Meet the SwimLabs Highlands Ranch Team

Swimming has been a big part of my life – I grew up in the Littleton area swimming at both the summer club level as well as competitively. I started swimming competitively around the age of 12 and swam for Foothills Swim Team excelling in both butterfly and breaststroke events. I lifeguarded and taught swim lessons throughout high school and college. I swam two years at a D1 college (Tulane University) before quitting in order to focus on my academics. I hung up my suit for several years while I started a family. My three children all swam competitively for many years and now that they are grown and in college, I miss being around the pool all of the time. This is why I choose to work at SwimLabs! I also currently work as a statistician at Denver Health full time.

Alex has been coaching swimming since 2009 where he started with his
summer league team. In 2013, he started coaching club swimming for the
YMCA of Columbia Swim Club, where he worked with all group levels from
beginner swimmers to National-level competitors. He also helped start a local
Masters program for the YMCA, the Soda City Swarm. During his time in
Columbia, he taught group and private lessons to swimmers of all ages and
abilities.

Alex is a swim nerd in and out of the pool, enjoying learning, talking, and
applying new techniques in the sport. He believes in teaching the core
foundations of each stroke but is most intrigued by figuring out what works
best for each swimmer! Outside of swimming, Alex likes anything related to
fitness and other sports. He played lacrosse throughout middle school & high
school and has participated in a variety of obstacle-course races for the past
8 years. He is extremely excited to be a part of the SwimLabs Team and is
ready to help you develop a passion for the sport! Alex is the Head Coach of
SlipStream Aquatics, a USA Swimming club based out of Littleton. At SSA, he
enjoys being able to help swimmers find balance in both the pool and their
other sports/activities outside of it!

Mary has been an athlete her entire life. She played softball, basketball and volleyball growing up and then played competitive tennis through high school. In college, she discovered running and shortly thereafter became involved in endurance sports through marathon running and eventually triathlon.

Mary has been a marathon and triathlon coach since 2000. She is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach, Ironman certified coach and a Slowtwitch Master Coach and has experience coaching triathlon masters swim programs as well. She loves coaching beginner to intermediate level triathletes for swimming. Her focus is on helping triathletes feel more comfortable in the water, becoming more efficient, and getting more power from their freestyle stroke. Mary has coached hundreds of triathletes to complete races of all distances. She has personally completed 6 Ironman triathlons and 17 half Ironman distance races and the Ultra 520K Canada.

Born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada her growing years were always active ones. Skiing, horseback riding, swimming, volleyball, camping … and when not participating she was teaching or coaching them. An Elite volleyball player in High School and College. Early adulthood training and showing horses filled the years. Next marriage and motherhood made her cup runneth over…5 kiddos!! And all the parenting, volunteering, coaching and patience that entails. Through it all (last 20 years) swimming has been her happy place. Teaching groups and privates from 6 months to 60 years, she has taught them all. Her specialty though might be the little ones, so rewarding to see them smile with success and gain confidence. If you need references, you could ask any of her 6 pool confident grandchildren! Brenda is very excited to be part of the SwimLabs Family!

Laura Dravenstott has been working at SwimLabs Highlands Ranch for ten years as a LTS, competitive and triathlete instructor. Laura has been a competitive swimmer for four decades, beginning as an age group club swimmer, competing for Harvard University as a D1 sprinter, and then enjoying competition as a Masters athlete. Laura has several National Championship titles for her age group in US Masters Swimming and was a Relay All-American in 2019. Laura and her husband Rob have three children, two who swam for CCHS and CU Boulder’s club team. Laura has been an assistant coach for Cherry Creek High School Girls swimming for three years and has fifteen years of coaching experience with high school and Masters programs.

I have been swimming since I can remember! I am 20 years old and I have been swimming since I was about 5 years old. I took lessons here at SwimLabs and I have since grown a love for the sport. I swam all through high school at Cherry Creek on the varsity team and went on to win the state championship my senior year. When I was 15, I started teaching lessons for my summer club swim team and loved every minute of it. I love how I can share my ability to swim with kids and teach them to grow and become stronger and faster swimmers. I cant wait to continue growing as a swim instructor and continue to help kids feel safer in the water!

