Each instructor at Lil' Guppies is handpicked for their experience and passion for teaching kids how to swim. We maintain a fun and safe learning environment in which every child can thrive in. Meet our certified Los Angeles instructors below and get ready to make a splash.
Lil’ Guppies LA is a mobile swim school only; therefore participants must have a pool/access to one.
Los Angeles Instructors
Amy Diamond
Owner & Lead Instructor
Amy is the owner and lead instructor for Lil' Guppies Swim School. Amy grew up on the East Coast and fell in love with the water at a very young age. She was always the first one in the pool and the last one out! Amy swam competitively from age 8 through college. She competed in butterfly, backstroke, the IM, and freestyle relays and still enjoys swimming on Masters club teams. Amy has always loved working with children so it was a perfect combination of passions to start teaching swim lessons at the young age of 15. Amy has taught lessons for over 25 years and has lifeguarded and coached age group swim teams on both the East and West Coasts. She started Lil' Guppies Swim School in 2006 in Los Angeles, and recently upon relocating in 2020, has established a branch of the school in Sarasota, FL! Amy is also an acupuncturist, children's book author, and mom to two boys, ages 15 and 9. They are the original lil' guppies and love swimming just as much as their mom!
Shawna Watson
Shawna is not only an incredible swim instructor, but a mother of two toddlers (ages 3 and 4) and an instructional aide for special needs children at a middle school in Los Angeles. Shawna has extensive experience as a lifeguard and swim instructor at both summer camps and privately for the past 7 years. She loves working with children and has a very gentle teaching style. Shawna - just like our whole Lil' Guppies team- believes that swim lessons should be fun as well as educational!
Brad Ulbrich
Brad comes with over 11 years of experience teaching swimming, ranging from infants to adults. Brad has also worked with special needs children with both physical and cognitive limitations. In the past, Brad worked within the Disney Theme Parks playing characters such as Aladdin, Prince Eric, and Prince Charming! Brad's background and experience along with his degree in Child Psychology have instilled in him key instincts when interacting with children of all backgrounds. He was also a competitive swimmer for 15 years and captain of my varsity team. He's got chlorine in his blood! Brad is passionate about teaching swimming for so many reasons - he loves watching someone learn a new skill, especially one as important as swimming. He loves watching people, especially children, grow more confident in themselves, and he loves helping people feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of every lesson.
Sorelle Sussman
Sorelle is a rising sophomore at Amherst College, MA, studying Psychology and French. She grew up in West LA, but lived in Athens, Greece, from ages 6-9 where she attended the Lycée and learned French and Greek. Sorelle fell in love with swimming by 3 years old, and always found herself by a pool or a beach (surfing, paddle-boarding, or, of course, swimming!). Coming from a family of swimmers and lifeguards, Sorelle became Captain of her High School swim team at Geffen Academy @ UCLA in her Junior and Senior years. During this time, Sorelle also worked at the Collins & Katz Family YMCA in West LA as both a lifeguard and swim instructor to swimmers of all ages (infants - adults). Sorelle loves teaching and creates a safe, playful, and inclusive learning environment for all students. She is patient, kind, enthusiastic, and always brings her best! No matter your level, Sorelle will help you reach your goal and practice safe swimming!
Grace Metzler
Grace is an award-winning swimmer. She has over 15 years of experience teaching swimming to kids and adults. During the off-season, Grace teaches high school and tutors students. She loves teaching kids to be water-safe. Grace also coaches swimmers and helps people stay fit. Her philosophy is, "You can learn through discipline, hard work, and laughter." Half drill sergeant, half comedian, Grace achieves excellent results. Whatever your goals may be, Grace will help you get there!
Heidi Zeiger
Heidi is a seasoned swimmer and instructor, and she loves to be around the water! She began competitively swimming in her teens and swam in high school and college for the University of New Mexico. While competing, she also became a swim instructor and lifeguard. After graduating, she continued to teach swim lessons, coach a competitive swim team, and volunteer with the Special Olympics. She has over 7 years of experience teaching children and adults how to swim and always emphasizes creating a safe environment around any body of water!
