Do your kids love to swim? Maybe it can be more than just something fun for them to do in the summer! Maybe they can take swimming to the next level, like gold medalist Ryan Murphy, and dive into the world of competitive swimming – with your help!

Ryan Murphy, the swimmer who won three gold medals in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio (and broke a world record in the meantime!), is on the road for another Golden Experience in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo! He’ll be competing in the FINA World Championship of Swimming in South Korea July 12-28, 2019. And did we mention Ryan is also an Ambassador of the USA Swimming Foundation, and Goldfish Swim School has partnered with him to spread the word about water safety?!

Your kids can follow in Ryan’s footsteps, too! Here’s how:

1. Learn to Swim.

The first, and most important step on the path to becoming a competitive swimmer is taking lessons! Even if your child “knows” how to swim, lessons teach your child the right way to perform swim skills – and your little one can start swimming as early as 4 months old at Goldfish Swim School!

2. Practice, Practice, Practice.

Repetition is KEY to learning and mastering any skill, and swimming is no different. To be a competitive swimmer, your child has to commit. So, in addition to those lessons, practice every day to keep those skills sharp and get those Extraordinary Results.

3. Keep on Swimming.

Even after your child has learned basic swim skills, remaining enrolled in our Pro Level swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School provides a start to learning those competitive-level skills. Our instructors use Integrity, Compassion and Trust to teach the Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Butterfly, Freestyle flip turns and more during our Pro Level classes.

4. Join Swim Force.

For kids ages 5-12 who have passed our Pro Level courses, our very own swim team – Swim Force – preps them for what it will be like to start swimming competitively (maybe for Team USA in the future?). It’s a fun way to find out if the world of swimming is really what your child wants, and to learn the ins and outs of what competitive swimming will look like.

5. Train Outside the Pool.

While swimming is certainly a sport that helps all athletes, there are things to do outside the pool to become stronger IN the pool. Taking care of your body by eating healthy and exercising regularly aids in becoming a better swimmer.

6. Have Fun!

When your heart is in it, it shows – and that definitely goes for preparing for swimming competitions! Sure, the path to the Olympics is full of hard work, dedication, ability and practice, but there needs to be enjoyment there, too. We want your child to Celebrate at every turn. And, if it turns out that an Olympic Gold doesn’t happen, there are plenty of other career paths your little water-lover can try out.

Start swim training near you with Goldfish Swim School

We have Goldfish Swim School locations all across the country, so find one near you and stop in today to sign up for swim lessons! Whether your little one wants to go for the Olympic gold or just learn to swim, our WOW! Customer Service will help you reach your goals.