Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Angela Wild. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Angela, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

In 1992, I was an angry teen whose parents uprooted from suburban Orange County to a rural town with an unscrupulous name near Sacramento. Newly moved in and getting used to my surroundings, our neighbor recommended that we explore the beautiful Yuba River, and a particularly popular swim spot frequented by locals. That weekend, we trekked out to a beautiful section of the Yuba, flanked by pillowy soft sand on the shore, and gently weathered rocks to climb, hike and jump off into the refreshing river. All afternoon, we swam, bathed in the sun and explored the popular spot.
Our reverie was suddenly shattered by the piercing shriek of a distraught mother on the other side of the river from us. As we looked up, my eyes fixated on the sight of a man, waist deep in the river, forcefully yanking on something buried in the sand about 2 feet under the water’s surface. It wasn’t until he stood up and flung the lifeless body of a small boy out of the river did my brain comprehend what was happening. For nearly 20 agonizing minutes, strangers rotated in giving CPR compressions to the child until a helicopter airlifted him to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. The sight of his father, hunched on top of a flat, low lying rock at the water edges, hands in prayer and voice pleading to his higher power has forever etched itself into my brain.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the perception that with experience comes wisdom. As a swim instructor with over 20 years of experience in the ” swim lesson” business, one could assume that with so much experience, I would remain confident in my abilities to manage students, run classes, operate a business, produce relatable social media content, etc.

However, regardless of my previous experiences helping manage a staff alongside owners, or launching a new pool build, with each year in my business, I remain forever a humble student. Ego and hubris cannot be accounted for in this industry, as to remain relevant, efficient and effective, the willingness to humble oneself to learn a new skills is key. Personal development and a willingness to step outside of a comfort zone to attack problems from different angles, or to learn new ” tricks of the trade” will be benefit everyone, regardless of how many years they have in the business.

Have you ever had to pivot?

While it would be easy to discuss how the pandemic affected my ability to teach swimming lessons, a more fitting answer would simply be ” NOW”.

As mentioned in my previous answer, complacency is the killer of creativity and motivation. In recent years, the public health crisis of drowning continues to be concerning, as data reveals no significant reduction in rates over the last decade, regardless of the efforts from a multi-sectoral approach. As I have worked with local safety organizations and nonprofits to bridge gaps, identify key safety strategies and promote community health campaigns, it became evident that I desired a broader knowledge base and skill set that could carry me into the sunset of my career.
Swimming all day in a pool, working with children and general aspects of the profession can be physically taxing, and over the past few years, I began to consider what the next step would be for me as I slowly left the pool for ” dryer pastures”. I desired to stay in the profession, but also felt that I wanted to explore a more academic approach, therefore, even though I already have a Master’s degree, I chose to return back to school to pursue an MPH (Master’s in Public Health) to help join the ranks of those making contributions to the profession from a research perspective. Returning to college in 2024, both with all the advancements in fancy gadgets for students and academia AND to be in a cohort of young students fresh out of undergraduate programs leaves me both overwhelmed and excited. My goal is to graduate and then continue to slowly contribute to my local public health departments efforts for data surveillance and reporting of fatal and non fatal drowning deaths, and work towards an eventual transition out of the pool. I hope to apply to be an adjunct professor at a local university to help grow the next wave of aquatics professionals!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.unitedstatesdrowningresearchalliance.com, & www.ElementalSd.com
• Instagram: @Elemental_Aquatics_Sd
• Facebook: ” Angela Wild”
• Youtube: The Prevention Podcast