Brian Gieckel

Brian arrived at Fitness Alive with over 15 years experience in Retail Management at various national brands. His exceptional customer service skills and infectiously positive personality come from years of working in hospitality and retail environments. Brian grew up swimming with his summer swim club in Northeastern Pennsylvania, his fiercest competitor in the pool being his twin brother who repeatedly took him to task with his punishing backstroke. Brian began lifeguarding at age 16 and had the time of his life working summers at a family resort on Lake Teedyuskung. As a student at West Chester University, Brian continued to lifeguard and taught swim lessons for special needs children, parent-and-child swim for new parents, and a gym and swim program for preschoolers at the local YMCA. When he's not poolside, you'll most likely find him at Reading Terminal Market squeezing all the produce in an effort to procure the perfect bulb of garlic or nearly ripe avocado for his next dinner party. When he is poolside, you'll probably notice him nicknaming children various food items in an attempt to elicit maximum giggles.

Dia Weeks

Dia Weeks is originally from Wilmington, DE. She started swimming competitively at 5 years old with Team Delaware. At 7, she joined PDR where she trained under nationally renowned Coach Jim Ellis. While a member of PDR, Dia qualified for the Zone All-Star Team and was nationally ranked for multiple events. Over the years, she saw success in the 100/200 butterfly, 200/400 IM, and mid-distance freestyle. She also swam for G. W. Carver High School of Engineering and Science in her junior and senior year serving as the team captain qualifying for districts and states both years.

Although Dia stopped competing after her senior year of high school, she did not leave the pool deck. She has been a lifeguard for over 6 years, swim instructor for 5 years, and a USA Swimming Certified Coach for 3 years. Dia previously was an assistant coach at both Norristown Area Aquatics Club and Wilmington Aquatic Club where she primarily worked with the developmental and age group swimmers. In addition to working here at Fitness Alive, she is the head coach of the developmental groups at PDR Swimming for Success. Although Dia has a lot of experience working with youth athletes, she thrives with teaching any age group and ability level. Her youngest client was just 8 months with her oldest being 74! She loves inspiring others to build confidence and other life skills through swimming.

Dia graduated from Temple University in Fall 2021 with her Bachelors of Science in Exercise and Sport Science.

Dia loves all things fitness so wherever a pool deck or gym can be found, she is likely to not be too far behind!

Berlin

Berlin is the operational backbone of our aquatics and fitness department, overseeing the full programmatic schedule of the organization. In short, they make sure everything runs like clockwork.

Berlin is a professional photographer with a passion for swimming. They started swimming competitively at 11 years old and never really left the pool. Along with competitive swimming, they worked as a Life Gaurd and Swim Instructor in North Carolina before moving to Philadelphia and joining Fitness Alive. The water has been Berlin’s safe space for years and they love showing others the joy swimming can provide.

Nicole Cunane

Nicole has had a love for swimming and helping others for as long as she can remember. She can recall back to kindergarten when her grandmother told her she took to swimming like a duck to water. She said a duck lives on land so it needs to walk, but the duck can also swim with grace or soar to great heights.

At 16, Nicole became a lifeguard at a local waterpark while also teaching a two-and-three year old class at a daycare not far from the waterpark. After high school, she followed in her family's footsteps to become an EMT. She worked in that field for a decade before deciding to switch gears and join Fitness Alive.

As a mom of three boys, Nicole is constantly on the go with coffee in hand. She's fluent in sarcasm, puns and movie quotes. She's quick to lift you up. But above all, she's cool with being a weird duck.

Zachary Kaddai

Zachary is a student at Community College of Philadelphia studying computer science. He started swimming at the age of 8 on the swim team of his local swimming pool. When he got older, he was a lifeguard at that pool for a few years teaching many children how to become better swimmers and water safety. Many of the children Zachary taught have gone on to win silver and gold medals at their swim competitions. Now he is a swim instructor at Fitness Alive hoping to do the same.

