Tim Welch

I am a lifelong water enthusiast who grew up swimming competitively. I swam for my university as well as in USMS competitions for many years as an adult. I got into water fitness in 2005 as an alternative to swimming. I saw that it was a type of fitness that I could continue throughout my life. It was very intuitive to me due to my lifelong experience in the water, and my instructors encouraged me to start leading classes. In my late thirties, I got certified as a lifeguard just so I could teach water fitness, and began teaching in 2007. I have taught ever since. I received Water Fitness Instructor certification from the Aquatic Exercise Association in 2016 and have maintained it ever since. I currently instruct at a YMCA in Boise where I have been employed since March 2010 as a water fitness instructor. I focus on deep water fitness but can also instruct shallow classes.

I excel at demonstrating impromptu choreography to high-energy music. I also demonstrate alternative moves based on the needs of participants. I look for ways to include participants from different backgrounds to ensure that my classes feel inclusive. I provide visual queues as well as verbal queues to communicate to participants with different abilities.