Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawna Campbell.
Hi Shawna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Alex Jones, Shenoah Frisch, and I have always been passionate about water safety and drowning prevention. After Shenoah’s son had a non-fatal drowning, we knew we had to do something that would change the statistics and make a difference. Manta Swim Academy taught its first official lesson in August 2021.
Shawna juggles being a full-time mom to seven children, working as Federal Agent for the United States Government, and teaching swim. She has been teaching swim for over 20 years and has a deep passion for Survival Swimming, drowning prevention, and anything else that would help a child live more safely in and around the water.
Alex retired from the US navy after serving for 28 years. He has been teaching and coaching for well over 20 years and is our lead CPR/First AID/AED instructor. Alex believes that drowning prevention and CPR go hand in hand and firmly believes that every age-appropriate person should be CPR certified for the safety of their family and the people they encounter daily.
Shenoah is currently a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps and the mother of 2 very handsome boys, ages 2 years, and 7 months old. Shenoah has been coaching gymnastics since she was 14 years old and has a passion for reaching the underprivileged and underserved children in Houston and Surrounding areas.
Shenoah continues to be a vital part of Manta Swim Academy and has secured numerous scholarships from businesses that support our efforts to change the drowning statistics and provide Survival Swim lessons to all children, no matter the financial situation.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think that starting any business is a smooth road so just like any other new business it hasn’t been easy. Probably the most challenging part of starting Manta Swim Academy is that Shenoah and I are still working full-time jobs outside of Manta Swim Academy and juggling being mothers.
Luckily for both of us, we have been fortunate to have support from family members and friends that help us with our balancing act and make us look good and like we’ve got it all together.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
At Manta Swim Academy we teach all ages from 0-100 (or however old you tell us you are) how to live safely in the water. According to the CDC, there are nearly 10 accidental drownings a day throughout the United States. That is nearly 2,500 loved ones every year who die in the water. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for ages 4 and under and the 2nd leading cause of accidental death in the US for ages 14 and under (CDC).
At Manta Swim Academy, participation in formal swim lessons reduces the risk of drowning by 88% (National Institute of Health, Arch Pediatric Adolescent Med, 2009). Our Survival Swim program teaches our little ones the skills necessary to survive should a water incident occur. There are many misconceptions about the Survival Swim concept. One misconception is that all these programs are harsh and startling for children.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Our program is a gentle, child-centered approach that has been perfected and refined to teach children and adults to swim float, and survive in the water. We provide our students with a fun, safe environment where they develop a lifelong love and a healthy respect for swimming. We read each child and tailor our lessons to fit the needs of the individual child and parents. We believe in repetition, positive reinforcement, and lots of fun.
As a minority-owned company, we understand firsthand that African-Americans and other low-income communities normally do not have the same access to drowning prevention training as other communities. While drowning education and prevention is vital, teaching these lower economic communities is especially close to our hearts.
For this reason, we partnered with Hope Floats Foundation to offer scholarships to Manta Swim Academy swimmers who would not otherwise be able to afford lessons. Working with Hope Floats Foundation has been a joy and has given us a renewed sense of purpose. Being able to reach communities that don’t have exposure and access to water is a vital portion of who we are.
Our goal is to educate the community on the staggering statistics of drowning and teach drowning prevention and Survival Swim. By offering services and education we are working hard to curve the unawareness in lower-income communities and change the statistics. The drowning death rate for black people is 1.5 times higher than that of their counterparts. (CDC) Our goal is to put an end to childhood drowning in all communities.
What are your plans for the future?
We are planning to build a facility shortly. We are currently working towards finding and buying the right piece of property in the right area for us. We are already teaching in multiple pools but would like to expand to be able to reach more people/adults. We would like to buy enough land to be able to eventually build a multi-sport facility in our area.
Pricing:
- 15-minute private lesson – $35
- 30-minute private lesson – $65
- Survival Swim Session – 20 lessons for $700
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.mantaswimacademy.com
- Instagram: @mantaswimacademy
- Facebook: @Manta Swim Academy https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082337066133
