In Chelsea, Swim Happy is helping children overcome fear and learn life-saving skills through a personalized, science-informed approach to swimming.
Putting children in the water for the first time can be nerve-racking for parents and kids alike. At Swim Happy, Jennifer (Jen) Olk has made it her goal to reduce that uncertainty and help swimmers build confidence early. She emphasized, “I struggle with the idea that teaching children to swim can be thought of as dangerous. I try hard to meet every swimmer no matter where they are at and use my best judgement on how to go about teaching them this ‘scary’ skill.”
That perspective has been shaped over decades. Jen explained, “I started because my mother does not know how to swim, and she wanted to make sure my sisters and I were safe in the water.” By age nine, she had joined her local swim team, and by 16, she was already teaching lessons. After earning a teaching degree and briefly working as a seventh-grade science teacher, she accepted a coaching job in Illinois before returning to Michigan.
Back in Michigan, Jen continued teaching in a variety of settings. She “began teaching lessons in people’s backyard pools,” and added, “Once we moved to Chelsea, I began teaching at Beach Middle School for community ed and the swim team.” She also worked at the Chelsea and Dexter Wellness Centers before eventually purchasing her own pool and running lessons from home…