“TESTIMONIALS”
What Parents Are Saying
“To other parents who are considering toddler swim/self rescue training: I couldn't recommend ISR and Vicki more highly. Drowning is the leading cause of death for healthy kids aged 1-4, and you owe it to your kids to teach them how to be safe in it.“
"Valerie Is patient and knowledgeable and really makes learning this new skill fun and gentle. Our girl looked forward to swimming everyday! We highly recommend Valerie and will be using her again for our youngest!"
- Genevieve W
”Sonya was our swim instructor this summer for our 21 month old son. We honestly didn’t know what to expect and hoped at the least she could help him learn to float to buy us a few seconds in an emergency. Her classes far exceeded our expectations. Our son can swim under water, find the steps and get out on his own, roll over to get air and he can float on his back. He passed his “falling in” simulations over and over. She is amazing and so gentle and intuitive! Would absolutely recommend her! Thank you, Sonya!”
““I never thought my 3-year-old would learn these survival skills as quickly as she did but Vicki Miller was very supportive and patient in teaching her. She learned how to float in two lessons and never hesitated in trying what Ms. Vicki told her to do because of the trust Ms. Vicki built between herself and my daughter. The Instructors foster a trusting relationship that allows these survival lessons to take place.”
— Shana A
Cassie was amazing with my son. She worked so hard with him to get that float down, and it’s amazing to watch him save himself. I cannot say enough amazing things about her and this class.” ~Lyndsie E
“If you are looking for your little one to learn how to be safe in and around the water and/or how to swim, look no further than Cassie at ISR South Austin! Our experience there was incredible. Our son has no fear of water (or much of anything for that matter). He would not hesitate to run and jump into any pool or body of water he saw, which was quite stressful for us as parents. He went from having no concept of what to do in the water (i.e sinking like a rock) to be able to swim and float on his own in less than 6 weeks. Cassie and ISR South Austin have my highest recommendation. What she was able to help our son accomplish in such a short time was amazing. I strongly encourage anyone who has young kids who don't know how to swim to give Cassie and ISR South Austin a try. You won't be disappointed.” ~Joshua B
“Sonya is amazing and truly passionate about what she does. She is literally saving lives. We are so thankful for her expertise and such patience with our kids. BEST money ever spent; worth Every penny.”
“Vicki Miller was an amazing fit for my daughter, Kenzie. Kenzie is 3 and has Down syndrome, and Vicki had high expectations of her, just as she did for everyone. She was really good about incorporating verbal and visual cues as necessary to help Kenzie be successful.”
— Jen
“Loved Ms Vicki! June still talks about her and wanting to swim with her.”
— Leslie H.
“Sonya is kind and understanding of every student. She talked us through everything she was doing to make us comfortable. She's patient and wonderful. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to put their kids in ISR.”
“HIGHLY RECOMMEND Cassie Curtin for ISR. My daughter (2) started swim this April not knowing a thing about swimming or floating. After approx 6 weeks, she can now swim/float on her own. Watching her each week left me speechless. I will FOREVER be grateful for ISR and Cassie for teaching my daughter the survival techniques she needs to save her life. I will continue to sign my daughter up for refresher courses, as it’s something that will always be a priority until her swimming is perfected.”
— BreAnna H
" My daughter has more confidence in and around water thanks to this amazing program. She learned life savings skills at the age of two and I’m so impressed and proud of her... Valerie is super patient and incredible with children. I can’t say enough great things."
-Kimberly Marie
What parents are saying about our lessons …
Sonya makes me feel so confident about taking my kids to the pool. As a prior lifeguard, I've seen it all and it makes me nervous to have my own kids in the pool. The skills they have learned are really engrained - they can swim, float and get themselves to a safe place if they are ever in trouble. Thank you Sonya!! We love you!
This is our fourth time working with Sonya and she has been excellent every time. Our son was extra stubborn this time around and she worked with him to support his emotional needs while also teaching him to stay safe in the water. I put #3 on my child skills because my child was not cooperating this time around. Sonya stayed patient and insisted for him to learn his ISR .
