Meet Michelle McKinney of ISR Austin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle McKinney.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My love of the water started at six months old when my mother enrolled me in my first swim class. We are a water-loving family, and she understood the importance of equipping me with strong swimming skills at an early age. I participated in swim team throughout my childhood and started scuba diving in high school. After college, I became a rescue diver and then a divemaster and lived on an island in Belize for five years, which afforded me the luxury of diving one of the most beautiful reefs in the world on a regular basis.

When my first daughter was born, I searched for a swim program that would provide her the skills necessary to save herself in an aquatic emergency. I was delighted to find ISR (Infant Swimming Resource). All swim lessons are definitely not created equal, and ISR is the most comprehensive drowning prevention program in the world. I was absolutely astounded by how quickly my daughter learned ISR’s aquatic survival skills and became independent in the water. Her instructor’s passion for the ISR mission of preventing childhood drowning was evident and inspiring, and I knew immediately that I wanted to teach ISR’s Self-Rescue program too. I cherish the opportunity to spread that same passion for saving lives to my community. Owning and operating ISR Austin is a labor of love for me, and I’m excited and honored to offer this program in the Austin area.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like most small business owners, the past year has been extremely challenging. Covid forced me to cancel both of my spring 2020 sessions. As drownings were on the rise in the Austin area due to families spending more time at home with their pools, I became increasingly restless to get back in the water. As a prevention advocate, my primary goal is always to maintain the safest environment and swim lessons possible for my swim families. So, when I started to teach again in June 2020, I extensively revamped my health and safety protocols to include several additional preventive measures. I’m happy to report I’ve taught over 180 kids in the last 13 months without ANY incident or known exposure.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about ISR Austin?
Most people don’t realize that drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children under five, and those ever popular puddle jumpers and arm floaties that we all used until we knew better contribute greatly to that statistic. Even though we think we’re doing the right thing by putting our children in a floatation device, what we’re actually doing is training their muscle memory to be in a vertical (drowning position) in the water. If they reach the water without the device their bodies have been trained to depend on, the outcome is often fatal.

The difference between ISR and most other swim programs is ISR starts with teaching the most critical skill a child needs to have in the water – the ability to turn from a face down position to a float. Lessons start at six months (I teach up to 12 years of age) and are all private, one-on-one instruction customized to your child’s needs and level of progress. Infants ages 6 -18 months learn breath control, correct floating posture, and the skills to rollback to a float and maintain this life-saving position until help arrives. Older children learn the skills previously mentioned, as well as correct swimming posture (face down in the water) and the skills to rollback to a float and then turn back over to continue swimming to safety. We know that 86% of childhood drownings occur when the child is fully clothed, so every ISR student practices their self-rescue skills in pjs and winter clothes during their last week of lessons.

I’m so passionate about the work I do, and my favorite part of my job is building strong relationships with the families with whom I work. It gives me so much joy to teach the same children year after year and witness the confidence they build and progress they make in the water because of the program.

I offer lessons year-round in various locations throughout Round Rock, Pflugerville, the Arboretum, and Hornsby Bend. Please visit israustin.com for more information. This program has given me invaluable peace of mind with my own kids around the water, and I look forward to providing the same for your family!

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
My first book, “Float Like A Boat,” is being published at the end of the year. It’s a children’s book about overcoming fear of swimming and will be a great way for families to approach the discussion of swim lessons with children who are fearful of the water.

Another great read is “The Three Year Swim Club,” which is the inspiring true story of a group of poverty stricken children from Maui and their quest for Olympic glory.

Contact Info:

• Email: m.mckinney@infantswim.com
• Website: israustin.com
• Instagram: isr_austin
• Facebook: ISR Austin