From Founding to Present, What Sets The WeAquatics DMV Swim School Apart from the Crowd?
One quick Google search is enough to prove it. The greater Washington, DC, area has a laundry list of swimming schools. So, how do you select the one that’s right for you? How do you know which one brings the right mentality, approach, and feel? To see if DMV swim school WeAquatics is right for you, learn more about their founding story, their driving principles, and what the swim school offers today.
The WeAquatics Story
The WeAquatics story begins in St. Lucia, a picture-perfect Caribbean island nation of less than 200,000 people. WeAquatics founder, David Worrell, and his family moved there when David was just twelve.
“It’s a small country where neighbors and friends have known each other for generations,” said David. “Community has a different meaning there. People support one another like family.”
Swimming quickly became an integral part of his life, as well as that of his brother and fellow WeAquatics instructor, Bradford Worrell.
The family established an aquatic center on the island, and David, Bradford, and Fredrick (a third Worrell brother) all competed for the St. Lucia national swim team. Bradford, in particular, excelled in the lanes, training and working toward an Olympic appearance.
“For me, swimming has always been a place to meet people. To find a supportive community,” said David. “It’s no surprise I wanted to build a pillar like that in our new home in greater Washington, DC.”
Building Community Through a Shared Love for Swimming
Despite the passion and interest, the road to founding WeAquatics was not a straight line. After moving back to the DMV, David found himself working in a highly competitive corporate management job.
“It was definitely lonely,” said David. “I knew it wasn’t a fit, and I was lost. Luckily, I knew where to go to find myself.”
The answer, as it had been his whole life, was in the water. He began offering private swimming lessons in 2015, and the endeavor grew quickly. He soon had students of all ages interested in lessons, and there were too many to handle himself.
“We started getting like-minded instructors to help. Deeply caring and supportive parents and helpers,” said David. “We were only interested in people who identified with the message.”
Built on those foundations of community, growth, and support, WeAquatics resonated with many and continued to expand. Today, the swim school has over 750 students and more than 25 instructors.
“A lot has changed, but swimming is always what pulls us together,” said David. “Together we are strong. Even after all the evolution of the business, I can still confidently say we’re a community built around growth and support.”
6 Pillars of the WeAquatics Brand
Lots of places offer swimming lessons. Even within the DMV, people have their pick of swimming schools.
So, what sets WeAquatics apart from everyone else?
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- Lessons for all. WeAquatics starts lessons with students as young as six months and welcomes individuals well into their eighties, with no upper age limit. We encourage and welcome swimmers with special needs to join.
- Respect for all. From students to instructors, WeAquatics is all about supporting one another, making authentic connections, and growing together through the unifying act of swimming.
- Service to the community. WeAquatics provides lifesaving skills to the community it loves so much, finds so much joy within, and takes so much pride in.
- Accommodation of goals. Whatever you want to get out of swim lessons, WeAquatics appreciates your contribution to something bigger than just swimming. By enabling people to be safe in and around water, WeAquatics helps its students improve their skill set, take on a new hobby, or compete at a high level.
- Emphasis on growth. Private one-on-one WeAquatics lessons are built around the student’s growth. By getting personalized attention, you can direct your own course, define your own goals, and work at your own pace.
- Community and belonging. Through swimming, mutual respect, patience, commitment, and reciprocity, WeAquatics views every student and instructor as a very real part of the WeAquatics family. The swim school brings people together, offers a sense of built-in community, and brings all the unexpected joys and opportunities that arise when people come together.
Swimming Classes Offered by WeAquatics
WeAquatics currently offers three different swimming classes:
Across these three classes, WeAquatics offers instruction to students as young as six months up to adults. The swim school also offers private one-on-one lessons (infant swimming and Learn-To-Swim), as well as a group swimming option (Young Masters).
Throughout the year, WeAquatics offers lessons on a rotation at nine pool locations across Washington, DC; Maryland; and Northern Virginia.
Want to Learn More about WeAquatics?
Interested in experiencing the WeAquatics difference yourself? We invite you to learn more about the classes we offer and our unique approach as a DMV swim school.
Have any questions? Want to learn more? Don’t hesitate to reach out!
