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Name: Kevin Navarra

Job Title: Lifeguard

Asphalt Green Department: Aquatics

Asphalt Green Campus: Upper East Side

 

Q: How long have you been working at Asphalt Green?

A: Almost two years.

 

Q: What does your job entail?

A: My job includes guarding the pool, reconfiguring the pool, monitoring pool conditions, and acting as a first responder for any accidents on campus.

 

Q: When did you learn to swim?

A: I starting taking swim lessons at Asphalt Green when I was 7 years old, and then I participated in The Big Swim when I was 9 years old. Motivated to do better in the next The Big Swim Meet, I practiced with my mom at our local pool, which also happened to be the home pool of Saint Sebastian’s Swim Team [in Woodside, NY]. My mom taught me how to perform the different strokes and how to dive. She also insisted that I watch Olympic swimmers to analyze their form and techniques. Eventually I was able to try out for the swim team and swam competitively for Saint Sebastian’s Swim Team during grade school. 

 

Q: How did you get into the aquatics industry?

A: I swam competitively with St. Sebastian’s Swim Team during grade school for about four years. I swam from sixth grade until freshman year of high school. I later volunteered as a swim instructor for my coach's foundation Swim Strong after graduating from the swim team. Eventually, I became a Lifeguard at Asphalt Green. 

 

 

Q: What is one of your fondest memories of working at Asphalt Green?

A: The Big Swim is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s a time when everyone from the Asphalt Green staff and parents gather under one roof to enjoy a day of swimming. There is a sense of unity and cohesion among all members of the Asphalt Green team. Plus, the Olympic style atmosphere makes for a memorable day for everyone.

One of my fondest moments from The Big Swim was when my buoy cord got caught on the diving block. For many, this would be a memory worth forgetting about but the moment taught me a valuable lesson. One: Always hold on to the cord. And two: I had a team who had my back. The latter was defining because there was no sense of embarrassment or failure for my mistake, my team had my back and they jumped in for support.

 

Q: Can you share a fun fact about yourself?

A: I like to capture the world around me through photography and film.