Our team of experienced and certified instructors is the heart of Urban Swim Academy. With backgrounds in advanced swimming, safety, and first aid training, they bring professionalism and passion to every course.
Swimming coaching is a truly rewarding job and I feel privileged to work with clients and make amazing things happen.
Heidi has been in Dubai since 2005, originally from Australia – a big island surrounded by water! For Heidi, swimming is her happy place. She loves being on the water, in the water or around the water.
Throughout school she swam – both competitively and for fun. Heidi was encouraged by her swim coach to complete her lifesaving levels and qualified as a pool lifeguard in high school. This gives her added confidence around water safety and something else she can introduce to clients for some fun, like teaching rescue techniques and recovery strokes.
As a mum of twin girls, and from a corporate working background, Heidi brings a different personal perspective to her coaching.
Heidi’s specialty is the learn-to-swim kids and clients old or young and those with special needs (her daughter has Cerebral Palsy).
Scientist. Swim coach. Geek. Empowering swimmers and triathletes with passion and knowledge.
With a degree in Engineering and a couple of Master degrees in Science, Aurelie tends to view every piece of data as a learning opportunity. When she is not coaching poolside or crunching numbers on her laptop, you will find her researching training methods and techniques.
For the last few years, she was both a swimming instructor and a swim coach for squads in Saudi Arabia, sharing her passion for swimming with children, teenagers and adults alike. From complete beginners to advanced swimmers, she has been teaching and coaching all levels in a multicultural environment. Having now moved to Dubai, she is eager to put her energy to the service of Urban swimmers.
Mum of two swimmers, she is always promoting the immense benefits of sports in general, and swimming in particular, in the development of children and teenagers. From the obvious physical advantages that a non-contact non-weight bearing, demanding sport bring, to the improved self-esteem and confidence, the development of discipline, the sense of commitment, the team spirit: swimming has it all!
Besides coaching, Aurelie also trains for triathlons herself, and this season is focusing on olympic and half- distances. She is always ready for a challenge, be it a 10km ocean swim, or the occasional century mile solo bike ride.
Favourite stroke to teach? breaststroke and butterfly.
Favourite stroke to swim? anything but backstroke.
Favourite whimsical event? any reverse triathlon.
I love to help others develop their technical understanding of the water whilst having some fun!
Lisa has been involved in the leisure industry and teaching for over 20 years. She began working in a pool as a lifeguard and coaching alongside her own Swim Coach. Following this Lisa taught swimming in California, Greece, and co-ordinated programs in the UK, Muscat and finally moved to Dubai in August 2005. During this time she taught swimming in hotels and health clubs, she ran her own company for 6 years and has joined Fitness First in October 2013 to develop the Aquatics Department.
Having grown up in Hong Kong Lisa learnt to swim competitively at a young age, on returning to the UK she swam competitively to county level.
Lisa loves to help others to develop their understanding and technical understanding of the water whilst having some fun and games. She also enjoys working with more advanced swimmers to develop their strokes and technique further.
As an Aquatic Tutor, Lisa brings her vast knowledge of swimming teaching to those looking to enter the industry.
