Deciding to join a swim team may seem like a simple step, but for Armstrong High School student E’liyah, it was the start of something much bigger. E’liyah was part of Armstrong High School’s inaugural swim team, led by Coach Mike Hodges. After the season ended, E’liyah decided that she wanted to stay involved in the realm of aquatics, enrolling in lifeguard school at SwimRVA-Church Hill and convincing her friends Kadence, Jahniya, and Preston to join her as well. Under the guidance of SwimRVA’s Sydnee Lopes, the group learned valuable lifesaving skills to prepare them for success if they chose to pursue a lifeguard certification down the road.

The group graduated from the lifeguard school program and continued on with the rest of their school year, racing another season on their high school swim teams. After the high school season ended, the group was invited back to SwimRVA-Church Hill to participate in a formal lifeguard certification class, even including Coach Mike Hodges. Passing both the skill-based and knowledge-based portions of the certification, the group concluded the course as officially certified lifeguards.

E’liyah, Jahniya, Kadence, Preston, and Coach Mike’s story shows a powerful, full-circle moment, where learning to swim opened the doors to competitive swimming, participating in lifeguard school, and gaining professional lifeguard certifications. We are incredibly proud of each of them and can’t wait to see how far they go in their aquatics journey!