How Come Many Swimmers Don’t Do This? The Untapped Business Hiding in Our Sport

There is a great future in swimming after you finish the race!

We spend years — sometimes decades — mastering the water, pushing through pain, chasing medals, and learning discipline at a level few people ever touch. But when the swimming ends, most of us are told to coach… or move on.

What if there’s another option?

After graduating from the University of Arizona in 2013, I had $480 to my name. No investors. No family in the U.S. Just an an immigrant with a thick accent, a fire in my chest, and a dream that felt bigger than me — to live the American Dream.

But my journey in the U.S. started long before that. I first arrived in Jacksonville, Florida, to swim at The Bolles School, where I was fortunate to be coached first by Jeff Poppell, and then by the legendary Sergio Lopez. Both made a deep impact on my life — not just in the pool, but in shaping who I became as a person.

After the 2008 Olympic Games, I joined the University of Arizona, where I had the honor to be coached by Frank Busch, alongside Rick DeMont (Rocket) and Whitney Hite — all of whom left a lasting impression on me. They didn’t just shape me as an athlete; they helped shape my character and my work ethic.

It was actually Rick DeMont’s wife, Carrie DeMont, who introduced me to the idea of the swim school business. Carrie runs a highly successful swim school in Tucson and became my mentor — the first person who helped me see that swimming could also be a powerful, life-changing business. She opened the first door into a world I didn’t know existed.

And I walked through it.

From a Few Lessons a Week to Florida’s Largest Swim School

Owning a swim school wasn’t part of some polished business plan — it was my next competition. A new stage where I could take all the discipline, grit, and hustle I learned as an Olympic swimmer and apply it in a whole new way.

The early days were raw. I taught every lesson. I cleaned the bathrooms. I did payroll at midnight and ran marketing campaigns out of my living room.  And I loved it!

I loved it not just because it was mine, but because I saw the ripple effect of our impact. We weren’t just teaching strokes. We were teaching confidence. Saving lives. Supporting families.

What started small grew steadily. By staying focused, delivering quality, and obsessing over every detail, we became Florida’s largest swim school, serving thousands of families every single week.

In 2024, I sold my business to private equity — not because I was finished, but because I was ready for what’s next:
Helping others  replicate this fulfilling career.

If I Can Do It, So Can You

I’m not a genius. I didn’t have a trust fund or a fancy MBA. I had a relentless drive to succeed — and a swimmer’s mindset.

If you’ve competed in the pool, you already have the tools:

• Discipline.

• Resilience.

• A deep understanding of repetition and mastery.

• The ability to bounce back when things don’t go your way.

These are the same skills it takes to win in business.

Owning a swim school isn’t just a business — it’s a mission with a margin. It’s about using your passion to serve your community, provide security for your family, and create something that lasts.

And if I — as an immigrant, with just $480 to my name — could overcome the risk, the fear, and the financial leap into the world of entrepreneurship, anyone can.

Taking the jump into your own destiny and your own freedom is the most rewarding and challenging experience I’ve ever had — and I would gladly do it all over again.

Swimming Isn’t a Failed Business Model — It’s a Misunderstood One