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By Tom Dolan, President of Corporate Pools, Big Blue Swim School
When people find out I won two Olympic gold medals and a silver, they assume I’m in my role at Big Blue to create the next generation of champions. However, that’s not why I’ve chosen this career.
My goal has always been simple: Help kids become safer swimmers and pick up real-life skills along the way. After more than a decade of watching kids grow in the water, I can tell you that what happens in the pool goes way beyond swimming.
Here’s what I’ve seen again and again: A child walks in scared to put their face in the water. A few weeks later, they’re jumping in on their own. That’s not just a swim skill – that’s a kid learning that they can do hard things.
When I was training for the Olympics, I was swimming upwards of 60 miles a week. The physical part was one thing, but the mental part — learning to set goals, face setbacks, and keep going — that’s what shaped me. Kids don’t need to be training for the Olympics to get those same lessons. They get them every time they try something new in the pool and pull it off.
When parents ask me about swim lessons, what I tell them is this: Don’t rush it. We are building a foundation. A foundation of milestones and small victories that add up to a confident, well-rounded kid. Swimming can do that. That’s because it’s one of the few sports that’s also a life skill.
At Big Blue, we’re not just counting laps. We’re watching kids discover what they’re capable of. Every time a swimmer hits a new milestone — whether it’s floating on their back or swimming their first full lap — something clicks. They stand a little taller. They’re a little braver.
That’s what I care about. Not the medals. The moments.
Ready to give your child that experience? Find a Big Blue Swim School near you and book a free trial lesson today!