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Meet Our Team

 

Holly Waters

Co-founder + Chief Fitness Officer

Holly Waters

Fitness Alive is the brainchild of Drexel University graduate Holly Waters, a lifelong swimmer, certified personal trainer and veteran swim coach. After years working as a personal trainer at gyms in Philadelphia and New York — most recently as the aquatics director at SWEAT Fitness — she founded her own personal-training business, Fitness Alive, in 2014. She was named the 2010 Best Personal Trainer by Philadelphia magazine, and has been called the “Baby Whisperer” by local television stations for her work as an infant swim coach. (Seriously, watch her work her magic on this five-month-old baby!) Holly has carved a niche for herself as the region’s most sought after coach for infant, children, and adult swim instruction, with over 20 years of experience helping swimmers of all ages learn to be comfortable and confident in the water. Holly lives in Wallingford with her husband, Mike; kids, Michele and Christopher; and dog, Franklin.

Emily Leaman

Co-founder + Chief Operations Officer

Emily Leaman

A health-and-fitness journalist with nearly 10 years of experience, Emily is best known for her work as the driving force behind Be Well Philly, Philadelphia magazine's popular health and fitness brand. While at the helm of Be Well, she helped create Be Well Philly Boot Camp, a sell-out fitness festival for Philadelphia-area women; founded the Be Well Philly Underground, a series of secret pop-up fitness events; and built a strong fitness community in Philadelphia that continues to thrive both on- and offline. Emily is the marketing and brand lead for Fitness Alive and manages day-to-day operations. She lives in South Philly with her husband, Chris; and son, Noah.

 

Leadership team

Brian Gieckel

General Manager

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.

Dora Phan

Director of Camps + Partnerships

Dora Phan

Dora was a collegiate swimmer and coached swimming briefly after college. She went on to work as a Youth Director, training teens to run summer camps for kids with partners locally and globally for 15 years. She has a passion for organizing fun events and helping people of all ages find wholeness with access to fitness. Dora lives in South Philly with her husband, Mat who is a carpenter, and their two kids, Micah and Reya. In her down time, she loves to play basketball, be outside, and spend time with family and friends.

Dia Weeks

Director of Aquatics

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

Associate Director of Aquatics

Berlin

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

Associate Director of Camps + Partnerships

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

Operations Assistant

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.

SWIM COACHES

Aedan Alexander-Mullen

Swim Instructor

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.

Caroline Anderson

Swim Instructor

Caroline Anderson

Caroline has been swimming since she was four years old. She swam for her local YMCA for 14 years, her summer team for over 13 years, and her high school team. She is currently swimming in college. She is studying elementary education and psychology with the hope of becoming an elementary school teacher. She has a passion for teaching kids to swim and loves to instill water confidence in all her students. 

Emily Angeline

Swim Instructor

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.

Abby Bailey

Swim Instructor

Abby Bailey

Abby is a graduate student at Thomas Jefferson University studying occupational therapy and just moved here from Massachusetts for school. She has been teaching swimming lessons from her backyard pool and at her local YMCA for over six years. She also has been swimming since age 12, participating in club teams, high school, and undergraduate school. She has a passion for swimming and loves to share that passion with kids and adults alike.

Tomila Bezborodova

Swim Instructor

Tomila Bezborodova

Tomila is a dedicated swimming coach originally from Ukraine. With a rich background as a professional swimmer for eight years, Tomila has transitioned her passion for swimming into a coaching career. She has three years of experience coaching both children and adults, helping them to improve their skills and foster a love for the sport.

Brett Burns

Swim Instructor

Brett Burns

Brett is a first-year physical therapy student at Arcadia University. He has been working as a lifeguard and assistant manager at Creekside Swim Club for the past eight years. Additionally, he has been teaching swim lessons in various individual and group settings for the past five years in the Delaware County region. Brett is a huge supporter of all Philly sports teams, and is passionate about weightlifting, running, and playing guitar.

Mike Caveney

Swim Instructor

Mike Caveney

Mike is a student at Drexel University pursuing an MBA in finance. He started swimming at the age of 10 and decided he wanted to swim competitively at 14 after watching the 2008 Olympic Games. His favorite events are the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM. He has taught swimmers of all abilities and ages at the YMCA for over three years and coached over the summers at his home swim club in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Mike currently enjoys recreational open water swimming and surfing, and strives to teach everyone the tools they need to be confident, fearless swimmers.

