Frequently Asked Questions
Who are we certified by?
- The lead instructor, Mrs. Rebecca Bond Abele, has training certification through the Pedia Swim Academy. Becky has certified her own instructors through the incorporated Safety First Pediaquatics program.
- Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED through the Red Cross.
Why Safety First Pediaquatics?
SFPA is the safest and most efficient program out there for children as young as 6 months to 10 years old. We will teach your child life-saving safety techniques first and foremost, all while encouraging respect and love for the water. Lessons are conducted in our indoor heated facility with toys for fun, and tools to advance their skills. This creates a learning environment similar to what your children will be exposed to when they’re around your everyday swimming pool. We want your child to be exposed to real-life scenarios with nothing out of the ordinary. SFPA is the way to go!
Why does SFPA cost more than other programs?
Unlike other programs, your child is receiving one on one training with a certified pediatric swim instructor for 10 minutes 5 days a week. This will ensure your child retains as much information as possible rather than a group program of multiple kids for 30-45 minutes only 1-2 times a week. Being focused only on your child, their capabilities, and progression will be better for both the child and instructor to ensure success. Your child will be steps above the rest.
Why only 10 minutes?
Mainly, the average attention span for a child is 10 minutes. Repetition is key in learning skills with anyone, especially a child, and in those 10 minutes, that’s exactly what we will be doing. Constantly learning and repeating places to swim too, floating, floating from different placements, etc… Your child will be swimming consecutively in those 10 minutes making them tire quickly.
What happens after my child completes the basic training course?
After your child completes basic training, it is advised that you keep up with their skills by providing them with maintenance lessons. It only takes 1-2 times a week to keep up with their skills. This course will secure the skills they have mastered. It will also rid them of any bad habits they may inhibit through swimming in the pool or lake with friends and family or playing with floatation devices, which are not advised when not needed. Maintaining basic skills is essential for your child’s success.
About Our Instructors
Rebecca Bond Abele
Safety First PediAquatics Founder and Swim Float Swim Instructor
Born and raised in the Central Florida area, I grew up having a deep love and appreciation of the water. As an infant, swimming was my first specialty. I began water skiing by the age of 3. From summers spent at ski school to water ski tournaments on the weekends, my life revolved around the water as a little girl. I went on to become a Junior Professional Water Skier, and even skied on our U.S. Team.
In college, I earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Communications and Public Advocacy from University of South Florida. Shortly after college, I found a new love on the water, wakeboarding. Within a couple of years of dedication, hard work, and persistence I began receiving sponsorships and started wakeboarding in the Professional Women's division.
Coaching children in the water has always been one of my passions. I first started coaching as a Water Ski Instructor in high school, and resumed my coaching career after college instructing wakeboarding at Orlando Water Complex. I have been coaching children in the water for over 10 years now, and have decided to change direction to back to where it all began for me, swimming!
Through my certification with the Pedia Swim Academy, I am now teaching children to love the water while learning the basic skills of self rescue. During all of this time spent working with children in the water, I have honed my skills and am excited for this new direction. With over 25 years of experience in the water, I know the importance of water safety. The water is an amazing part of life, but it can also be very dangerous.
Through the rigorous certification course at the Pedia Swim Academy I worked with hundreds of children alongside the one and only Joy McGinty, Founder of PediaSwim and Owner of SouthWest Aquatics. She taught me a vast amount of expertise in teaching and protecting the children in our community. Joy has been teaching for over 20 years saving the lives of many families in the Orlando area. I am honored to have gotten the experience to learn from her.
With all of that being said, I am excited to embark on this journey and bring my love, excitement, passion, and dedication to your little loved ones.
Annemarie Atkinson
Swim Float Swim Instructor with a focus in Special Needs Swim Instruction & Stroke Instructor
Born and raised in South Florida, I lived in the water. I started swimming at the age of 2 stunning people by jumping off of the diving board. I joined the swim team in middle school and continued all the way through High School. I passed my lifeguarding test at the age of 16 with the Red Cross. I lifeguarded and taught swimming lessons through Palm Glades Girl Scout council for 6 years. When I moved to Central Florida I continued to lifeguard and teach swimming lessons for Citrus County Girl Scouts. I also lifeguarded and taught swimming lessons for the City of Saint Cloud municipal pool. I know the importance of water safety and how dangerous the water can be.
I graduated from Palm Beach Community College with an AA in education, and continued my degree at the University of Phoenix where I received a Bachelors in Management. I am currently a teacher in Osceola County working with children with intellectual disabilities. I have happily been with my husband for 17 years. I am also a mother of a wonderful son who is 12 and a beautiful daughter who is 3.