Jenny has been swimming since she was tiny and has always loved being a part of a swim team. Growing up in Colorado, she swam for Highlands Ranch Aquatics, Tops and Highlands Ranch High School. She started coaching for the Wildcat Ridge Tigersharks in 2000 and is currently on their board of directors. She is also currently an assistant coach for the Rock Canyon High School girl's swim team. She went to school at the University of Northern Colorado and taught early elementary education before shifting gears to the home front where she takes care of 3 amazing kiddos. As a coach she will always draw from her passion for teaching and working with kids!

A Colorado native, Karin is a former assistant coach from the University of Louisville. Alongside coach Arthur Albiero from 2003-2012, coached two NCAA Division 1 Champions, 45 All American’s, and 8 Olympians. Prior to Louisville, Karin coached National Championship men’s and women’s swimming teams at Kenyon College 2001-2003. In 2019 she was a volunteer assistant to CCHS girls team, her alma mater. Karin had the amazing opportunity to be on the USA Swimming National Open Water Team Staff at the 2012 and 2015 Pan American Games, as well as the 2013 World Championships. She also finished the 2016 70.3 Ironman Chattanooga.

In her free time, Karin mixes up her day with swimming, spinning, hot yoga and being a super auntie! She loves teaching swimming and gets so excited watching kids accomplish amazing feats!

Liam is a junior at Arapahoe High School. He has lived in Colorado all his life. He did Swim Team when he was a kid. Now he wants to help kids work on life skills such as swimming as well as make it fun for the kids!

Leah is a senior at Arapahoe high school and has been swimming her whole life! She now plays varsity softball for Arapahoe. She is working at SwimLabs to spread the joy of the water and to have fun teaching kids how to swim! She loves kids and always has a great time hanging out with them!

Kait started to work at SwimLabs after her 6 year old son had been taking swimming lessons here for about a year. She loved the atmosphere and the friendliness of all of the staff and swim instructors. Her family always felt welcome at SwimLabs, and she was especially fond of all that SwimLabs does to help children with disabilities learn to swim! In her spare time, Kait spends time with her husband, son, and dog - exploring Colorado, traveling, and snowboarding/skiing together!

Grand comes to the role with more than ten years of coaching experience and numerous academic achievements. Upon earning his PhD from Auburn University in Psychophysiology, Grand served as a full-time assistant coach at both Auburn and Indiana University, directly working with world-record holders and Olympic medalists. Throughout his experience at the age group, high school and collegiate levels, Grand has played an integral part in maximizing human performance through biomechanics and the physiology of swimming.

Robin got her two daughters in the pool as infants because of her own love for the water and her desire for them to be safe during their beach travels and neighborhood pool time. Her daughters are now varsity swimmers at Cherry Creek High School and year-round club swimmers. In addition to her busy life as a mom, Robin also teaches preschool. She is drawn to roles which allow her to share her knowledge and create excitement for learning, whether it be in the classroom or the pool.

While I don't focus on astrology, I am a Pisces, which may in part account for my love of the water and swimming. I grew up swimming competitively in Tennessee. My passion around all things swimming was reignited through my own two children who started with summer club, with my daughter going on to swim competitively, including as a D1 athlete with the University of Hawaii. I've also dabbled in Masters Swimming over the years. I was recently reintroduced to SwimLabs when I brought my granddaughter for lessons. I'm thrilled to be poolside as part of the SwimLabs team.

I am currently a senior at MSU Denver studying psychology. I have been swimming as long as I can remember and while I’ve never swam competitively I have worked in aquatics for 6 years! I love teaching people the importance of water safety and
swimming!

I am currently a Senior at Cherry Creek High School and am an FBLA member and officer. I have been swimming since I was five and have been teaching swim lessons for the past two years. I am lifeguard certified and am passionate about water safety as well as stroke refinement and development. I love teaching and love children and am very excited to join!

