Marlene Bloom
Byline:
Marlene Bloom is founder of Baby Otter Swim School (www.BabyOtterSwimSchool.com), which specializes in water survival training for children as young as nine-months old, as well as adults. Bloom has been a swim instructor for over 30 years. Her Turn, Kick, Reach Program is a life-saving technique that all swimmers should understand, not just children under three.
Broadcast Bio:
Marlene Bloom is founder of Baby Otter Swim School and an expert in water survival training. Baby Otter Swim School, which is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is widely-recognized for its experience in teaching children as young as nine months to swim. Bloom and the school’s co-founder, Mindy York, are dedicated to raising awareness about accidental drowning and provide a variety of programs that teach both children and adults to enjoy swimming and water sports safely. Welcome, Marlene.
Full Bio:
Marlene Bloom's daughter loved the water and thought it was great fun to just "walk" into it, putting Marlene on constant patrol around the pool. When Marlene was unable to find anyone else who would teach her toddler daughter how to swim, Marlene instantly recognized a need to create a program specifically for very young children, especially since these were the little ones most in danger of drowning.
She spent the summer experimenting with her friend's children and devised a five-day survival skills program, which she has been teaching for 30years. Her Turn, Kick, Reach Program is a life-saving technique that all swimmers should understand, not just children under three.
Marlene has a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education from Florida Atlantic University, and worked on her Master's in administration at Nova Southeastern University. She lives in Florida and has two children and six grandchildren who have all learned the Turn, Kick, Reach Swimming Program!
Mindy York
Byline:
Mindy York is co-founder of Baby Otter Swim School (www.BabyOtterSwimSchool.com), which specializes in water survival training for children as young as nine-months old, as well as adults. York became active in swim instruction and accidental drowning prevention following the near drowning of her own daughter, Staci, who is now one of the school's top instructors.
Broadcast:
Mindy York is co-founder of Baby Otter Swim School, which is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is widely-recognized for its experience in teaching children as young as nine months to swim. York became active in swim instruction and accidental drowning prevention following the near drowning of her own daughter. Today, she and school founder, Marlene Bloom, are dedicated to raising awareness about accidental drowning and provide a variety of programs that teach both children and adults to enjoy swimming and water sports safely. Welcome, Mindy.
Full Bio:
Mindy York lived the nightmare she now devotes her life to preventing and educating people about. Twenty-one years ago, Mindy carried her 17-month-old daughter, Staci, from the water, wrapped her in a warm towel and set her in a chair poolside. She looked away for just seconds, looking back to find the chair empty and her little one at the bottom of the pool.
Mindy readily points out that if she had not known CPR (one of the layers of protection stressed in the Ten Minutes for Life DVD), her daughter would not be here today. She contacted Marlene (who had been urging her to get her daughter into swim lessons) the next day and enrolled in the five-day Turn, Kick, Reach Program.
Mindy was so impressed by Marlene's instruction and so moved by having almost lost her child to drowning that she left her career and went into business with Marlene, founding Baby Otter Swim School, Inc. Staci is now one of the school's best instructors.