Swim Instructors
Sharon Charles
Ms. Sharon has been teaching water safety and instruction for over forty years. She has taught every level from water readiness to competitive swimming and every age from infant to the elderly. Ms. Sharon is like the “Fish Whisperer”. She can calm a fearful child and engage them in the water. As Sharon says, being a grandmother to six has taught her to think like a kid. Out of the water, her hobbies include tropical fish (no surprise), gardening, playing video games, and studying the stock market.
Gislene Graham
Ms. Gigi was born in Sao Paulo Brazil, where she graduated from Sao Paulo University with degrees in General and Physical Education. She taught school and coached swimming and volleyball for 17 yrs before moving to Miami Florida in 2002. Gigi gave private lessons in southeast Florida until 2006, when she married, and moved to Charlotte with her husband. In 2008 they added daughter Gabriella to the family. For the last 3 years, Ms. Gigi has enjoyed teaching children how to swim at Charlotte Aquatics. Ms. Gigi gets results and has truly inspired the 3Cs (comfort, confidence, and competence) in our students.
Tara Neltner
Ms. Tara joined the Charlotte Aquatics team in February 2007 bringing 18 years of teaching and aquatics experience. Her career began at a young age with swimming lessons and progressed through college where she swam competitively for Centre College of Kentucky. Not only is Tara a certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI), she is a Red Cross certified Lifeguard Instructor. A native of Kentucky, she transplanted to North Carolina with her husband 10 years ago. Along with teaching swim lessons, Ms. Tara is a stay at home mom to two wonderful children.
Cara Sicilia
Ms. Cara is a senior at Winthrop University majoring in Human Nutrition & Dietetics. She joined the Charlotte Aquatics team in 2007 as a Teaching Assistant. Cara just recently completed her Water Safety Instructor (WSI) training. She is eager to utilize her skills and talents as an instructor. Cara has a great ability to infuse fun with learning. She is comfortable teaching all ages and the kids love her. So do we!
Deborah Spivak
Ms. Deborah is the newest member of the Charlotte Aquatics team and we are so thrilled to have her. Deborah swam competitively as a teen and has loved the water ever since. She is a graduate of Appalachian State University, where her love of people and great personality landed her a career as a flight attendant for USAir. When not teaching children how to swim, she raises her two children, Ryan and Sierra. And yes – they are on a local swim team! Deborah has a gift for working with children and is very active in her community, volunteering at Weddington Elementary School and her local church.
Sarah Wilkie
Ms. Sarah is currently an AP, IB, and Honors student at Myers Park High School. Sarah has been a part of Charlotte Aquatics almost all her life. Her dad, Doug Wilkie, was the founder and creative genius behind Charlotte Aquatics. Sarah started taking lessons at Charlotte Aquatics then worked as a teaching assistant and is now one of our certified Water Safety Instructors. Outside of school and teaching swimming, she plays volleyball year round on both her varsity high school team and on a traveling club team. Sarah is also an avid sailor.
Erin Newbury
Ms. Erin has always enjoyed the water. She grew up taking swim lessons and competing on swim teams. She began teaching swim instruction when she was 17 years old. Erin briefly joined the Charlotte Aquatics family in 2005 before she left to study business and work for an animation studio in New Zealand. Erin returned to the States in 2008 to complete a degree in elementary education at Queens University. We are pleased to have Ms. Erin back as part of our team, where she educates our students on the mechanics and joys of swimming.
Kate Newbury
Ms. Kate has been teaching at Charlotte Aquatics for almost four years. She has been swimming since she was six years old, taking Red Cross swim lessons and racing competitively. Her favorite strokes are butterfly and breaststroke. Kate is also a competitive Scottish Highland dancer and associate teacher of Highland Dancing. She has just finished her second year at Queens University where she is studying literature and business.
Mike Wasserman
Mr. Mike has been swimming since he was five years old. Mike’s love of water and swimming capabilities earned him a swimming scholarship to Appalachian State University; where later, he became the assistant swim coach. Mr. Mike has been teaching at Charlotte Aquatics for over ten years. He has a degree in educational media and is a national board certified teacher in business education. During the mornings and early afternoons, Mike teaches business education courses at Vance High School. He then heads to Charlotte Aquatics where he loves teaching swimming lessons and the kids love him. It’s always a fun time in the pool with Mr. Mike!
