a certified EMT. During college, I worked part-time as a lifeguard at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center. Eventually, I became the Aquatic Manager. I also co-coached their swim team. I now hold my B.A in Liberal Arts with minor in Elementary Education. I am currently working on my Masters Decree in Elementary Education. I have been working with DolFUN SWIM Academy since 2008 as an Aquatic Educator and their Junior Lifesaving Camp Coach. I love the interaction with the children and helping them meet their goals every day.
Certified in First Aid, CPR, Lifeguard Professional Rescue, DolFUN Master Level Certificate. USSSA Infant Toddler Online Course
I spent the first twenty summers of my life living 300 feet from the Mediterranean sea in a small beach town in Spain. The countless hours that I have been in water, either in the sea or at the pool, gave me the understanding of the freedom that water provides. I am so excited to join the DolFUN pod to bring Watsu to the Portland community and to share my skills and knowledge with DolFUN children and their families.
My first job ever was as a lifeguard in my community’s pool, where I taught occasional kids’ swim lessons. I went on to study Physical Therapy in college where I connected deeply with the healing properties of water as I was studying Hydrotherapy and its clinic applications. After graduating in 2005, I moved to Italy where I worked for almost three years as a PT with disabled children. I had the special opportunity to offer individual hydrotherapy sessions to some of my patients in a therapy pool. Later, I traveled to Central America where I took my first official Watsu class and I suddenly realized that sharing the magic of water with the world was going to be my long-life passion. During the same trip, I found the love of my life, my wife Jessie and we moved to Spain where we had our first kid, Fenix, I became a Watsu professional, and Jessie became a Full Spectrum Doula. We relocated our little family to Portland in 2013, where we had another kid, Lirio, and we will welcome our third one in 2018.
Becoming a father helped me to discover the power of pregnancy, birth, and parenthood. I have gained very valuable information from studying pregnancy and birth alongside Jessie. I love sharing my understanding about the benefits of Water during the childbearing year, infants, and children. Ultimately, I am deeply drawn to supporting life from the very beginning and I hope to share my passion for a natural and healthy approach to birth, parenting, and water education and healing. It is my most sincere belief that we can make this world a better place by better nurturing and caring for children and their families.
