Her Story
About Blythe
I've been a swim coach for 20 years, and I came into this work in an unexpected way. I was working for the county as a health inspector, but after I got hurt and they let me go, they hired me part-time to manage and supervise the lifeguards at the pool for the summer, and I loved it. In 2013, I had my foot ripped off, and after over 9 surgeries, my doctor was able to fix it using someone else's bone, though it doesn't bend. I'm disabled now, and the only place I feel comfortable is in the pool because you can't fall down in the pool - I almost feel normal again there. I didn't work for 5 years, then was on crutches for 2 more years before I could walk again. My specialty is teaching children and adults with disabilities, especially those with arm and feet disabilities, because they tend to go in circles in the water. I have to level out their weight and get them comfortable. When I was at the school with my kids, I got my teacher's aid certification and worked with special needs children, and they taught me more than I ever taught them. My teaching method is unique - I teach people how to get out of the pool before teaching them how to get in, because you have to take care of their fear first. We start with breathing exercises on land, taking 3 deep breaths to let everything go. It takes me 4 consecutive days, 15 minutes a day, and they're swimming by the fourth day. The first day I get to know who they are, what they like and don't like, and then I push their buttons the last three days. I work one-on-one with each person - no one else can be in the pool, not even the mama yelling at the kid. For 15 minutes, that person is mine and I'm theirs. I rarely charge for my services because of my disability - I can't lose my disability benefits - so people might tip me or pay for my gas. Sometimes I'll go pool to pool in neighborhoods or teach all the kids in a church. God's been good to me, so I'm giving back as much as I can. I also volunteer at the food pantry on Mondays and Thursdays, and I'm trying to get involved with the animal shelter.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Blythe
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to treating people like they're human beings - looking them in the eye and talking to them like they want and yearn to be talked to. It's always one-on-one, and you can't have anybody else in the pool or the mama yelling at the kid. For 15 minutes, that person is mine and I'm theirs, and that makes it a lot easier. You can't teach everybody the same way because everybody is different, with their own way of thinking and doing things. The first day I get to know who they are, what they like and don't like, and then I push their buttons the last three days. My faith has also been central - God's been good to me, so I'm giving back as much as I can. My doctor, Patrick Briggs in Webster, Texas, kept me alive in all kinds of ways, literally and metaphorically, with his encouragement. I went through a lot of shadow work, praying and screaming and yelling at God, asking for help, but I never lost my faith.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice came from my doctor, Patrick Briggs in Webster, Texas. He's an amazing podiatrist who would look at me, smile, and say it's so good to see my face - he was happy to see me and it just felt good. His encouragement kept me alive in all kinds of ways, literally, metaphorically, and spiritually. Along with my doctor, God helped me get better. Through all of this, the most important lesson I learned - what I would tell my younger self - is don't lose your faith. I've been grounded in faith, and that's what really got me through 5 years of not working and 2 more years on crutches after my injury.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Can't never could, could never would, and would never went nowhere. I would tell them to just pray about it, and that they could do anything that they put their mind and their heart to. The only person that's going to tell them no is themselves. You have to believe in yourself and not let fear or self-doubt hold you back. I went from having 4 jobs and making bank by Wednesday to being completely stopped when I got hurt, sitting in a house all by myself wondering what to do now. It took a lot of praying and screaming and yelling at God, asking for help, but I kept my faith and pressed forward. That's what any young woman needs to do - keep the faith and know that the only limits are the ones you put on yourself.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is education - people don't understand the importance of swimming and water safety. People think swimming is just recreational, but it's life-saving. It's not just about pools - it's babies in the bathtub, it's someone who has a wreck and their face lands in a ditch and they're paralyzed. I had a friend who almost died because when he wrecked his truck, his face landed in the ditch in the middle of the night. I've seen a mama fall on her back porch in the rain with her face in the water, and five of her kids walked out and just covered her up and walked back in with her face still in the water because they didn't know what to do. Even knowing the basics of anything can save a life. The opportunity is in teaching people these life skills - one life saved is amazing, because one death is too many. When I walk into a pool and see one of the little kids I taught is now a lifeguard, I start crying because I remember them struggling and now they're saving lives.
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