Hi parents and guardians.

My name is Laura Utsch. To sum up a big piece of who I am, I LOVE the water. I love to just be in it, to move, breathe, float, stretch, work hard in it. Water has given me support and freedom ever since I can remember. It is an old friend.

I grew up a competitive swimmer, swam on scholarship at a Div 1 college, and started coaching/teaching swimming in 2002. In 2014 I founded a nonprofit called Find Your Fins. We offer free or reduced cost lessons to veterans, people with addictions, and people with disabilities. I became trained in Infant Aquatics so I could better teach kids with disabilities aquatic survival skills, beginning their lifelong journey of being a swimmer.

Drowning is the number one cause of accidental death for children 1-4 years old. As an instructor, teaching a skill that can save the child’s life is remarkable. Watching an infant or a toddler plop into the water and maneuver their way to their back, to safety, to breath, is a wonder. These children are so capable. It’s an honor to help them start their lifelong love for the water.