Promoting water safety and education is the goal for Valley business owner, swim instructor

WASILLA — Tina Buffington started Swim Alaska in 2010 with a primary goal in mind, educating the public how to swim and the essentials of water safety. Today, she teaches all walks of life, averaging about 10 classes a day, in and out of the pool with that same goal ever present.

“Nobody should drown. It’s completely unnecessary,” Buffington said.

Swim Alaska is on a private residence tucked in a neighborhood above Wonderland Park. Buffington purchased the property that came with a commercially built pool and keeps it sanitized with salt water instead of chlorine. She teaches as young as 3 months old and offers a variety of group and private swim lessons.

“There’s a lot of maintenance and responsibility to have a pool,” she said.

As a “self-proclaimed mermaid,” Buffington spends a lot her time around the water. She was raised in it, molded by it. Her parents were both skilled swimmers and ensured that their daughter was comfortable in and around the water at an early age. She urged all parents to do the same with their children, as early as possible.

“There are so many kids in the Valley who don’t know how to swim and there’s water everywhere,” she said.

Buffington is a certified instructor and trainer, and has an extensive background in the medical field. Over the years, she discovered the many benefits of aquatic activity, particularly those for the special needs community. That added to her already surging passion for her aquatic aspirations, and she is happy to share what she’s learned.

Most people with autism, Down syndrome, or other mental disabilities “crave pressure” due to their sensory overload, she said. The water covers their whole body and applies hydrostatic pressure.

“It’s really rewarding because it’s such an individual sport,” she said.

She recounted her classes with quadriplegics who normally be immobile were able float and swim in a new environment. She said that many of her swimmers with special needs, physical or mental, look forward to her class and are often eager to jump in.

“It makes me realize how much this was needed,” Buffington said.

As a certified state and federal vendor, Buffington teaches children and adults, from individuals and families to home school students and other groups and organizations. Currently, she’s focusing mostly on children. She said that children are the highest priority and the earlier someone gets comfortable in and around the water, the less likely they will to be afraid of water or worse, get killed by it. About 90 percent of drowning victims are people who didn’t plan on being near the water that day according to Tina.

“Swimmers usually aren’t the ones who drown,” Tina said.

She said swimmers and other people who spend a majority if their lives in and out of water usually know proper water safety and know what to look out for. In light of the recent water related deaths, she implored everyone the learn how to swim and know proper water etiquette as soon as possible.

For more information about classes and prices, visit: www.swimalaska.com or call 907-357-SWIM (7946).