Age: 44
Occupation: Founder and swim instructor, Tadpole Academy
Hometown: Elizabeth, Louisiana
Her boy was at the bottom of an apartment complex pool, but Taylor Alexander claims that she never panicked when she saw Ian so far under the surface.
Trained by the American Red Cross, a lifetime of water-safety experience kicked in for her, and she retrieved the boy. He was shaken a bit, but otherwise fine.
Alexander says the historical model of waiting for a child to turn 3 before learning how to swim was no longer in play at that frightening moment.
“When I pulled him out I said, That’s it. We’re going to do something more aggressive.’ ”
And so she has.
Alexander’s Tadpole Academy teaches children swimming and floating techniques as early as 18 months. She’s booked solid through the end of the season.
Alexander teaches up to six classes of 10 children per day at a tiny pool behind the NewSong church in Prairieville, just across the parish line on Old Perkins Road. The church uses it for baptismals, but when Alexander uses it, the rules are no floaties and no coddling. Put your face in and swim.
“I like to know I changed their life and that the parents are going to have peace of mind this summer,” Alexander says.
Taylor, an economics major at LSU, and her husband, Chris, now have a second son, Eli. The 2-year-old can make his way across the pool all by himself. Alexander modeled the Tadpole Academy after a woman who taught swimming in Austin. She says her unconventional methods appear tough but are tested.
For some lessons, Alexander has her young students wear pajamas and sneakers.
“Most kids that drown have fallen into a pool and have all their clothes on, including their shoes,” Alexander says. “They need to know what that feels like. I don’t want them to be surprised by that or overwhelmed.”
The end result is eight life-changing sessions.
“I was a very contented, stay-home mom until this all happened,” she says. “I was not planning on going back to work. But I had to do this. I knew. I had a calling.”
