Our Story

Red Whale embarked on its journey in July 2018, and since then, we've rapidly grown to become the premier swim school in French-speaking Switzerland. Our team now comprises 60 dedicated instructors, teaching 2,500 children each week.

 

Our Beginnings

Our story starts with founder Mike Elliott, who, with three young children of his own, experienced frustration over the dearth of quality swimming instruction and family-friendly pools in his adopted home of Switzerland. A native of Australia, where swimming programs abound, Mike noticed a lack of opportunity for children to learn to swim from an early age, especially in warm pools at convenient times.

 

Swimming Beyond Expectations

After extensive conversations with parents, it became crystal clear that there was a substantial demand for a more effective and enjoyable approach to children's swim education in the region. The consensus was: a desire for warm water, small class sizes, well-trained teachers, and lessons needed to be available in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate the schedules of hardworking parents.

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Our Waters of Progress

In October 2022, we celebrated the grand opening of our custom-built pool in Geneva, receiving a warm and enthusiastic response from parents and children alike. It's the first private swimming pool entirely dedicated to teaching children to swim!But our journey doesn't end here! We're charting our course for further expansion, with new family friendly pools opening on the Geneva Left bank in 2025 and in Lausanne, in early 2026.

 

Drowning Prevention

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted a sobering global statistic - drowning is the leading accidental cause of death among children aged 1-5. At Red Whale, we are driven by a vision: to equip as many children as possible with life-saving swimming skills from a young age. Our mission is to ensure not only their safety but also instill a profound sense of confidence in the water.