SoMi ISR Mission
SoMi ISR strives to be the leading force in survival swimming, aiming to protect children and provide peace of mind to parents. Our mission is firmly rooted in, Safety is our priority, prevention is our focus, and education is our strategy. Through our innovative and empowering approach to survival swimming, we equip parents and children with the tools they need to prevent water emergencies and foster a lifelong love and respect for water, with the ultimate goal of eliminating child drownings altogether.
Meet the Instructors
Elisa Hernandez-Montero Coral Gables & Surrounding Areas
Mari Tere Gonzalez Coconut Groove/ Coral Gables and Surrounding Areas
DESIREE BLANDON Cutler Bay/Kendall & Surrounding Areas
In 2007 My godson fell in to the water and almost drowned, and it was one of the scariest moments of our lives. Thankfully he made a full recovery. In 2015 I became a nurse to help those in their time of need. I have always had the passion for helping people and kids. My first son was born in 2017 and soon after, I became a stay at home m
In 2007 My godson fell in to the water and almost drowned, and it was one of the scariest moments of our lives. Thankfully he made a full recovery. In 2015 I became a nurse to help those in their time of need. I have always had the passion for helping people and kids. My first son was born in 2017 and soon after, I became a stay at home mom. In 2021 my second son was born and he is nothing like my first. He is fearless. I was terrified that he would just jump into the pool at any given moment. I was introduced to ISR through a friend and my cousin who both had their boys taking classes. When I saw the boys roll over to float, it was incredible and I knew that my boys were going to do the ISR course.
Throughout the course I began to inquire how I could become an Instructor because my boys were in school and I couldn't think of any better way to give back than making sure that what happened to my godson never happened to any other child, and the need for Instructors in the miami area was quite big. I have always had the fear of one of my boys having an aquatic accident, so that made me want to give other parents the reassurance that with ISR their child can be equipped with the skills to save themselves if they were to fall in the water. I had the privilege to take my course with senior Master Instructor Wandy in Weston. I am excited to be able to uphold the ISR promise I made when I took my course: \"Not One More Child Drowns.\"
DESIREE BLANDON Cutler Bay/Kendall & Surrounding Areas
Mari Tere Gonzalez Coconut Groove/ Coral Gables and Surrounding Areas
DESIREE BLANDON Cutler Bay/Kendall & Surrounding Areas
In 2008 I became a certified EMT/Paramedic. We were required while in school to do ride alongs and one day we received the one call everyone dreads. A child had fallen into a pool, luckily he survived. That was a call that stayed with me. The look in his mother’s eyes and everyone else on the ambulance is something that never really went
In 2008 I became a certified EMT/Paramedic. We were required while in school to do ride alongs and one day we received the one call everyone dreads. A child had fallen into a pool, luckily he survived. That was a call that stayed with me. The look in his mother’s eyes and everyone else on the ambulance is something that never really went away. Fast forward a few years and I spent the last 10 years in corporate America. After sometime I knew I needed something different again. Something that gave me purpose , like the purpose I felt when I went to school for my EMT/Paramedic certification. After some time Elli, (founder of SoMi ISR) approached me about being a part of SoMi ISR. After some thought , I felt like this is where I needed to be and now I get the pleasure to be apart of preventing what I once witnessed many years ago. I had the pleasure of training with Senior Master Instructor Wandy Blanco out of Weston, Fl and now thanks her and Elli I get the opportunity to make a difference everyday, and also see my son thrive in the water with a peace of mind.
Mari Tere Gonzalez Coconut Groove/ Coral Gables and Surrounding Areas
Mari Tere Gonzalez Coconut Groove/ Coral Gables and Surrounding Areas
Mari Tere Gonzalez Coconut Groove/ Coral Gables and Surrounding Areas
My name is Mari González a proud Latina From Puerto Rico.
While growing up in Puerto Rico and near the ocean, I’ve always been very connected to the water. I had the privilege to swim for the Puerto Rican National team as a young Women. Swimming has always been second nature to me. After becoming a mother I learned the dangers that can hap
My name is Mari González a proud Latina From Puerto Rico.
While growing up in Puerto Rico and near the ocean, I’ve always been very connected to the water. I had the privilege to swim for the Puerto Rican National team as a young Women. Swimming has always been second nature to me. After becoming a mother I learned the dangers that can happen if children do not have the proper skills to be in and or the water and of teaching young children not only to swim but to survive in the water. Being a florida resident means that one will always be near the water, whether it’s the pool or the ocean. Establishing the skills to swim without assistance needs to be taught to every child in the community. I’m very excited to be apart of teaching that life long skill with Somi IRS.
What is ISR
Founded in 1966, Infant Swimming Resource (ISR), with it's Self-Rescue® program, is nationally recognized as the safest provider of survival swimming lessons for infants and young children. With over 50 years of research and development, highly trained certified Instructors committed to safety, and a proven history of success, parents can rest assured that their children are receiving the best possible instruction in the world today.
ISR believes pool fences, supervision, and pool alarms are important parts of a necessary multi-layered approach to drowning prevention. However, traditional lines of defense break down, and the over 4,000 drowning deaths per year bear a grim testament to the fact that traditional approaches are missing a key component: the child. ISR’s core conviction is that the child is the most important part of a drowning prevention strategy and our over 300,000 ISR graduates and over 800 documented survival stories are proof that children can save themselves.
Children are curious, capable, and have an uncanny ability to overcome obstacles like pool fences; at ISR we take that ability and teach them skills to potentially save themselves if they find themselves in the water alone.
ISR Lesson format
Infant Swimming Resource’s Self-Rescue® swimming program is scheduled 5 days per week, Monday through Friday, for 10 minutes each day for an average of 6 weeks.
With a focus on safe, customized, one-on-one lessons by certified Instructors, ISR’s survival swimming lessons emphasize health, ongoing program evaluations and parent education to deliver the most effective and safest results in the industry.
The ISR program is for children 6 months to 6 years of age.
Lessons for a 6-12 month old
Focus on teaching the child to roll onto their back to float, rest and breathe, and to be able to maintain this life-saving position until help arrives.
Lessons for a 12-24 month old
Focus on teaching the child to preform what we call swim-float-stay. this is the introduction to swimming allows the child to preform a short swim then roll to their back and float, rest and breathe, and to be able to maintain this life-saving position until help arrives.
Lessons for children 2-6 years old
Focus on teaching the swim-float-swim survival sequence. Children learn to swim with their head down; roll onto their back to float, rest, and breathe; and roll back over to resume swimming until they reach the side of the pool, where they can either crawl out or until they can be rescued.
SoMi ISR is now a Step UP Provider!
For more information on how to use step up and send us and inquiry.