Andrea Gillette
Andrea Gillette began teaching and Lifeguarding at age 15 at her local high school where she taught, private, semi private, group lessons, and aqua aerobics. Andrea has over 23 years of teaching experience ranging all ages and levels from 4 months to 70 years old. Andrea has trained athletes as well for triathlons, diving tests and Navy swim tests. Her teaching style with children is skill driven with a learn through play approach in the activities to make the learning experience fun. For adults, she takes a progressive approach to the mechanics and adjusts according to the adults aquatic goals. Andrea is also a mom and enjoys spending time with her family when not in the water!
Maya Gulvady
Maya has been a competitive swimmer for 17 years. She also swam Division 1 at Fresno State throughout her undergraduate career. Maya's favorite strokes are butterfly and freestyle! She has taught swim lessons since she was 15 and has also been an active lifeguard for several years. Maya is extremely passionate about swimming, and loves being able to teach people of all ages. Maya has also had experience working with children with special needs. Her favorite part about being a swim instructor is being able to see the smiles on her students' faces when they progress with a new skill. When not in the water, Maya is working towards her doctorate in Physical Therapy!
Kendra Culver
Kendra has been teaching swim lessons for several years now. She is a former competitive swimmer, and swimming soon became her passion that she wanted to turn into a career! Kendra is a college student studying business administration and hopes to own her own swim school one day (uh oh, watch out Lil' Guppies!). Kendra is a talented and dedicated teacher and truly cherishes the wonderful relationships she develops with her students and their families.
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Malaika Marigney
Malaika is a former girl scout, competitive swimmer, and swim coach! She now loves being in the water with her students as a swim instructor. Malaika is so passionate about swimming and water safety, making sure her students build their safety skills and confidence with every lesson. Malaika comes from a very large family and values the time she spends forming relationships with her students and their families, building trust and an engaging environment for everyone! Malaika has taught all ages and can't wait to work with you!
Raychel Ybarra
Raychel has always been passionate about teaching children in the water. She has taught a wide array of children of all ages and adults! Raychel feels that as a teacher it is important to have compassion, patience and understanding for each individual student in order to improve. She looks forward to working with our Lil' Guppies families!
Samuel Avedian
Samuel is a student at Cal State Northridge where he swims competitively. He also played water polo and swam competitively through high school, leading his team as captain, and graduated through the elite Naf Medical Academy program. Samuel loves working with children both in and out of the water! He served as a volunteer teaching assistant in elementary schools and assistant coach to age group swim teams. Samual is speaks Armenian and Spanish as well as English! He looks forward to working with our Lil' Guppies families to ensure all children and families are water safe and can share the joy of swimming!
Teagan Snyder
Originally from the east coast, Teagan moved out to Los Angeles a little over a year ago in search of new adventures and warmer weather. Teagan grew up a swimmer, competitively swimming from the age of five through nineteen, both on school and club teams. She grew up spending all of her days at her local YMCA either swimming, working as a lifeguard or teaching swim lessons. Teagan has been teaching swim lessons for 8 years through the YMCA and private lessons. She specializes in teaching all age groups—from newborns to adults—and has a proven track record of fostering confidence and skill development in the water. Teagan has worked with a wide variety of swimmers including those with special needs and disabled children. Teagan believes in creating a supportive and encouraging environment where swimmers thrive. Regardless of the age or skill level, Teagan has a passion for helping each swimmer reach their goals and reach their greatest potential by working hard and having fun!
Toomy Vilai
Ms. Toomy is currently a science teacher for LAUSD and has been teaching for over 15 years. She was a competitive swimmer in all four strokes throughout high school, specializing in freestyle and breaststroke. Ms. Toomy began incorporating her swimming skills and passion for teaching in 2015 to become a swim instructor. She loves teaching toddlers through adults and is always happy to see when students are able to apply the skills they have learned! Ms. Toomy is very athletic and has also participated in soccer, Thai boxing, and hip hop dance!