Certified ISR Instructor

Infant Self-Rescue with Veronica Kerst

Providing specialized ISR lessons at the Deep Six Dive Shop. Ensuring water safety and confidence for your child.

About Veronica

Thank you for your interest in the Infant Swimming Resource® (ISR) program.

I was raised on Long Island, New York, and married my husband in 1990. After I worked in the Dental field, we became foster parents for Suffolk County. Today, we are blessed with four children, three granddaughters, and a grandson.

In October 2001, we moved to Lakeland, Florida. On May 6, 2003, our lives changed forever when my 20-month-old daughter nearly drowned after accessing our pool in less than two minutes. Thanks to CPR training I received as a foster parent, immediate medical response, and God’s grace, my daughter survived.

While in the hospital, paramedics shared information about Infant Swimming Resource, as their own children had completed the program. As soon as my daughter was released, I enrolled her in ISR. Five weeks later, I watched her fall into a pool, roll onto her back, and float—able to save herself. In that moment, I knew I had found my purpose.

No family should ever experience the fear of finding a child in the water. Becoming an ISR instructor is not just a profession for me—it is a calling. I am deeply grateful to help give families the peace of mind I once prayed for.

In addition to teaching ISR, I have worked at Lakeland Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens since 2011, serve as a Guardian ad Litem in Polk County, and work with EF Education First placing summer exchange students.

Thank you for your time. For more information, please visit www.infantswim.com.

Swimcerely,
Veronica Kerst
📞 863-409-7221

FAQs

How do you teach them to hold their breath?

Breath holding skills are taught beginning with the first lesson. We shape breath control using highly effective positive reinforcement techniques. We continue to reinforce these breath-holding techniques throughout every lesson.

Do parents have to leave during the lessons?

No. You are truly the best cheerleader your child could have. Your positive support and encouragement are invaluable to creating an effective learning environment for your child.

Are swimming lessons for infants and young children safe?

I can’t speak for all swim lessons, but I can tell you ISR is dedicated to safety and maintaining numerous safety protocols to promote safe lessons. Your child's health and well-being are our highest priority and are closely monitored on a daily basis. In addition, your child's medical and developmental history is a mandatory part of the ISR national registration process, all of which is held strictly confidential. All ISR instructors undergo intensive and rigorous training that far exceeds any other training program of this kind. Each ISR instructor is also required to recertify yearly with emphasis on quality control, safety and lesson efficiency. Your education in the area of aquatic safety for your entire family is an integral part of your child's lessons. You will receive access to the "Parent Resource Guide" to inform you about every aspect of swimming and aquatic safety for infants and children. With research, you will find that ISR is not only the safest survival swimming program but also the most effective for teaching infants and young children.

How can you teach babies and young children to swim?

ISR instructors teach infants to swim by honoring each child's individual strengths and experiences. They understand the fundamentals of the behavioral sciences, child development and of sensori-motor learning as it relates to the acquisition of aquatic survival skills; they use this education to guide each child through the sequence of learning to swim and float.

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