Aedan Alexander-Mullen

Aedan is a full-time journalism student at Temple University. After learning to swim as an infant, he swam competitively for 7 years throughout middle and high school. Aedan has been teaching swimming for 4 years, and has been working with kids in other capacities as a classroom assistant and camp counselor for 6. Aedan wants to share his love for aquatics with those he teaches and hopes that they will learn both how to swim and enjoy the water.

Emily Angeline

Emily has been swimming since she was 10. She swam for the summer swim team, high school team, and as an undergraduate in college. When she was in college, she studied Digital Media with Communications and Gender Studies. Emily recently moved to Philadelphia and is excited to explore more of the city.

Michael Hernandez Banning

Raised in Mexico, Michael developed a passion for movement early on as a competitive swimmer. Today, running and strength training are his go-to ways to stay active. Beyond fitness, Michael holds a degree in Business Administration and brings a professional background in finance. When he isn't in the gym or on the move, you’ll likely find him enjoying a great cup of coffee while reading up on real estate and personal finance.

Erynn Brady

Coach Erynn is excited to be part of the Fitness Alive team! A lifelong swimmer, she began competing at a young age and spent countless weekends traveling to swim meets before becoming an NCAA Division II student-athlete at East Stroudsburg University. While in college, she earned degrees in Marine Biology and General Biology, combining her love of science with her passion for the water. She is also an Advanced Open Water scuba diver, making the water her favorite place to be.

With more than 10 years of experience as both a swim instructor and lifeguard, Erynn has worked with swimmers of all ages, from infants learning water comfort to children developing strong swimming skills and confidence around the water. Erynn's favorite part of teaching is watching her swimmers grow in confidence and celebrate each new accomplishment. She hopes to share her love of swimming with every family she meets and create a positive learning experience that leaves children excited to jump back in the pool week after week.

Olivia Chambers

From a young age, Olivia has always had an affinity for the water. Olivia was enrolled in swim lessons before she could talk and began her swim career at the YMCA. Olivia swam all throughout high school in Illinois. In her 17+ years of coaching and teaching swim lessons, Olivia has instructed individuals from diverse backgrounds and abilities. Olivia takes great pride in seeing her swimmers reach their goals and never backs away from a challenge. Whether it's assisting an experienced swimmer with backstroke technique or helping an adult overcome their fear of water, Olivia will do everything she can to help you meet and exceed your goals!

Sophia Cupper

Sophia is currently a full-time student at Temple University, studying English. She started swimming when she was just four years old and has loved it ever since. She has eight years of experience working with kids and has been working with swimmers for almost two years now, teaching water safety and independent swimming. Overall, Sophia loves working with swimmers and helping them achieve their goals!

Cathryn Fitzsimmons

Cat is a recent college graduate from the University of Pittsburgh. She works in genetic research at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and enjoys working as a swim instructor and volunteering as a youth mentor for Big Brothers Independence in her free time. Cat also loves traveling, cooking, and all kinds of sports.

Jax Hamilton

Jacquelyn Hamilton graduated from Saint Joseph’s University and has not only been swimming and lifeguarding for many years, but has been teaching for 4+ years. She has a great passion for swimming and sees it as an outstanding life skill to have. She is patient, fun-filled and enjoys sharing the happiness and joy that swimming has brought her with others.

Amy Haseman

Amy Haseman has spent years making a splash—literally and figuratively. She’s a strong swimmer who loves helping kids go from “I’m not sure about this” to “Look what I can do!” in the pool. Whether she’s cheering on a first successful kick or celebrating a fearless jump off the edge, Amy brings tons of patience, energy, and fun to every lesson.

Outside the water, Amy’s just as hands-on. She’s cared for kids of all ages, keeping them entertained, supported, and laughing through busy days and big feelings. Families love her easygoing vibe, her creativity, and the way she naturally connects with kids. If there’s fun to be had or confidence to be built, Amy’s already on it.