Emily Chau

Swim Instructor

Emily Chau

Emily is a senior at Temple University studying psychology and piano performance. She began swimming at a young age and participated in swim teams, where she discovered her love for the water. Since then, she has lifeguarded and taught swim lessons to children for over four years. Emily has a passion and love for children, and has worked with all ages through tutoring, teaching piano lessons, and volunteering at mental health clinics. She is aspiring to become a pediatric occupational therapist in the future!

Sophia Cupper

Swim Instructor

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!

Neah DeBarros

Swim Instructor

Neah Debarros

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Neah DeBarros discovered her love for swimming at age six and quickly embraced competitive swimming. By 14, she began teaching swim lessons and has since spent the past four years as an instructor and three as a lifeguard. Neah finds joy in helping swimmers, especially kids, build confidence in the water. Now a psychology major with a criminal justice minor at Temple University, she’s dedicated to making a positive impact in her community. In her spare time, she enjoys trying new foods and spending time with her new kitten.

Cara Fantini

Swim Instructor

Cara Fantini

Cara works full time at Drexel University and has her Master's in Education. Cara has a passion for swimming and water safety, and has six years of experience teaching swimmers of all ages at the YMCA. She is excited to introduce new swimmers to the joy of the water!

Veronica Garcia-Carvajal

Swim Instructor

Veronica Garcia-Carvajal

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Veronica's excitement for swimming was ignited at the age of six during a water safety class. She pursued competitive swimming through her senior year of high school and has since stayed connected to the pool as both a lifeguard and swim instructor. Veronica finds great fulfillment in helping swimmers of all levels achieve their goals. With her enthusiasm, patience, and dedication to building confidence, Veronica is excited to bring her expertise and love for teaching to our swim program. In her free time, she enjoys running along the Schuylkill River and writing postcards to her friends.

Dmitry Hackel

Swim Instructor

Dmitry Hackel

Dmitry Hackel was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, where the ocean was integral to daily life. He started working in aquatics at age fifteen as a lifeguard. He was lifeguarded at pools, waterparks, and beaches. He became a swim instructor at a family gym a few years later and has taught swim lessons since; his four years as a swim instructor allowed him to teach various ages and skill levels. He currently attends Temple University with the hope of going to medical school and working in pediatric medicine. He now researches the rehabilitation of individuals that struggle with lower spinal cord injuries at Temple Medicine.

Jax Hamilton

Swim Instructor

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.

Deborah Hirsch

Water Aerobics Instructor

Deborah Hirsch

Deborah Hirsch is the president and founder of Philly Dance Fitness and youth division, ZAZZ Dance & Drama, which offer more than 50 weekly classes to students of all ages. Since becoming certified to teach group exercise in 2008, she’s taught everything from kickboxing to aquacize, and of course, all sorts of dance fitness modalities. In 2010, the same year she started her company, she also began organizing the annual nonprofit Philadelphia Dance Day festival, which draws upwards of 500 people together every summer. She also teaches partner dancing through Ballroom Bliss, another company she created. Her programs have been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philly Mag, Metro Philly, Be Well Philly and a variety of local television stations. Before immersing herself in the world of physical fitness, Deborah spent a decade reporting and editing at various newspapers.

Zoe Kerrich

Swim Instructor

Zoe Kerrich

Zoe brings over a decade of swim instruction and coaching experience to the Fitness Alive team. She swam competitively from age 6 through college, and continues to practice with a local U.S. Masters Swimming Team. Zoe loves working with clients of all ages to build confidence in swimming, safety in the water, and sharing a life-long love of swimming with others.

Ross MacKinnon

Swim Instructor

Ross MacKinnon

Bio coming soon!

Mike Matteo

Swim Instructor

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

Swim Instructor

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

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!

Olivia Patton

Swim Instructor

Olivia Patton

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. She became a lifeguard and swim instructor for the Springfield Park District and Springfield YMCA and rose through the ranks to eventually become a Pool Supervisor and lead swimming instructor. In the past, Olivia has also worked as a Girl Scout camp counselor, lifeguard and boating instructor, so naturally she knows every song and game in the book and how to apply them to her swim lessons. In her 10-year teaching career, Olivia has instructed individuals from all backgrounds, ages and abilities. Olivia takes great pride in seeing her swimmers reach their goals and never backs away from a challenge. Whether it's getting a baby acclimated to putting their face in the water, assisting 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!

