MICHELLE KEPIC
COACHING SPECIALTY
Babies
Learn-to-Swim: Children
Competitive Swimmers
EDUCATION
Graduated from Lorain Country JVS in the Early Childhood Education program (2010)
Certified Shallow Water Lifeguard
American Red Cross First Aid and CPR/AED for Professional Rescuers
EXPERIENCE
14 years of personal swimming and racing experience
Lifeguard (2008-2014)
Swim Instructor for since 2009
GET TO KNOW COACH MICHELLE
ONE WORD THAT DESCRIBES ME
Jovial.
FAVORITE STROKE
Backstroke and Freestyle
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT ME
I'm an avid animal lover of all kinds. If I won the lottery, I would want to have a big plot of land with all kinds of chickens, goats, horses..you name it!
In 2020 my fiance and I bought our first home together right as everything shut down due to Covid😷. That was an interesting move! In the summer time we love to spend our weekends outside working in the yard, planting and tending to our garden or just sitting on the back deck soaking up the sun. During the winter months, you can find me in the kitchen trying out some new baking recipes or curled up under my heated blanket watching a good show.
Family is everything to me. I'm super close with my mom, shes my best friend and number #1 supporter in anything I do. I'm the youngest of 3 children, an aunt to 2 nieces and 1 nephew. I'm also a bonus mom to my step daughter. I always have a little one running around my house!
Growing up, not only did I swim year round but I also did competitive baton twirling. I can still juggle 3 batons to this day!
I wouldn't call myself a foodie but I LOVE a good meal. My favorite meal is a good Delmonico steak with a baked potato and some kind of veggie. 🥩🥔😋
FAVORITE QUOTES
" Be yourself, everyone else is taken"
— Unknown
“Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means you've decided to look beyond the imperfections."
— Unknown
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose."
— Dr. Seuss
I've always loved the water. It's always been my calm space.
Growing up, I loved being in the water. From the time I was just a small baby going underwater on my own to now as an adult, water holds a special place in my heart. When I was younger if I was ever having a bad day my mom would tell me to go soak my head in the pool and I would feel 100X better after I swam and that still happens to this day.
I started competitively swimming at the age of 4 on the USA team during the winters at the old Aqua Marine pool in Avon Lake and on the Avon Lake Rec. team in the summers.
My swimming journey continued through high school, swimming for Avon Lake High School. I also attended the Lorain County JVS for high school, where I graduated from their early childhood education program. After high school, I went on to become a lifeguard and swim instructor at my local pools.
As I got older, I took a break from the pool and went into other jobs but I missed the water deeply. I found Liquid Lifestyles and knew right away that I wanted to be apart of their team!
I feel that swimming is a life skill, it's something you can do and grow in no matter your age, that is why I wanted to get back into the pool. I want to help teach children that the water is fun and exciting BUT also how to be safe in and around the pool.
Watching a child go from being fearful of the water to loving it and enjoying it, is my absolute favorite thing as a coach. I believe in taking that bit of extra time and working at the child's pace when its comes to progressing with skills is the best approach for me. I'll do whatever I can to make a child feel comfortable in the water, even if that means going under with them and having an under water dance party, waving to their parent in the windows or just waving at each other. Most of the time after a child sees their coach under water, they then realize that being under water is fun and that there's a whole new world down there!
Once I know my students can achieve more then they realize, I start to challenge them a bit more and love their reactions when they accomplish a skill for the first time. I like to keep an open communication with my students parents regarding their progression, tips to work on at home, and answering any questions that parents may have.
My goal as a coach is to build confidence, create a safe space for children to grow and excel in and discover a love for the water.