As a child, Erika had so much energy that shortly after she moved from Japan to a small rural town in Wisconsin, her family doctor recommended swim lessons as an outlet for her energy. Not only did this advice make her parents’ lives easier, but it also introduced her to a sport that has been an integral part of her life for the past 18 years. She is grateful for everything swimming has brought to her, including the opportunity to study at and compete for the University of Denver, winning five consecutive conference titles with her team. Despite her successes, she realizes that her achievements in swimming reach far beyond her medals and championship titles. Swimming has shaped her into the person that she is today and inspired her to share its benefits with others. This motivation led her to SwimLabs, where she hopes to impart not only technical skills but also a love for swimming and a commitment to healthy development and lifestyles.

Juliet began swimming competitively at 5 years old through the YMCA swim team and continued to do so until the age of 15 through several club teams in IL. She continues to swim recreationally in her free time when she isn't running cross country or track for Mountain Vista. Swimming has always been her true love and she is so excited to help kids develop their swimming skills while having fun in the water.

Lucy has been swimming since she was 5 years old and has always loved the water. She has grown up swimming on her neighborhood swim team, The Willow 1 Barracudas in addition to competitive swimming. Outside of swimming Lucy loves to run, play tennis and is currently a Junior at Cherry Creek High School. At SwimLabs she loves getting to interact with kids and teaching them skills so that one day they might grow to love the water as much as she does!

I love swimming! I've been doing it since I was 6 and I'm going into my sophomore year at Littleton High School. I swim for the school and for Slipstream Aquatics. In the summers, I coach a summer swim team in my neighborhood, which I really enjoy. I'm excited to meet new people and have a great time at SwimLabs!

MaKenna is a senior at Rock Canyon High School this year. She's loved being in the water her whole life and working with kids. When she's not at the pool, she completes in DECA and FBLA as well as working in performing arts. She loves being around kids and teaching them to love water as much as she does!

Teagan is a Junior at Cherry Creek High School. She started swimming with her summer swim team, Homestead Hurricanes, when she was 5. Teagan currently swims on Aces Swim Club and is a member of the varsity team at Creek. She also loves dogs and the ocean.

Lydia is a Senior at Sky View Academy and plays on the Varsity softball team for Highlands Ranch High School. She loves being around kids and seeing them get more comfortable in the water. Her favorite part is watching them advance in their swimming abilities. She learned to swim at SwimLabs!

I just recently graduated from Pepperdine University in California, where I swam D1 on their team all four years and was team captain during my senior year! I grew up in Highlands Ranch and went to Mountain Vista. I’ve been swimming since I was about 5 and swam on HRA for many years before college. Outside of swimming, I love the ocean, to paint, hike, and spend lots of time with my golden retrievers! I love teaching at SwimLabs to stay connected in the swim community and to help show others how rewarding swimming can be!

Since I started getting swim lessons at SwimLabs when I was 5 years old, swimming has been a big part of my life. While forgoing high school swimming, I’ve been on no shortage of teams. From my neighborhood team in the summer, to SwimLabs own Sawfish team, from the Wheatland Sharks to DSA, my childhood is full of long practices and nerve racking meets. While my competitive days are behind me, I can now focus on giving children and adults alike the essential skill of swimming and showing them all the joy that comes with it, while perusing my education and certifications.

I have been swimming since I was 5 and have been swimming at Swimlabs for as long I can remember. I am currently a senior at Cherry Creek High School and have been swimming on the Varsity state team since I was a freshman. I have loved swimming since the day I started and am excited to help others gain an appreciation for the sport!

I have lived in Colorado for 18 years now. I started swimming when I was 5 and continued here as a competitive swimmer through high school. I have two wonderful children. I recently graduated with my associate’s in criminal justice and will be starting CU Denver in the fall for my Bachelor of Science in Law and Policy – Pre-law.