Bailey Pincus

Swim Instructor

Bailey Pincus

Bailey has loved swimming since she was a little girl. She has been a part of many swim teams throughout her life growing up in New York, as well as in club swim during college. Throughout her teenage years she continued to work as a swim instructor, lifeguard, and swim camp coach. Currently, she is a senior at Temple University studying Health Professions and American Sign Language with plans of becoming a certified interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing. Bailey wants to share her passion for swimming and teach others how pools are a safe, fun, place for everyone!

Emmett Powers

Swim Instructor

Emmett Powers

As a child growing up in Santa Monica, CA, Emmett would play in the Pacific Ocean until his lips turned blue. In high school, he continued pursuing his passion for aquatics, playing water polo and swimming breaststroke competitively. Emmett's coaching journey began in 2016, when he lifeguarded and instructed youth swimmers on a lake in a wilderness camp in Vermont. He went on to direct the camp's waterfront program for multiple summers, while spending the rest of the year attending Reed College in Portland, OR. After graduating in 2021, he made a new home for himself on the East Coast and continued his coaching career teaching kids' gymnastics in South Philly. Emmett is stoked to be back in the water, and working with all levels of swimmers at Fitness Alive!

Bailey Reutzel

Swim Instructor

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.

Edward Roos

Swim Instructor

Edward Roos

Edward is a master swim instructor with 28-plus years of knowledge. With his experience, he develops a customized approach tailored to the needs of his swimmers. He brings his swimming clients to a greater physical fitness level and a better understanding of themselves as well as their potential. Edward loves working with all ages and ability levels, from beginners to experts. He encourages parents to communicate with him about their child’s progress or goals.

Brannon Rovins

Swim Instructor

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.

Annie Ryan

Swim Instructor

Annie Ryan

Annie has always had an affinity for the water and teaching. Annie swam competitively for two years, then became a lifeguard at age 14 and a lifeguard instructor at age 20. At 14, Annie filled in for a friend who taught swim lessons and fell in love with teaching young students to swim. Since then, Annie has taught group, private, and adaptive swim lessons for swimmers with a range of language, physical, and mental abilities for just over 10 years. Through college, she worked as a lead swim lessons instructor, lifeguard, pool director, and lifeguard instructor at various pools. Annie believes everyone deserves access to pools and to feel confident, comfortable, safe, and happy in the water. Annie currently works as a nutrition educator for 6 Philadelphia public schools and spends her summers teaching nutrition at community centers, summer camps, and farmer's markets. She is passionate about a trauma-informed approach to teaching that centers patience, fun, and empowerment for all students. Annie is excited to be a part of the Fitness Alive team and to be back in the water!

Savannah Seifferth

Swim Instructor

Savannah Seifferth

Savannah is a first year physical therapy student at Arcadia University. She always enjoys swimming and being in the water, and swam competitively until age 18. Savannah now is now focused on getting her doctorate of physical therapy and is enjoying living in Philadelphia for the first time! She really believes in the importance of water safety but also encourages swimming and water confidence!

Al Snyder

Swim Instructor

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!

Axel Velasquez

Swim Instructor

Axel Velasquez

Meet Coach Axel! Axel lived in El Salvador until the age of 12 when he moved to Lynn, Massachusetts. He is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he is majoring in nursing and nutrition. Axel’s swim background consists of previously being part of his high school’s competitive swim team for two years along with recreational swimming. He has also previously worked as a summer camp lifeguard and swim instructor since June 2023.

Italia Wright

Swim Instructor

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.

 

deck + Office staff

DJ Bacani

Deck Supervisor

Cameron Collar

Deck Supervisor

Madeline Kelly

Deck Supervisor

Darwin Kern

Deck Supervisor

Ellington Kern

Deck Supervisor

Macy Kilmer

Client Services Associate

Sean McLaughlin

Deck Supervisor

Eric Miller

Lifeguard

Lily Nguyen

Deck Supervisor

Rylan Ollivier

Deck Supervisor

Sophia Paige

Lifeguard

Gina Quintela

Lifeguard

Cassie Swackhamer

Deck Supervisor