I’m a Water Baby!  Water is where I shared wonderful moments at the neighborhood pool with my dad as he helped me master walking and swimming at the same time. I have subtle glimpses of these tender moments but, with distinct clarity, I felt the water drops call to me even then.  In summers to follow, I dove in the pool at first light for swim practice and pulled myself out of the water for dinner or the streetlights turning on. Training in the water was two-a-days, year-round, summer league, winter high school league and winter county league practices plus swim meets on the weekends. Lifeguarding from high school through college allowed me to be at the pool even longer and get paid. A knee injury during dryland training ended my competitive swimming career in college, see, I was meant to be in the water! Despite the abrupt end, life in the water has gifted me with neighbors, friends and teammates, that became family.   

It all began with my Dad passing his love of the water on to me and since then, water has been one of the loves of my life. I’ve made my home on the coast through the years, St. Augustine, Florida, Savannah, Georgia, & North Carolina’s Outer Banks to be closer to water. The rhythms of the ocean call to me like the first drops did all those years ago.  Water continues to energize me, inspire me, open my mind to the possibilities and water always feels like a strong, powerful embrace.