Send us a text From one swim lesson to over a million followers. 🎄 Christmas Eve drop. Jacob shares: • How Superhero Swim Academy really started • Why content creation isn’t for the faint of heart • What swim instructors get wrong about parents • And why flexibility beats force in teaching kids This episode is about growth, grit, and doing it the right way — in and out of the water. Support the show 🔴 Follow Your Host on TikTok: Stay connected and see behind-the-scene...

Send us a text In this special year-end episode of Navigating Neva, Nicole and Wes look back on 2025 through the voices that helped shape it. From lifeguards and swim instructors to nonprofit leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, and advocates, this episode celebrates the guests who showed up, spoke honestly, and pushed the aquatics industry forward. We revisit the big conversations—water safety, leadership, burnout, workforce development, trauma-aware instruction, career pathways, and what it...

Send us a text Drowning isn’t dramatic — it’s silent, fast, and overwhelmingly preventable. In this episode, Nicole and Wes sit down with Annabelle, BSN, to expose the real story behind the leading cause of accidental death in children ages 1–4 and the rising drowning rates across Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas. Annabelle brings a powerful nurse’s perspective as we break down: • Why toddlers (1–4) have no fear and no cognitive ability to recognize danger • The false sense of secur...

Send us a text In this episode, Nicole and Wesley sit down with Ryan Greenstein, Advocacy Program Manager for the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, to unpack how Georgia is reshaping water safety through policy, partnerships, and statewide collaboration. Ryan shares his path from Capitol Hill policy work to becoming the YMCA’s first water-safety advocate—an initiative inspired by a family who lost their child to drowning and wanted to turn their grief into change. He explains the rollout of Georgia Stat...

Send us a text “Thanksgiving Eve: Gratitude, Growth, and What’s Ahead for Aquatics” Tonight’s Thanksgiving Eve episode is a warm, reflective conversation between Nicole and Wes — a chance to pause in the middle of a big year and acknowledge how far the aquatics community has come. We open with gratitude, holiday energy, and appreciation for every guard, instructor, supervisor, director, parent, and program leader who has supported this podcast and the mission behind it. This episode covers: &...

Send us a text Tonight Nicole and Wes sit down with longtime friend and aquatics professional Lindsay Thompson, whose journey through lifeguarding, program leadership, swim school ownership, and competitive coaching has shaped a powerful perspective on our industry. In this episode, Lindsay opens up about: • How lifeguarding led her into running a swim school • The move that shifted her career path • Returning to the pool deck as a coach • What the aquatics field gets ...

Send us a text This week on Navigating Neva, host Neva Nicole is joined by Phil Waggott, founder of SplashSave, and co-host Wes King to talk about the most important — and often overlooked — part of water safety: parents as the first line of defense. From the first bath to the first swim lesson, prevention begins long before formal instruction. Together, Nicole, Phil, and Wes break down how parents can build confidence and calm around water from day one — teaching awareness, emotional regulat...

Send us a text Helen Hughes returns to Navigating Neva to dive deeper into her philosophy of Purposeful Play—and to give listeners a preview of her upcoming workshop at the Treasure Coast YMCA in Stuart, Florida. In this episode, Wesley King and Nicole Fairfield unpack strategies for promoting Helen’s workshops across the United States—framing them not as required in-services, but as energizing professional-growth experiences that inspire creativity and confidence in aquatic educators. Togeth...

Send us a text Episode 1: “Mini Adventures, Big Impact” Release Date: October 29, 2025 Hosts: Neva Nicole & Wesley King Guest: Helen Hughes – Founder of Mini Water Adventurers (UK) Episode Summary In this premiere episode of Navigating Neva, we’re diving into early swim education through the lens of play, connection, and emotional safety. Nicole and Wesley welcome Helen Hughes, creator of Mini Water Adventurers, joining all the way from the U.K. ahead of her first U.S. workshop ...

Send us a text In this episode, we dive into Otterball — a revolutionary, inclusive water game created by veteran coach and adapted PE teacher Ron Usher. With over 50 years of experience in swimming, water polo, and aquatic education, Ron developed Otterball to bridge the “aquatic desert” — the gap where teens and non-swimmers have few opportunities to learn or participate. Through a progressive flotation system, players start with full flotation (life jackets) and gradually reduce support as...

