About Alexis

Hi, I’m Alexis Schaefer of Firm Foundation Infant Aquatics! My journey to Infant Aquatics began with my career as a paramedic in 2011. It doesn't take long in Emergency medicine to understand the devastating effects of drowning. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1-4 and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-15.

Marketing companies have convinced us that the solution to keeping our babies safe is to provide them with floaties. Children in floaties are taught a false sense of confidence in the water and retain incorrect and dangerous muscle memory. These flotation aids are not keeping our children safe, they are only making it more likely for an accident to occur.

Just as we ensure our child's safety in a vehicle with a proper car seat and restraints or put a helmet on their heads before riding a bike, we should be teaching our children how to float before they get in the water!

My background in EMS gave me a passion for drowning prevention before I ever had children of my own. When the time did come and my oldest was 9 months old, I was able to put these passions into play by registering her with Infant Aquatics. Watching her complete her first skills test was so amazing and reassuring for me! Was it a guarantee of her safety? No, but I knew that I had equipped her with the skills she would need to save herself in the water if need be. My passions for these lessons grew and as our family grew each child was introduced to self-rescue swimming.

We moved to Valley Mills in February 2022 to be closer to family. When the time came to sign my youngest up for his first floater session, I discovered that the only Infant Aquatics instructor in Waco already had a full schedule. I was left with a decision; load up my babies and drive hours for lessons; or start training with Infant Aquatics to begin the work of equipping children myself. So here I am!! I completed an intense six-week Infant Aquatic training in Decatur, TX with the amazing Kim Emery of Swim and Smile Texas LLC. I received over 150 hours of in-water training, in addition to academic studies in child development, behavioral psychology and anatomy and physiology. My training from Infant Aquatics equipped me with the skills I needed to once again put my passion for drowning prevention into play, and this time I get to spread that passion beyond my family and into our local community!

My goal for Firm Foundation Infant Aquatics is to equip as many of the children in our community as possible with the skills necessary to save themselves in the event of an aquatic accident. While we always begin with water safety, we will work patiently alongside your children as they grow a respect and especially a love of the water! I know how heavy the burden can feel of preserving our children's safety and I am grateful for the opportunity to play a part in that by teaching them the skills they need to be safe in the water!