Knowing my daughter, I knew I needed to find swimming lessons for her and I wanted someone else to teach her. After much research I called Miss Becky who taught my daughter survival swimming through Safety First PediAquatics. Even though I had taught swimming lessons for 7 years through the Red Cross training, this new technique had me in awe. I instantly knew I wanted to be trained and join Miss Becky's team! Side-by-side Miss Becky has taught me the techniques needed to teach children the skills of self-rescue. I am super excited about this new Journey and the opportunity to help my community keep children safe from drowning.
Trisha Couch
Swim Float Swim Instructor & Stroke Instructor
Ms. Trisha was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. She moved to St. Cloud the summer before 6th grade, so she is almost a true Floridian. She has always had a love for the water. It’s always brought her calm and peace. Joining the St. Cloud High School Swim team as a teenager, she was given the ability to practice her swim techniques, freestyle, breast stroke, back stroke, and butterfly, locally at the St. Cloud Pool day in and day out. Down the road, Ms. Trisha later got a job as a lifeguard, swim instructor and water aerobics instructor at Chris Lytle Aquatics Center. After high school, she went to college majoring in Web Design to further her other passion in drawing and painting. She has worked in the hospitality and construction field, but the water is where she finds herself returning to. She is a mother of a wonderful teenage boy and a sweet baby girl who just turned one. On her time off, she loves spending time boating with the family. She is also a fitness addict that doubles as a personal trainer. Ms. Trisha joined the SFPA family in February of 2020 as a part time stroke instructor. Since then she has finished the Safety First Pediaquatics Swim Float Swim Instructor program allowing her to teach more kiddos. She is ecstatic to be apart of such an extraordinary team at SFPA, and is eager to help us save more lives!
Taylor Toth-Allen
Swim Float Swim Instructor of All Ages
My name is Taylor Toth-Allen. I was born and raised in Central Florida. I started my career as a lifeguard because of my love for the water. I have thoroughly enjoyed being in the water from an early age and my love for the water has helped guide me to be here with you and most importantly your little one! My passion and goal has always been to help others, wether that’s helping them learn new skills or teaching them to be more brave and comfortable in the water.
I swam competitively throughout high school for the Harmony High School swim team. After starting college on a scholarship from Ava Maria for softball, due to an unfortunate injury, I found myself back in my hometown where I obtained my AA from Valencia Community College. While in college, I started my career as a lifeguard for SeaWorld Orlando and realized my enjoyment and passion for helping others. I continued classes developing life saving techniques and I became certified in CPR and First Aid through the Red Cross. Also, through SeaWorld Orlando I am certified in Autism Awareness. I have always been passionate about swimming but this is where I learned that water safety is very important in everyone’s lives. Drowning only takes a second and I am thrilled to be a part of the Safety First PediAquatics team whom are making such a huge impact and difference in the lives throughout our community. Having the opportunity to teach children how to properly swim and self rescue means everything to me.
My goal is to bring swim instruction to as many families as possible and to spread water safety awareness throughout this community by empowering my little swimmers with the swim float swim techniques and skills that make the pool, lake, or ocean a fun and safe place to be.
I am excited to work with students and teach such a valuable skill! With the skills I’ve obtained throughout my lifeguarding experience coupled with the knowledge and techniques that I have obtained from Ms. Becky at Safety First PediAquatics, I’m confident, excited and ready to be a part of this spectacular team! I’m looking forward to meeting you and helping you or your loved one's build self-confidence and trust which are essential to learning to love swimming.
Gail Soltys
Swim Float Swim Instructor of All Ages
My name is Gail Soltys. I was born and raised right here in the gorgeous sunshine state. I have always had a passion for the water, swimming, and children my entire life.
After graduating from Harmony High School, I followed my love for children which lead me to making a difference in Osceola and Brevard Counties as a Substitute Teacher. I believe in supporting our hardworking, wonderful teachers and fostering a positive classroom environment where students feel valued, supported, and encouraged. Being a substitute teacher gives me the opportunity to create a safe space for students to grow, express themselves, and develop confidence in their abilities and that’s what I’m excited to contribute to the students I teach as a Swim Float Swim Instructor at Safety First PediAquatics.
Helping others find a love for the water coupled with learning the value of water safety is my main focus. I believe that swimming is a life-saving skill all children should learn. I feel children and adults learn swimming skills best in a friendly, loving environment where they feel safe and at-ease and that’s exactly what Becky, her team and myself strive for through this program.
As a coach my goal is to bring out the best in every student, knowing that each swimmer is unique and requires innovative approaches to swimming. Our program is geared towards getting our students to be water-safe and to swim properly. We educate babies and their parents on water safety and teach our children techniques to help them survive and recover from an emergency.
Through Safety First PediAquatics proven program, teaching babies to swim encourages a love of the water at an early age. Being a part of teaching littles of all ages is so rewarding as an instructor. Teaching them the skills they need to grow as a swimmer and to love the water is a benefit they can use for the rest of their lives.