Swim with Mrs Deedee

Debi McGehee - Preventing Childhood drowning one child at a time

I am passionate about childhood development and safety in the event they ever find themselves in an aquatic environment. I love connecting with each and every family celebrating every milestone in the pool, and watching kids overcome fears and gain confidence in and out of the water.

Dive In Today

Water-Safety Instructor in Oklahoma City, Newcastle, Tuttle and Moore and Norman

I am a certified aquatic instructor with experience teaching children of all ages, including those with special needs. I am deeply passionate about helping kids overcome their fear of water and educating parents on the importance of aquatic safety.

My husband and I reside in Newcastle, Oklahoma, where we have raised five adult children and are proud grandparents to twelve wonderful grandchildren. Since 2020, I've been teaching ISR and have guided hundreds of young children—just like yours—in learning life-saving self-rescue skills. I believe I am blessed with the ability to help others, and it brings me true joy to see your child achieve their goals, whether that's SWIM FLOAT SWIM, ROLLBACK to FLOAT, or continuing maintenance lessons as they grow and develop.

FAQs

Will my child need additional lessons?

Based on our research, we know that refresher lessons are important because children change so much both cognitively and physically during the first 0-5 years of life. It is important that their water survival skills grow with their bodies. Frequency depends on the child's age, growth rate, skill level and confidence level. The goal of refresher lessons is to help your child adjust his/her new body size and weight to his/her existing skill level. Your instructor will work with your child to help fine-tune his or her aquatic experience to assist with building efficiency, which will result in self-confidence. This is especially important if your child has not been able to practice any appropriate aquatic skill between seasons.

Will my child fear the water because of lessons?

There is an important difference between being fearful and being apprehensive because you are not yet skilled in a new environment. ISR is not like traditional swim lessons; it is a drowning prevention program that teaches survival swimming. Sometimes as a parent, you make choices for your child’s safety, like sitting in a car seat, because you know they are important. The same can be said for ISR. Fun can be defined as when skill meets challenge. Once competent in their skills, many children cannot be dragged away from the pool. They are having entirely too much FUN.

Can’t babies swim naturally?

Unfortunately, babies cannot naturally swim. If this were the case, there wouldn’t be so many drownings every year. According to the Center for Disease Control and Accident Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children ages 1-4 in the United States.

Do parents have to leave during the lessons?

No. You are truly the best cheerleader your child could have. Your positive support and encouragement are invaluable to creating an effective learning environment for your child.

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Discover more about our programs and how we can help you.