OWNER

Mary is the owner and founder of Swim Lessons with Mary LLC. She is a native of Greenville, SC and graduated from Clemson University with a degree in International Business and French. Mary started this business 12 years ago with a passion for teaching, swimming and entrepreneurship. In addition to SLWM, Mary has a background in enterprise technology sales and consulting. She swam competitively growing up, worked many jobs around the water as a coach, instructor and lifeguard and even waterskied for Clemson during her time there. Mary has taught foundational swim skills to hundreds of swimmers across the community. She loves watching students grow into strong, safe and confident swimmers through the great relationships built through 1-1 time with each student and believes that this is crucial to young swimmers’ success. Her business has grown organically over the past 12 years and she could not be more grateful for the way the Greenville community has supported and loved SLWM and her team. In her free time, Mary loves traveling, working on SLWM (LOL) and going on outdoor adventures - think waterskiing, hiking, sailing. Her biggest inspiration is Sarah Blakely, so if any of yall have connections, hook a girl up.

AQUATICS COORDINATOR

Alex is originally from Hartland, MI and moved to Greenville in 2021. She went to the University of Kentucky, where she studied Psychology and was a member of the Women's Swim and Dive team. During her time swimming for University of Kentucky, she coached for the local Special Olympics team. Alex previously worked as an Early Interventionist and has over 2 years of experience working with children with developmental delays and special needs. Her favorite part about this role was diving into each child’s needs, and researching and creating a plan for their success and growth going forward. She enjoys working with kids and is very passionate about swimming, as she swam competitively nearly her whole life, and loves sharing this with others. She taught her mom how to swim and helped develop her younger brother's swimming skills before he went into the Navy. Alex is a big animal lover and has two guinea pigs and a cat. She is also getting married at the end of this year! Alex is excited to work with you and be a part of your swim journey.

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Stroke (Advanced Technique, Swim Team Prep)

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Meet T'yonna!  We know her as our baby whisperer. T’yonna is originally from Buffalo, NY, but relocated to Greenville two years ago to be with family. She studied at Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts and Paul Mitchell. T'yonna has previous experience working as a Lifeguard and Swim Instructor for another facility and is thrilled to bring her experience and enthusiasm to the SLWM team. She loves to ensure that her swimmers are engaged and brings tons of energy and her bubbly spirit to each lesson. On our team, T’yonna is known as the baby whisperer, since she works great with infants and is now teaching our parent-tot class! T'yonna is determined to not only educate her students and watch them grow, but is also passionate about building a great bond with them. She makes her students feel comfortable and safe throughout her lessons. T'yonna cannot wait to work with you!

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Parent Baby Intro to Water Class

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Katie and her family moved to the Greenville area in June 2022. She is married and has two children ages 15 and 13. Katie has been teaching kids how to swim for over 5 years. She enjoys teaching the kids to be safe in and out of the water. Katie loves watching the progress of the swimmers becoming more confident and relaxed in the water. She loves teaching this important life skill.

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate)

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Renzie is from Simpsonville, SC and has an extensive aquatics background. She’s worked in the space for over 7 years, and absolutely loves teaching swim lessons. Renzie is a teacher by profession, and works great with kiddos. In her free time, she enjoys shopping and cooking.

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Stroke (Advanced Technique, Swim Team Prep)

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Adrianna recently relocated to Greenville with her husband from Savannah, GA where she graduated from Georgia Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. Some of her favorite things to do in her free time include hiking, bicycling, traveling, photography, and free diving.

She has always been passionate about the water and has been swimming since she was was a baby. She is passionate about being able to help advocate for water safety and the conservation of aquatic ecosystems. She’s ready to make a splash and help students gain confidence in the water!

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Stroke (Intermediate, Advanced), Parent Baby Intro to Water Class

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Olivia is a Tennessee native, but half of her family are from the South Carolina upstate, and she considers it her second home. She moved to SC to pursue a B.S. in Kinesiology, graduating in 2020. With a diverse background in the medical field and aquatics, Olivia’s passion for swimming began in her early years. She attended swim lessons herself and participated in competitive swimming each summer throughout her childhood. Olivia has been a lifeguard for 10 years and has had the opportunity to teach swim lessons on and off over the years. Olivia is dedicated to sharing her love of swimming, instilling confidence in others in the water. Her professional and educational experiences have given her opportunities to work with people of many different backgrounds including those with disabilities and Spanish speakers. At SLWM, she looks forward to being able to tailor lessons to her clients’ individual needs and helping them realize their fullest potential.

