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Ms. Sue - Partner and Supervisor I have a B.S. in Elementary Education and have taught kindergarten, third grade, and fifth grade.  I taught preschool in Salem from 2003 - 2011. For me, working with children is exciting and being a part of and watching their progress is extremely satisfying.  All three of my children started teaching swim lessons for Mary while in high school.  Eventually, my love for children and belief that learning to swim is very beneficial to a child's personal safety, self-esteem, overall health, and physical well-being brought me on board as an instructor.  I have been teaching with Mary  since 2006 and have also become a certified lifeguard.  In September of 2011, after much urging from Mary, and because of my strong belief in the Mission of Aquatic Adventures, I made the decision to come on board as a partner..  I love working with very young children and feel that what they learn and the skills they develop in this program provide them with safety and lifelong skills in and out of the water.

Bob Sieff I've been involved with aquatic activities for over 4 decades. I got my start in competitive swimming, teaching swim lessons to pre-teens, and lifeguarding back in the 60s which I did through college and remained active through the opening of the local Elks Lodge pool in the mid 70s. I spent the next three decades working as Administrator of Special Education with the Roanoke City Schools. After retirement in 2000 I returned to the water as an instructor with the Roanoke City School swim program. While there I met Mary Kerr and was introduced to the Aquatic Adventures program. I was impressed by the structure and sequence of skills that covered from 4 months through adulthood. I was especially impressed with the desire to provide services for those with disabilities - something greatly lacking in our community. Over the years I have become a strong supporter of the program's structure and over-all goal of developing strong swimmers with an eye on proper water safety. The emergence of the Toadally Toddler program demonstrates the attention needed for young children in the water and I am proud to be a part of the program's ability to address this area. I especially enjoy working at the introductory levels and with young children. The experience continues to provide for a busy and self-fulfilling retirement.

Cynda Seeman After Graduating from college with a Bachelors degree in Health Promotion,  I spent a few years  traveling, gaining more experience in Aquatics, I settled in Roanoke Va. and soon found my way to Aquatic Adventures. I feel that learning to swim is vital to the health and wellness of all people.  After meeting Mary and learning about  the Aquatic Adventures mission I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of.  I have been teaching swimming and managing facilities since 2002.  In addition, I am  a Lifeguard instructor and teach First Aid and CPR classes at Aquatic Adventures.   I look forward to working with the students at Aquatic Adventures and being a part of the growing trend of teaching young swimmers.

Meghan Waryold At age 21, Meghan has achieved a level of experience many could only hope for.  Meghan began her work with Aquatic Adventures the same way all of Mary's children did, as a demo baby at age 6 months.  Growing up on the pool deck and in the water as a competitive swimmer, Meghan has spent her life in training.  First as a deck helper, then as an instructor’s assistant, finally at the urging of other instructors to Mary, Meghan was made a full instructor at age 14, our youngest ever.  Since then Meghan has taught countless students from ages 6 months to 50 years, swimming at all levels.  Meghan has also spent time helping to coach Special Olympics and working with many of the special needs children in our programs.  She volunteers countless hours to work in the water with some of our students in need and has made a difference in the lives of many.  Now a junior in College, Meghan continues to work while going to school to finish her degree in a Health and Wellness field.

Scott Thacker A  Lynchburg, Virginia native, I  met  and worked for Mary while in high school, training with  the Virgina Gators swim team. Upon receiving a scholarship to Florida State University, I earned a B.A. in Religion.   While at FSU, I became the 2010 ACC champion in the 100 breaststroke. After graduation, I came back to Roanoke to train and will compete in 2012 Olympic Trials.  Swimming has  provided me with many opportunities and I wanted to give back to the community that supported me.  Working with Mary and the Aqautic Adventures team, I can now share my passion and make difference in the lives of others. Learning to swim is an essential life skill and  teaching with Aquatic Adventures has helped me to understand the benefits of developing these skills at a young age.

Gui Viega I met Mary in 2003 just after coming to the United States from Brazil.  I was in Roanoke swimming with the Virginia Gators, working towards a college swimming scholarship.  I began my training as a swim instructor for Mary within a few months and continued teaching with her on breaks from school as well as teaching while at school.  After graduating from college with my B.S. in Psychology, I set out to gain more experience working with children in and out of the water.  I have a special interest in children with learning disabilities and special needs.  I decided after a while to come back to Roanoke because of the work I had done with Aquatic Adventures and Mary.  I wanted to continue to learn from the techniques in the learn to swim and toddler survival  program as well as help to develop the advanced growth of the  Adapted Aquatics program.  I love working children and feel very strongly about the safety and  opportunities swimming can give a child.

Carla Reynolds - South Carolina Para obtener más información en español, por favor llame o e-mail Carla  I have spent my entire life around water; summers at the lake, life guarding, swimming competitively and teaching swim lessons while in high school and college.  It wasn’t until I had my own children that I truly realized and appreciated the dangers that exist with water.  I knew that I wanted my children to love water the same way I do, but I also wanted them to develop the skills that would allow them to survive in the event of an accident.  After searching, I finally found the answer within the survival swim lessons that Mary’s program offered.  As I watched my children learn to first survive and then grow into confident swimmers, I began to truly appreciate the life skill that her program represents.  As a parent, it has provided me with peace of mind that I have provided my children with a “fighting chance” when it comes to their interaction with water.   After moving to Simpsonville, South Carolina, I began searching for a program similar to Mary’s to continue my children’s development.  I quickly realized there were no programs in the area that even remotely compare.  As a solution to this problem, Mary was gracious enough to teach me a few of the skills she used with the children so that I could practice with my own kids and continue their development.  I quickly realized that I had a greater interest in working within this program and a desire to teach other children these skills.  I began training with Mary and have learned the skills and specialized techniques to bring an extension of this swim program to South Carolina.   I hold a Master’s Degree from Radford University, speak fluent Spanish and love working with children.  I taught high school Spanish for six years before becoming a stay at home mom.  I am a teacher at heart and am excited to move back into a role of helping children through learning to survive in the water.