Testimonials
Below are some comments made by some of our clients. For videos, click here. If you would like to submit your comments, please contact me today!
“There is no possible way to describe how much joy and comfort Dena has given our family. She was able to get a VERY fearful and reluctant 5 year old into the water and somehow get him to swim and actually go under-water. Some children take to water like fish, ours was definitely not one of those. Dena teaches self-confidence and self-awareness to even the most resistant of us. And, to top it off, she was able to teach my wife to swim, just simply amazing and grateful. Thank you Dena, you are very special.”
Jonathan G. – Hidden Valley, CA
“We are blessed and grateful to have been referred to Dena and to have had our children be taught by her! She gave us the greatest gift ever–confidence in the water for our kids and all-around swim safety. We are forever thankful for this experience with her. She’s the greatest swim instructor, and we will continue to refer her to others. Thank you, Dena!!!!”.Kaylee C. – Los Angeles, CA
“I read countless reviews when it came to finding a swim instructor for my son. I had never seen more glowing testimonials than for Dena’s Swim School and I was instantly sold by the paragraphs of positive experiences. Multiple instances of very young children loving the water and actually learning how to swim with a kind and experienced instructor?? It almost sounded too good to be true.Well, I could copy/paste the 5-star reviews and testimonials that Dena has received and it still wouldn’t do justice to how much she has positively impacted our lives.At the time of our first session our son was 20 months old and we had just welcomed our daughter two weeks earlier. I thought swimming lessons would be a great way for him to get used to the water over the summer (and give me a chance to recover and drink some much-needed coffee!)
It started out that way until our daughter’s newborn screening results came back with a rare genetic mutation. The two 20-minute sessions per week with Dena quickly became an opportunity for me to do research, gather medical records, and call doctors. Knowing that our son was well cared for, having fun, and actually learning how to swim during this stressful time was priceless.
Dena was patient and understanding with me while I tried to juggle two kids under two years old. It wasn’t unusual for me to see that she had wrapped her pool towel around my son when I forgot to bring his outside! Her reliability, kindness, and wisdom are unmatched.
Besides being a wonderful person, Dena’s approach to coaching with songs, her patience, and positive attitude works wonders. Before my son’s second birthday he could monkey grab along the side of the pool to get to safety, do cannon balls, and actually swim to Dena!! He never once cried that he wanted to get out of the water or stop. By the end of the season Dena even had my 4-month-old daughter going under the water without any objection! Amazing!!
We can’t wait for the warm weather again so we can see our friend twice a week.
This has been the greatest return on investment I could have ever imagined.
We LOVE Coach Dena!!”
Jenna T. – Thousand Oaks, CA
“There are simply not enough superlatives to describe Dena and what she has given to our grandchildren. I have been the primary caregiver for our grandson, almost 6 years old, since he was 6 weeks old. Three years later his spunky little sister came along and joined us. Learning to swim (I feel is a life necessity) was not negotiable. As Grandpa—my husband said, “we owe it to them to have a skill set, at the very least, to get out of the pool should they fall in.” Of course, we wanted swimmers too. But pool safety was always a priority. I wanted them to learn how to be safe in OUR POOL—that’s where they are going to be, not at the Y. Another consideration—a biggie, was that our grandson is autistic, albeit high-functioning. Because of this fact, I lamented as to where I could find that special someone who would come to my pool, teach him to swim, and still be able to deal with the challenges of autism.
Then a miracle happened. I met Dena at a Kid’s Fair held in a local TO Park. She had the educational background and the years of experience I was looking for. She began that May. (At that time our grandson was two and a half, his sister was not yet born.) Here’s the truth, which is another set of superlatives for Dena: he screamed for the first seven weeks. But Dena knew that this too would pass and sure enough it did. Slowly he began to follow her firm, but loving instruction and the time spent in the warm water became a therapeutic respite for the sensory processing issues he manifested. I would video his progress on my iPhone and send it to “Grandpa” at work. Truth be told, it’d make him tear up with gratitude. Dena has come back every summer since that first one.
I can’t imagine a summer that would not involve Dena in our pool. She is organized, reliable, trustworthy, on time, funny, firm but loving. Today, our grandson has four strokes in his repertoire: free-style, butterfly, breaststroke, and backstroke. He dives effortlessly. Being in the pool is one of his favorite things to do. The fun we have is immeasurable. Most importantly, he is safe in the water. Although I would never leave him alone, he knows how to climb out of the pool from every turn of the copingstone. All of this is due to Dena, and along with the aforementioned qualities, has made her a trusted friend.”
Barbara Slensker
“I can’t say enough about Dena Horasanian’s Swim School. Dena and her instructors are incredible! Both of my daughters took lessons with Erica Mazur and were swimming and swimming well by the age of 3. Erica made my daughters feel safe and comfortable during the process. People were amazed when they would see my 4 year old daughter going off diving boards and swimming the full length of our pool. My girls love to swim and are extremely comfortable in the water. Dena Horasanian’s Swim School has given me peace of mind. Not only did the instructors teach them how to swim, but they constantly reinforced water safety, for example, never swimming without a grown up and different ways and locations to get out of the pool. I have referred many of my friends to Dena and they all have been blown away. Don’t waste your time and money with other instructors. If you want your child to learn to swim the proper way and develop a lifetime love of the water then Dena’s Swim School is for you!”
Janine
“Dena provided my two year old son with a loving and confident environment in which to learn to swim. He put his head in the water voluntarily–no forced dunking or sink/swim pressure. My 8 year old son, who is on his school’s swim team, thought his little brother’s teacher was so awesome that he asked to get stroke pointers as well! Needless to say, we’ll be repeat customers this year!!!
Meredith Momoda
“Dena taught our daughter to swim during her first summer of lessons when she was only 2 years old. The following summer she was working on treading water, diving to the bottom of the pool and the butterfly stroke…all this at 3 years old, we were simply blown away! The best part is that our daughter has thoroughly enjoyed her lessons, while gaining a strong understanding of safety in the water. We have referred Dena to several friends and she, as well as the other instructors she employs, have proven to be outstanding time and again . The most impressive thing about Dena is her ability to customize the lesson to the child – she brings the perfect balance of warmth and authority, fun and structure. We highly recommend Dena!”
Angela and Mike Bagnuolo
“My children have been taking swim lessons through Dena’s swim school since 2007. As a Pediatrician and a mother, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of learning to swim. Dena and her teachers are wonderful. They are patient, kind and professional. My children love their swim lessons and so do I.”
Sloane Sevran, MD, FAAP
“Dena’s swim school was recommended by another parent on my son’s baseball team. After already trying multiple swim schools, I can tell you that our experience exceeded my expectations and my only regret was not finding Dena’s swim school two years ago.
Dena set my 5 year old son up with Kevin, who I without a doubt strongly recommend! Already fearful of swim lessons based on prior experiences, Kevin knew exactly how to ease my son into feeling confident and building a trusting relationship with him. My son began to ask, “When is Kevin coming back?” He now looked forward to swim lessons vs. crying the entire way to a lesson begging me not to go.
After only 5 lessons my son was swimming the entire length of our pool front stroke, back stroke, both strokes in combination, and feeling 100% confident with the water. Other parents now see him swimming with kids his age and stop to ask how he learned how to swim so well.
It’s well worth the price to give your child private lessons in the comfort of your home with first class swim instructors as we experienced with Kevin!
Unfortunately my first child was the Guinea pig, and had to go through the mill of different swim schools/instructors, but look no further my 19 month old will start next summer without a doubt!”
Heather Blaber
Dena's Swim School 