“If I could leave Cassie with ISR South Austin 10 stars I would! She is a wealth of knowledge, creative, beyond patient, and an encouraging leader at what she does! Our son literally cried the first week+ and most new skills she introduced. Not once did she waver, her confidence was not only transferred to our son but by the end of his summer session he mastered everything she threw at him (with summer clothes, with winter clothes, floating, flipping, etc) ...with a beaming smile on his face. The confidence and skill set/ survival techniques he has gained in this course with Cassie is immeasurable HIGHLY recommend!!”
‘Sonya is a fantastic instructor whom I was able to get to know personally over the past year. She is dedicated to all her students, parents and grandparents. Her knowledge and willingness to give her best to all children always impressed me. But most of all she has a love for what she does and it shows through when she teaches your child. I was fortunate to have her teach my grandson. Thank you, Sonya!’
‘Vicki has the patience of a Saint with kiddos. And a heart of gold when they want to just hug on her for a quick second because they need a break. She is amazing!’
‘My little one (18 months) was reluctant and full of resistance for the first three weeks of lessons. However, with Mrs. Sonya’s nurturing nature, patience and steady instruction, my swimmer found her way to properly float. She actually eagerly walked her way into Mrs. Sonya’s arms as daily lessons began. Post our six weeks with Sonya, my swimmer did amazingly well while in the pool during the busy Memorial Day weekend. She impressed many with her unbelievable life saving skills instilled by Sonya. We can’t thank Sonya enough for helping to prepare our precious jewel while in the water.’
‘Our 16 month old son started lessons with Vicki last month - gently learning how to hold onto the bar on the side, hold his breath, and float on his back/breathe through his nose. As lessons progressed, we could tell our son was becoming more stubborn, but Vicki stuck through it, and reassured us that he was making progress, despite his fussiness (I warned Vicki that our son is the most stubborn person I have ever met). ‘
‘Sonya is THE BEST. She took my two toddler from hating to get their faces wet to swimming and rolling on their backs in 5 weeks! It was an incredible journey to see unfold and I couldn’t recommend ISR more! Truly is an incredible investment for the safety of your children.’
Our ISR instructor, Sonya Brondel, is simply the best. She clearly communicates regarding lessons and my children’s progress every day. Additionally, during the lesson she’s a very calming force with one of my very stubborn sons. She pushes him just outside his comfort zone to learn the next skill and trust his body. She also takes time to demonstrate what she’s doing with both my boys so if we swim in between lessons, I’m prepared and can help them make positive progress, vs creating bad habits which will impact their lessons. We’ve been extremely blessed to have Sonya as our ISR instructor!!! Kylee
Sonya Brondel was an amazing ISR instructor. She communicated clearly about each of my children’s abilities and areas for improvement. She showed an unbelievable amount of patience with my 18 month old who wasn’t the biggest fan at the beginning of his lessons. She was caring, nurturing and went the extra mile to really make the lessons the best! We are FOREVER GRATEFUL!!
We are very pleased with our ISR experience and can head into the Summer feeling confident that our little boy is safe and comfortable in the water. I am so thankful to have found Sonya in this area as she was an excellent instructor. She was willing to work with Shepherd however necessary to help him grasp the skills. We will certainly use her for any future ISR needs. Thank you SONYA!!
Sonya is the best instructor, and both of my kids trust and love her! Ali
Sonya was great! We feel confident that our son will be swimming soon and that he’ll be safe around the pool.
