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Sadie Ann

40 Faces of the J

#5 Sadie Ann

Member for 3 Years
“Miss Diana didn’t just teach my granddaughter to swim. She saved her life.” - Stephanie Thompson

When my granddaughter Sadie Ann was just 13 months old, we thought we were doing everything right. She had already been enrolled in swim lessons at another facility, and she seemed comfortable in the water.

But comfort isn’t the same as safety.

Sadie Ann has always been fearless — especially when it comes to jumping into the pool — and we learned the hard way that she hadn’t actually been taught how to save herself once she was in.

That’s when my daughter, Esther, reached out to Miss Diana at the JCC.

At first, Diana’s schedule was full. But when she learned how fearless Sadie Ann was around water, something shifted. She found a way to make room for her in an already packed schedule. I truly believe she may have even given up her lunch break for us. That alone touched my heart more than she’ll ever know.

 Those eight weeks of lessons were about so much more than swimming.

There was laughter. There were tears. Sadie Ann put up a fight in the beginning, but Miss Diana never gave up on her. She didn’t push harshly, and she didn’t give in to fear. Instead, she gently and patiently encouraged her with love, consistency, and unwavering belief. She wasn’t just teaching her to float — she was teaching her resilience and perseverance.

And then one day, everything Miss Diana taught became real.

Sadie Ann and I were playing in the backyard. I looked away for what felt like only a second — and she was gone.

My heart dropped. I ran straight to the pool.

And there, to my horror, she had fallen in.

But when I reached the edge of the water, I saw something I will never forget. Sadie Ann had turned herself onto her back and was floating, just like Miss Diana had taught her. The water was freezing cold. She couldn’t scream. But she was floating.

She was alive.

“She did float, Miss Diana,” I later wrote to her. “I hope you know how grateful we are that you made a place for Sadie Ann.”

To me, Miss Diana isn’t just a swim instructor. She sees children for who they are and who they can become. The empathy, patience, joy, and love she shows each student makes a lasting difference not just in their lives, but in the lives of their families.

HaShem surely blessed us the day we met her.

We are forever grateful for our JCC Swim Family. Not only the incredible staff, but the parents who shared that journey with us. What started as swim lessons became something much more: a community that wrapped around our family with love and encouragement.

Because of that community and because one instructor made room when it mattered most, my granddaughter is here today.

Miss Diana didn’t just teach my granddaughter to swim.

She saved her life.

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