“Jennifer May is the founder and CEO of LifeCycle Aquatics. In addition to teaching, Jennifer directs the marketing, programming and instructor training. Jennifer grew up swimming and competitive racing in Houston. She graduated from Boston University with a Mass Communication/Advertising degree and started working in the footwear industry. Jennifer led product development teams for iconic companies such as Keds and OshKosh B’gosh. During this time Jennifer earned a master’s degree in children’s literature (Simmons University). After corporate burn-out from over twenty years in the shoe business, Jennifer quit footwear and performed stand-up comedy, and started teaching swimming at her local YMCA “”to keep busy.”” With her business background, she quickly realized that her community was underserved both in quantity and quality of swim lessons – and she started LifeCycle Swim School. Jen developed a curriculum and the SaferSooner(tm) method that emphasizes safety, building confidence and water safety education for parents.
Jennifer has also raised three children with her husband. One of her children has ADHD and mental health challenges. During her family’s journey to support this child, Jennifer learned skills from behavioral modification modalities that have helped her become a better teacher and manager.”
The Wendy Fereday Swim School recently shared with us a letter they received from swim mom Erin. “We took the boys to our pool in the neighborhood for a quick swim yesterday evening to get out some bedtime energy. Decker and Jax were playing with an inflatable water polo goal they recently got. Ames, age 3, went to check it out and I had my eyes on him the whole time from where I was sitting. He leaned over at the edge of the pool and reached too far in the water and fell in head first in the pool. I instantly got up from my chair and ran to help him (I was close enough where I knew I could get to him if I needed to) but I stopped at the edge of the pool because I could see him do the “turn around and save yourself” routine. He was kicking his legs and reaching to the edge of the pool just like you’ve taught him since he was tiny! After he grabbed the edge of the pool, he started to pull himself out of the pool and he was crying. I hugged him and told him “Ames, you did it. You turned around and saved yourself!” He kept crying and saying “I fell in the pool” and I just kept saying over and over again “you turned around and saved yourself” and gave him lots of big hugs. Then the boys came over and told him good job for saving himself and he got so proud of himself.”