Sonya is absolutely AMAZING and I am so thankful, every day, that we found her!! My daughter LOVES her and loves learning from her. Cassie R
This is our second year in ISR lessons with Sonya. She has been amazing, and has taught all 3 of our kids how to swim (and one to float- 9 months old). It is a commitment, but it is worth it. Nicole N
Sonya is the most dedicated instructor and so passionate about helping these children learn to swim. I recommend her to everyone! Tiffany DeBolt H
Sonya Brondel is awesome! i will be signing my other children up with her in the future. she is very patient, encouraging and a wonderful teacher! Hayley S
I absolutely love Sonya. She has always shown great care and involvement with my kids. She wants to see them succeed, and is committed to getting them there. The smiles on my kids' faces when they reach a milestone is one of the best parts. Self-rescue is a very important skill to have, especially if you live near water; and I feel confident that my children are in good hands when they are with Sonya, and that when they graduate they have the confidence needed to help themselves. Nicole N
I am very pleased with Sonya Brondel's teaching style and proficiency. Mikey F
Sonya Brondel has been wonderful and genuinely committed to our son's progress along with all other lessons. She has worked with us to make lessons fit what Shepherd (2 years old) needs and we are beginning to see him actually swim. We are very thankful for her!!
Sonya has been incredible! She has helped my 2.5 year old gain so much confidence in her float and swim. I 100% recommend ISR lessons. Thank you so much Sonya! We love you! Vanessa G
We loved Sonya Brondel! Only wish it was a little closer to my house :). She was excellent with my 2.5 yo and 8 month old. I feel confident that they will be able to float and save themselves! Aimee M
Mrs. Brondel is AMAZING. She managed to get my daughter to a level of confidence she never managed to develop in 3 years of swimming lessons. My daughter can now float, touch the bottom of the pool, and can't stop swimming. It is astonishing to see how much she has accomplished in just 3 weeks thanks to Mrs. Brondel's ISR swimming lessons.
Miss Vicki was wonderful with my children. They loved seeing her, taking instruction from her, and eventually showing off their new skills to her.
We thought Ms Vicki was great.
Vicki has taught all four of my children! We are incredibly thankful for the survival skills she’s taught them. What a priceless gift! Jessica H
Over the years, Vicki has taught my 2 sons to swim and is now teaching my 1 year old daughter. She is the best and very dedicated. We love Vicki and are so thankful for her!
Vicki is awesome with all 3 of our children, all vastly different comfort and skill levels. She is patient but firm and has even made my son comfortable and he has stranger danger. I am so appreciative of all she has done for our family. Our oldest can’t wait to come to class every day and our girl twin won’t stop practicing her skills in the bath or any water she is around. Catalina J
We were at a pool party today when Josh was playing by the edge. I never took an eye off of him as I knew he could fall in. Well in a split second he did fall in. I jumped up prepared to jump in after him BUT no need his ISR training kicked in and immediately he got onto his back flipped over and grabbed onto the wall by the time I made it over to him. Thank you thank you thank you ISR Vicki Miller for your training.
Sonya Brondel has been amazing for my kids. I was shocked at how quickly they were able to pick up swimming, rotating to their backs and back over again. My son is very sad his lessons are over, but his confidence in the water is amazing to see! He had lessons on and off prior to working with Sonya and wasn’t able to achieve in almost two years what Sonya was able to achieve in three weeks. Thank you Sonya! We are forever grateful!
Sonya Brondel has been amazing for my kids. I was shocked at how quickly they were able to pick up swimming, rotating to their backs and back over again. My son is very sad his lessons are over, but his confidence in the water is amazing to see! He had lessons on and off prior to working with Sonya and wasn’t able to achieve in almost two years what Sonya was able to achieve in three weeks. Thank you Sonya! We are forever grateful!
We love Sonya. She has become a part of the family after teaching both of my children to be safe in a pool Tiffany H
Sonya is absolutely excellent with my daughter
Sonya has been excellent this year and last year. She is patient and clear in her instructions. Also very helpful in teaching us parents how to continue the skills at home.
Vicki is fabulous and clearly passionate about making sure children acquire the skills necessary to stay safe in the water! Karen J
Vicki has been absolutely amazing. She has now taught all 3 of my children. We have been going to her for almost 8 years and keep coming back. I am so glad she has been able to teach my children. She is patient, knowledgeable and friendly. I enjoy working with her and will continue to refer to her for family and friends. Lauren H
Vicki Miller We are always super happy with Vicki and her ability to teach our children safety skills in the water! Alex H
Great experience. Vicki Miller was an excellent instructor.
Get your child the SELF RESCUE skills they need to be safe in the water!