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Stroke (Advanced Technique, Swim Team Prep)

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Coach Jacob is originally from Southern Indiana. Jacob and his wife recently moved to Greenville to attend medical school.  Jacob has a lifelong background in aquatics, teaching, coaching and swimming competitively. Jacob is enthusiastic, enjoys helping others and is very knowledgeable about the sport and swim lessons.  He even has experience working with kids with special needs. Jacob began teaching lessons, lifeguarding, and coaching at Brittlebank Pool years ago. Later on, he coached the Vanderburgh County Special Olympics team and taught lessons with the Newburgh Sea Creatures, where he had the privilege of working with exceptional individuals and sharing the joys of swimming. In college, Jacob swam for the University of Evansville while also teaching lessons with the Ace's. Jacob is thrilled to be a part of the SLWM team and to bring his passion for the sport to a new generation of swimmers.  

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Stroke (Advanced Technique, Swim Team Prep)

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Sarah is originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA but moved to South Carolina in 2019 to attend Clemson University. She has an extensive background in swimming, both as a swimmer herself and a coach. Sarah began competitive swimming at age 7 and began year-round swimming at age 9, eventually swimming on a summer league, a year-round club team, and a high school team. Her junior year of high school, she began coaching the young swimmers on her club team and transitioned to coaching Clemson Aquatic Team during college. Additionally, Sarah spent 6 years giving individual swim lessons to kids of all ages while working as a lifeguard during her high-school and college summers. Sarah is excited to work with Swim Lessons With Mary while she currently attends University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville with the goal of becoming a Pediatrician!

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Stroke (Advanced Technique, Swim Team Prep)

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Tamaryn recently moved to the Greenville area from Ohio where she is attending Cedarville University. She is a going into her junior year at Cedarville University in the fall, where she will finish her degree in Studio Art.  Tamaryn grew up in Zambia, Africa where she swam competitively for five years. During her time competing, she worked with the intermediate team helping them fine tune their skills in the water. She has a love for the sport and loves seeing kids succeed in and out of the pool. In addition to swimming, Tamaryn loves horses and culture! She has been an Equestrian for many years, and is always encouraging anyone looking for a memorable trip to go visit Africa! Tamaryn is excited to be a part of the team and help your kids develop the skills to succeed in the pool! 

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Stroke (Intermediate, Advanced, Swim Team Prep)

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Aidan recently moved to Greenville in 2022 and is originally from Chicago, IL. He is currently a Senior in High School and plans on attending Clemson this fall with a major in Graphic Communications. Aidan has swam competitively for eight years on club, summer, and High School teams, and has also had the opportunity to play Water Polo competitively during High School. His passion for swimming started at a young age, taking numerous classes and lessons before starting to compete. Although spending most of his time in the water, Aidan has been involved in both Cross Country and Track & Field during high school, and has developed a passion for running. Aidan is excited to make connections with his students and teach them confidence in the water!

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Stroke (Intermediate, Advanced, Swim Team Prep)

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

Paige is originally from the Midwest but has called South Carolina home for the last 10 years. She’s been in childcare for majority of her career and is loving every second of it! Being able to help children grow, find new skills, and gain confidence in themselves is what brings her joy and motivates her.

Paige lives in a tiny house and in her free time, she enjoys reading, making art, trying new foods and watching her VHS collection. You can often find her at thrift stores, local food markets, or roller skating. Paige is excited to help your kiddos grow and find confidence and safety in the water.

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate)

SWIM INSTRUCTOR

Originally from Ocean City, Maryland, Grace came to Greenville about 3 years ago to begin pursuing her B.S. in Biblical Counseling from Bob Jones University. Some of her favorite things to do are to explore new coffee shops around Greenville or go on hikes with her friends! Grace also loves swimming, whether that is in the pool or at the beach! In high school, she swam competitively for 2 years and loved being a part of the team, refining her own skills and cheering on her teammates! Grace is an energetic and enthusiastic person who loves to help others learn and see them succeed. Last summer, she was both a lifeguard and an overnight camp counselor at a Christian camp in Pennsylvania, which gave her more experience working with children and understanding the importance of water safety. Grace is so excited to be a part of the SWLM team and help people learn, grow, and be confident in their swimming skills!

Teaching: Safety (Beginner, Intermediate), Stroke (Advance Technique, Swim Team Prep)