CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 13 if the skirt of that lady's swimsuit had not been within tugging reach of a panicky little hand. When I scooped up my too-shocked-to-cry preschooler, the first thing she managed to say was, "Mommy, I'm sorry! I forgot I didn't have on my floatie." e thing is, water accidents happen, and happen oen. ey happen to the children of even the most protective of parents. ey happen winter, spring, summer and fall. ey happen in crowded areas with lifeguards on duty and in backyard swimming pools with seemingly impenetrable security fences. While so many of us parents do everything we can think of to prevent these horrific occurrences, what we oen fail to consider is what to teach our babies to do if one such emergency should happen. One Fayetteville mom has made this her mission. Nicole Burkhart has always loved the water. As a child growing up in West Palm Beach, Florida, swimming pools and the Atlantic Ocean were her playgrounds. She began swimming competitively at age 7 and went on to swim at the Junior Olympic and collegiate levels while also teaching swimming lessons in her spare time. Nicole has coached numerous swim teams, has worked as an elementary school teacher, married her husband John, a major in the Army Special Forces and become a mother of three. From the beginning of parenthood, Nicole wanted her children to share her love of the water. It was on a summer stay in Colorado 10 years ago that she first heard of the international Infant Swimming Resource. e concept – which involves a series of private lessons from a certified instructor who would teach her then-2-year-old to rescue herself in the event of a water emergency – intrigued the young mom who also had an infant in tow. Aware that no such program existed back home, Nicole enrolled her daughter in a six-week session of ISR lessons. What Burkhart did not know was that this newfound program would come to change the trajectory of her life nearly a decade later. Although Nicole will tell you that she knew from almost the first lesson that she wanted to be a part of the ISR team, she also acknowledges that it took her a long time to 910.868.5131 | 3200 Cliffdale Road, Fayetteville, NC 28303 | www.fayacademy.org Fayetteville Academy Fayetteville Academy admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, gender identity, or sexual orientation in administration of its educational policies, admissions, financial aid, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Visit www.fayacademy.org for Open House information Virtual Open House April 13, 2021 at 6:30pm Pre-K through grade 12 STEAM SmartLabs ® The 25 members of the Class of 2020 were offered more than $2.7 million in college scholarships and grants. 89 percent of AP exams taken resulted in a score of 3 or higher. Chromebook 1:1 program | Grades 4-7 LEGO ® Robotics Team More than $500,000 in need-based financial aid awarded annually to qualified applicants. RANKED #1 IN THE NICHE.COM 2021 BEST PRIVATE K-12 SCHOOLS IN THE FAYETTEVILLE AREA FayeeevilleNC.gov - City's Website for News & Updates - Get Engaged With Social Media - Watch FayTV on Spectrum Cable - Streaming on your Smart TV - City's Podcast on your Smartphone - Sign up for the City's E-Newsleeer

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