Meet Madison Marchegiano | Infant Aquatic Survival® Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Madison Marchegiano and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Madison, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
My goal is to teach as many children as I can the life-saving skills they need to survive in the water. Drowning is not brought to immediate attention and I want to change that. I want to put an end to childhood drownings. I want Colt’s legacy to continue forever and for every child I teach, I do it for him. If I can save just one child’s life, that would be the biggest blessing. I don’t want to see another family lose a child to something so preventable. I would do anything to bring Colt back. He is terribly and painfully missed.

What should our readers know about your business?
Drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages 1-4. In 2010, I lost Colt Walker Catalina, a family friend to a tragic drowning accident at the age of 2. I was just 12 years old when he passed away. I have so many fond memories of him and miss him every day. His death has impacted my life and left a hole in my heart. Colt is the reason I decided to become an Infant Aquatic Survival® Specialist. Colt’s Legacy Infant Aquatics LLC was founded in 2022 in honor of Colt Walker Catalina. Back in 2010, we had no idea survival swim lessons existed. I know without a doubt if Colt would have had these lessons, he would be here today. His story has inspired me to prevent this tragedy from happening to another family. No parent should ever lose a child.

I’m dedicated to teaching infants and young children ages 6 months through 6 years the survival swimming skills needed to enjoy the water safely. I have over 100 hours of in-water training and education in child development and behavior. Combining years of experience and educational background with the physics of swimming, Infant Aquatics® has developed and conducted the safest and most comprehensive baby swimming lessons possible.

I want every child to learn the life-saving skills they need to survive in the event of an aquatic emergency. I wake up every single day hoping that I’m making a difference and saving lives in Colt’s name. This is my passion. I’ve committed my life to raising awareness for drowning prevention and water safety. All because of Colt, he is my WHY. I hope one day to put an end to childhood drownings and have every parent out there enroll their child in survival swim lessons. For more information on the Infant Aquatics® program and to find an instructor near you, visit https://infantaquatics.com.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Austin, TX definitely has its own unique vibe, which goes along with its motto, Keep Austin Weird,” A few of my personal favorite places to eat are Pluckers Wing Bar, Maudie’s Tex Mex, and Gourdoughs Donuts food trailer. If you’ve never visited Be sure to check out the Domain for some shopping, take a stroll around Town Lake at Zilker Park, then grab a homemade cream soda and some nostalgic candy at the Big Top Candy Shop. In my opinion, Last, but certainly not least, Austin is known as The Live Music Capital of the World. Austin should be on everyone’s bucket list.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Judy Huemann is a pioneer in the field of infant swimming. She is the founder of Infant Aquatics® and her career began in the early 1970s. Acutely aware of the potential danger her backyard pool posed for her two young children, she began developing techniques to allow them to safely enjoy the water. In the 1980’s her passion for drowning prevention led her to ISR, an organization teaching aquatic survival. Following a move to Colorado in 1985, she continued to offer life-saving swim lessons to children, while raising her three children. She soon became recognized as Boulder County’s baby swimming specialist, teaching her students and training instructors throughout Colorado. In 2000 she founded Infant Aquatics, launched the Infant Aquatics website, and created the Infant Aquatic Survival® program. She began training Infant Aquatic Survival instructors and expanding the Infant Aquatics network. Judy chose instructors who were parents or grandparents of her students.

Demand for lessons exploded until Infant Aquatics outgrew all available pools in Boulder County. In 2010 Swim•Float•Swim! opened its doors in Longmont, and Judy’s dream of having a dedicated facility to give children the gift of survival and the joy of swimming was finally realized. Swim•Float•Swim! instructors use the proven methods Judy has developed over more than 5 decades to ensure that every student can master aquatic survival skills in weeks, not years. Once children complete the Infant Survival, Infant Aquatics, or Swim Wizards program, they advance into group classes which strengthen skills and increase confidence. The program includes group classes for skilled children of all ages.

Judy has personally taught more than 8,000 children and trained over 150 instructors, many of who travel thousands of miles to learn the Infant Aquatic Survival method. She is thrilled that her team of certified Infant Aquatics instructors is expanding her goal of teaching lifesaving skills to children on five continents around the world.

Judy has been one of my biggest inspirations. Because of her and Infant Aquatics®, in May 2022, I trained to become an Infant Aquatic Survival® Specialist. I want to follow in her footsteps and teach as many children as I can the life-saving skills they need to survive in the water. I admire her in so many ways and am grateful she started Infant Aquatics®.

Website: https://coltslegacyinfanta.wixsite.com/colt-s-legacy-infant

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coltslegacyinfantaquatics/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coltslegacyinfantaquatics/

Image Credits
Madison Marchegiano