Anika Hatalkar

Anika is currently in the first year of her Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at Temple University. She has been swimming for as long as she remembers, competing on her high school's Varsity swim team, as well as her local club team in Princeton, NJ. She continued her aquatic journey during college, working as a lifeguard, and eventually began her career as a swim instructor and swim coach. She has been teaching kids and adults of all ages and skill levels, utilizing her physical therapy background to teach injury prevention to swimmers embarking on their competitive swimming journeys. Anika is passionate about swimming and hopes to share that passion, helping everyone fall in love with the water.

Chris Klein

Chris is excited to return to Fitness Alive after a brief time away! Driven by a dual passion for water and teaching, Chris has spent years sharing a love of swimming with others. A lifelong competitive swimmer, Chris competed in high school and college, specializing in breaststroke and distance freestyle. Since then, Chris has turned to long-distance triathlon, racing in the 2021 Ironman 70.3 World Championships in St. George, Utah.

Drawing on his background as a middle school teacher, Chris connects easily with swimmers at every stage of their journey. He has a particular talent for guiding older kids and adults, who thrive under his clear communication and goal‑driven approach, while still enjoying the chance to help younger swimmers build strong foundational skills. Chris focuses on creating a supportive, structured environment where every swimmer can grow with confidence.

Caroline Kuhn

Caroline Kuhn has been coaching and giving lessons for eight years. She's from Charlotte, NC, and moved to Philadelphia in September 2025. Her coaching and teaching experience ranges from developing curriculum for summer swim camps, leading a team of 5 junior instructors in small group lessons, head coaching a neighborhood swim team, to coaching masters-level athletes. She's also nearly fluent in Spanish. Her favorite age group of swimmers is 3-5 year olds, but she's comfortable with anyone from 2 to 85! In her free time, she loves to write and explore the city. She's excited to see what your swimmer is capable of and help them reach their goals!

Sherry Lyles

Sherry Lyles swam competitively since age six and has spent over 25 years as a swim instructor, water aerobics instructor and lifeguard. For the past eight years, she’s worked as a medical assistant. Her passion is the love of water, specializing in teaching kids and adults how to swim freestyle and butterfly and building trust and confidence in the water.

Ross MacKinnon

Bio coming soon!

Alex Maiorana

Having spent a good portion of his childhood in the pool, Alex has loved the water from an early age. Since he spent so much time in the pool, it only made sense that he would challenge himself to swim competitively throughout his years before and during college, setting multiple team records while attending Cabrini University. The college swimming program led to swim lessons through the school, where Alex helped children develop their love for the water and their skills in the pool, both basic and advanced. Outside of the water, Alex loves to cook, make art, and read.

Mike Matteo

Mike can't remember a time when he didn't know how to swim, but truth be told he was never really in love with it. In college, he ran track and was an all-conference decathlete. His passions changed when he took a lifeguard-training course; he quickly fell in love with swimming and was even drawn to compete in triathlons. In his summers off from teaching at a local elementary school, Mike has worked at South Philly's Murphy Recreation Center teaching swimming lessons to kids. He also enjoys working with adults, from absolute beginners to triathletes-in-training. Mike was born and raised in South Philadelphia, where he currently resides with his wife, Marissa, and daughter Violet.

Eloise Meek

Eloise began swimming as an infant in Australia, swam competitively until the 8th grade, and swam for their high school team as Team Captain. They lifeguarded for five years in New Jersey, has become a certified DSP, and has worked as a nanny here in Philadelphia. Eloise currently studies Psychology and Sociology at Drexel University, works as a Community Connector at HopePHL in West Philadelphia, and wants to further research and practices around the quality of life and trauma-informed care for children and adults in different care systems. Eloise is enthusiastic, interpersonal, and intuitive to the needs of everyone around them, and is excited to start building skills, relationships, and a whole lot of fun with Fitness Alive as a Swim Instructor.

Em Noonan

Em is a swim coach and lifeguard from the Philly area. They have always maintained a passion for the water, swimming competitively for seven years and lifeguarding for four more. Em became a swim instructor at the beginning of their college career to help people grow their joy and confidence in the water. They are now a senior data science major at Temple University and coach people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds, from beginners facing their fears to seasoned swimmers improving their technique!