Send us a text In this episode, Phil Waggott from SplashSave joins Nicole Fairfield and Wes King to unpack New Zealand’s groundbreaking drowning-prevention data system — one that now tracks hospitalizations as well as fatalities. The results are eye-opening: for every drowning death, there are roughly ten hospitalizations — a hidden layer of water-related trauma that rarely gets measured or discussed. Phil explains the challenge of proving prevention success when “near-miss” incidents go unre...

Send us a text What if fear of water could be measured — not guessed? This week, we explore the groundbreaking 12-Step Aquaphobia Program developed by Mike Berman and researched with Dr. Ali Barrow in Germany and Dr. Jenny Smith at the University of Chichester. Joanna shares how this evidence-based approach uses a 25-question fear assessment, PAR (Personal Ability Range) scoring, and gradual exposure to help people reclaim calm and confidence in water. From the smell of chlorine trigger...

Send us a text 487 rescues. Zero drownings. That’s not luck—it’s a skill. This week on Navigating Neva, Nicole and Wes welcome Stephen Dixon, an open-water safety leader who turned a high-risk lake with 3–5 drownings a year into zero. Stephen takes us inside the mindset and methods of real-world detection and rescue—and what pool guards can learn from open-water culture. Support the show 🔴 Follow Your Host on TikTok: Stay connected and see behind-the-scenes content by following me on TikTok ...

Send us a text From First Whistle to Facility Coordinator: Ashley Marthaler on LGIT & Aquatics Leadership (Sept 24, 2025) Tonight on Navigating Neva, Nicole and co-host Wes spotlight Ashley Marthaler—an aquatics pro who started guarding at 16 and, by 24, has leveled up through guard → head guard → manager → coordinator to Facility Coordinator at Illinois State. She just wrapped LGIT academy and is eyeing the Aquatics Director path. We talk early wins, hard lessons, event + aqu...

Send us a text In this episode of Navigating Neva, Nicole and Wes welcome Mark — host of the Heavy or Not podcast, ISCA contributor, and longtime advocate for gameplay and water polo. We dive into: Why water polo is one of the most unique (and underrated) sports in aquatics.How gameplay keeps kids engaged and builds long-term swim development.The vision and impact of ISCA (International Swim Coaches Association).The story behind Heavy or Not — and how Mark decides what’s truly “heavy.”💬 Subsc...

Send us a text In this episode, Wes and Nicole talk with Andy Graham about the Medical Fitness Association — what it is, how it connects fitness and healthcare, and why its standards matter. The conversation highlights how medicine has created strong pathways between physicians and fitness, while aquatics has yet to build similar systems. Support the show 🔴 Follow Your Host on TikTok: Stay connected and see behind-the-scenes content by following me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield. ...

Send us a text In this inspiring episode, host Nicole Fairfield and co-host Wesley King sit down with Paralympic medalist, global speaker, and future LA 2028 athlete Jamal Hill. Jamal’s story is one of resilience, courage, and unshakable belief. From growing up in Inglewood where swimming wasn’t “supposed” to be part of his story, to being diagnosed with a rare disease that doctors said would keep him from ever walking again—Jamal has defied every expectation. Now, as a world-class swimmer an...

Send us a text What if lifeguard training wasn’t just a summer requirement — but part of your camp’s culture? In this episode of Navigating Neva, Nicole and Wes sit down with Shannon, a powerhouse camp director and lifeguard instructor who’s redefining what leadership and safety look like in a camp setting. From why she trains her own guards, to how expectations shape behavior, Shannon shares actionable insights for anyone building teams, shaping culture, or raising water-smart kids. 🌊 Topics...

Send us a text Are you ready to connect, grow, and lead in the world of aquatics? Join us for All Things Aquatics 2025, a full-day experience for water safety advocates, swim school leaders, pool operators, lifeguards, and aquatics pros from across the nation. 🎯 WHO THIS IS FOR: YMCA & JCC aquatics teamsPE teachers & youth program leadersSwim schools, coaches, and instructorsPool operators, CPOs, and aquatic managersLifeguard trainers, beach safety pros, and more💡 WHAT TO EXPECT...

Send us a text In this roundtable episode of Navigating Neva, we sit down with Canadian lifeguard legend Scott Ruddle—who’s still rocking the deck after nearly four decades. Nicole and Wes dig into Scott’s journey, the culture of guarding in Canada, crossover lessons from his work as a paramedic, and why lifeguarding is more than just a summer job. It’s raw, reflective, and packed with wisdom for the next gen of water watchers. 🎧 Legacy, leadership, freshwater surf, and lifting up the profess...