Qualified Coaches Ready to Help You
Our experienced coaches are dedicated to teaching children how to swim with confidence. Each instructor is passionate about swimming and knows how to create a fun and safe environment for your child.
Meet Our Instructors
Highly trained instructors dedicated to helping kids swim confidently.
Susan von der Lippe
Elite Coach
Susan is a three-time Olympian and a member of Stanford University’s Athletic Hall of Fame. She made her first Olympic team at the age of 15 and was the oldest female swimmer competing at the 2008 USA Olympic Swimming Trails at the age of 42
As a collegiate swimmer, Susan earned numerous national titles, a few American records and is a gold & silver Olympic medalist. She later competed in USA Masters events and earned 35 individial master world records. Her stroke specialties include breaststroke, butterfly and the individual medley (IM)
After raising two kids, Susan enjoyed watching them compete in college and continues her love of swimming with her group of masters friends and sharing her marketing and water skills with USA Swim Academy
Alivia Blackmore
Instructor
Alivia is from Kansas City and is in her junior year at CSU. Her favorite classes are anything history and arthropods related
Alivia swam growing up as well as taught lessons in high school. She has always worked with kids and finds it to be the most rewarding job
In her free time Alivia enjoys hiking, sailing, snowboarding and traveling
Aubrey Thydean
Instructor
Aubrey is currently in cosmetology school, where she is working toward earning her license to do hair and skin. She has a strong background in swimming, having competed in high school and club swimming, where she qualified for state in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and also competed in two relays
She is passionate about teaching swimming because she believes it plays an important role in a child’s safety and confidence in the water. Aubrey enjoys helping kids overcome their fears, build skills, and have fun while learning. Outside of work, she enjoys doing hair and spending time with her friends
Becky Black
Instructor
Becky holds a masters degree in Exercise Science and is a former long distance triathlete and high school swimmer. She has been coaching swimming for 2 years now and triathlon coaching for 12+ years
She loves teaching swimming using play and developmental psychology to help kids overcome their fears around swimming
Becky lives in Berthoud with her husband, twin boys, and two dogs where they try to enjoy the sunshine and outdoors at every opportunity
Emily Jauch
Instructor
Emily grew up in Fort Collins and has been swimming her entire life. She swam competitively with the Fort Collins Area Swim Team (FAST) and in college at Western Colorado University in Gunnison. She excels in breaststroke and Individual Medley (IM) events
After studying Clinical Exercise Physiology at WCU, she is excited to be going to Creighton University this fall to earn a doctorate in Physical Therapy
Emily has taught kids to swim for nine years and enjoys helping kids translate their new found confidence in the pool into other areas of their lives
Hailey Saks
Instructor
Hailey is currently a junior at Fort Collins High School, where her favorite subject is math. She previously swam before covid, and her favorite stroke has always been backstroke
She enjoys helping kids build confidence in the water while having fun. Outside of swimming, she is a varsity cheerleader at her school and enjoys spending time with friends
Hansen Foster
Instructor
Hansen grew up taking extensive swim lessons, which gave her a strong foundation in the water and helped shape her confidence as a swimmer. While she did not pursue competitive swimming, backstroke and freestyle became my favorite strokes
Her passion for working with children has been a consistent theme throughout her experiences. She has worked in elementary school settings and has also taught horseback riding lessons to young children. She values helping children build confidence in themselves, learn water safety, and feel proud of their progress
Leandra Brunk
Instructor
Leandra is a junior studying psychology at Colorado State University. She swam competitively for around 8 years. Her favorite stroke is breaststroke and loved swimming the Individual Medley (IM)
Leandra loves to play volleyball and her favorite animal is a hammerhead shark. She loves to swim and work with kids and says “it is like the perfect job!”
Nancy Kahdeman
Instructor
Nancy has always loved being in and around the water and was a diver when she was younger. She loves swimming and working with kids, making teaching swim lessons a natural fit for her
In her free time, she enjoys writing, playing music and spending time outdoors through activities like camping, hiking, and sailing
Nyssa Christiopherson
Instructor
Nyssa is currently studying nursing at the University of Northern Colorado and has loved swimming since she was little
She is passionate about helping kids build confidence and hopes to encourage them to have fun while learning to swim
Outside of work, she enjoys skiing, hiking, shopping, spending time with friends, grabbing coffee and traveling
Saryah Judish
Instructor
Saryah is a junior at Colorado State University studying food science and nutrition, with hopes of becoming a registered sports dietitian and enjoys her advanced sports nutrition class
She has been swimming competitively for 15 years and currently swims on the CSU club team. Her favorite stroke is butterfly and she likes swimming the 100 and 200 butterfly
Saryah loves sharing her passion for swimming with kids and helping them grow more confident in the water. Outside of swimming, she enjoys hiking, cooking and baking, spending time with friends, and visiting national parks
Sophia Barker
Instructor
Sophia grew up in Northern Colorado and swam competitively for her high school as well as the Fort Collins Area Swim Team. She excelled in both backstroke and Individual Medley (IM) events
She is currently a Junior at Colorado State University and is studying Biology. She hopes to attend medical school in the future and possibly study internal medicine
Sophia loves teaching kids and getting to know their varying personalities. She’s been teaching swimming for over a year. In her free time, she is an avid movie buff
Teale Viegut
Instructor
Teale is currently enrolled in a phlebotomy program through UCHealth with the goal of becoming a flight medic. She loves watching kids and people excel in new things and helping them overcome fears
She has always lived on the water and was drawn to it from a super young age and finds helping people accomplish their goals in the water is just an amazing experience
In her free time, she enjoys playing any sport you can think of, spends her time volunteering with soup kitchens and animals, competing in pageants and also travels the world for modeling
Join our program today!
Ready for your child become safe in the water? Our private lessons for kids 3 and up are designed to build confidence and skill. With experienced coaches dedicated to personalized instruction, we ensure a fun and effective learning experience. Enroll now and take the first step towards swimming success!
Common Questions
Find answers to your swimming questions and learn more about our programs.
We offer lessons for kids starting at age 3 all the way to competitive swimmers and triathletes. Our goal is to support every level of swimmer.
Each private lesson is designed to last 20 minutes. This allows for focused attention and effective learning without overwhelming our young swimmers.
Our competitive lessons are 30 minutes.
Our instructors are highly trained professionals, including elite coaches and swimming enthusiasts. They are dedicated to helping you or your child succeed.
Your child should bring swimwear, goggles (no nose covering), and a towel. Additionally, please bring a cap or a hair tie for longer hair.
Still have questions?
If you have any other questions or need more information, feel free to reach out. We’re here to help you and your child get the most from their swimming lessons.
Get in Touch with Us
If you have any questions about our swim lessons or want to schedule a session, feel free to reach out! We’re here to help guide your child on their swimming journey.
- 970-682-1692 (Call or Text)
- contact@usaswimacademy.com
- 4630 Royal Vista Circle #9, Fort Collins, CO.