Gina Quintela

Gina was born and raised in Philadelphia. She began swimming competitively at age nine and continued through high school, developing strong skills and a deep love for the water. Now a sophomore at Temple University majoring in biophysics, Gina plans to pursue a career in medicine. With four years of lifeguarding and three years of teaching swim lessons, Gina is passionate about helping children and swimmers of all ages feel safe, confident, and excited in the water. She takes pride in creating a supportive and fun learning environment tailored to each swimmer’s needs. In her free time, Gina enjoys weightlifting, running, and traveling!

Bailey Reutzel

Bailey is a writer, journalist and event programmer, who after a long day staring at a computer screen loves to move. She'll try any kind of athletics, but her favorites are yoga, dancing, kickboxing and of course, swimming. The daughter of a swimmer, she was put into lessons from an early age and with those skills, spent her high school and college years lifeguarding and teaching swim lessons and swim team. She also loves baking, but shouldn't eat everything she bakes, so you might end up with some sweet treats after class.

Kris Rogers

Kris was born and raised in New Jersey, going to the beach every weekend and going to summer camp since they were two years old. From a lifetime of swimming and water safety, they've always had a passion for helping others learn to swim and love the water as much as they do. They have been a lifeguard since 2018, and have been teaching swim lessons since 2022. From working at summer camps, their hometown pool club and the YMCA, they've been able to teach swim lessons for children as young as 1 year old all the way up to adults 60+. Outside of the pool Kris is a full time Social Work Masters student at Bryn Mawr College, spending most of their time in class, at their internship, reading, or making art.

Brannon Rovins

Brannon is a graduate student at Temple University studying Cello Performance and Music Technology. He first started swimming at a young age and began swimming competitively for a youth swim team soon after. Brannon has been teaching private and group swim lessons for over four years, prioritizing swimming for fitness, health, and safety. When not in the pool, he enjoys playing music of all styles from classical chamber music or indie folk with his band.

Clarence Rowland

Bio coming soon!

Jazzmine Saunders

Jazz has over 15 years of experience in hospitality and aquatics, Her goal is to prove that fitness is better when you’re buoyant. Whether she’s helping to perfect your technique or catch the beat in an aqua dance class, Jazz’s goal is to make the water an empowering and welcoming space for everyone. She’s looking forward to making a splash at Fitness Alive and helping her swimmers reach their wellness goals!

Al Snyder

Al is a senior environmental engineering major at Temple who loves to swim! They've swam competitively for 14 years, 5 of which were spent teaching swim lessons. They have experience teaching children and adult lessons, and will be sure to put a smile on your face with their energetic personality!

Dylan Wolfinger

Dylan has been working with Fitness Alive for the past 2 years and coaching/instructing swim for a cumulative of 5 years. He assisted in coaching a Special Olympics swim team through the Burlington-Riverfront YMCA after leading a life of competitive swim and being raised as a Boy Scout. Dylan is versed in skills pertinent for Tadpoles 1 swimmers through Narwhals Gold. Additionally, he is great with Adult clients and effectively communicating the skill sets of Fitness Alive’s adult sequence. Dylan teaches Water Aerobics Wednesday morning’s at our Center City location, come say hi sometime! Any and all swimming abilities are welcome.

Italia Wright

Italia started swimming competitively at the age of 9 years old up until senior year in high school. She began lifeguarding for the City of Philadelphia at 16, and is a lifeguard and swim instructor at the West Philadelphia YMCA. She studied Communications at Clark Atlanta University. Italia has a passion for swimming and is eager to teach others this important life skill.

Melanie Zhang

Melanie Zhang is a former competitive swimmer from Thousand Oaks, a city in Southern California. Specializing in Freestyle and Backstroke, she swam varsity for a year at Wellesley College and spent four years on the Club Water Polo team, one of which she was team captain. She lives in Philadelphia and paints and makes clothes.