Tami Kellar doesn’t just teach swimming—she is a swimmer. The water has been part of her life since childhood, and after more than 38 years in aquatics, she still seeks out new challenges. She can teach a baby to float after a fall into the pool, help a child develop strong strokes, or create workouts for someone training for a triathlon. She loves every stage in between.

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In August 2025, Tami and her son completed the 1.8-mile Escape from Alcatraz swim in San Francisco Bay, navigating 54-degree water, waves, and currents. Her next goal is to swim in Fiji in 2028: four to five miles a day for four days around the islands.

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Her love of water extends beyond swimming. Tami enjoys surfing, paddleboarding, waterskiing, and playing water polo with her son. She believes her purpose is to teach swimming, help prevent drownings, and share her love of the water with others.

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Tami holds a bachelor’s degree in social and behavioral science from Linfield College. Her training includes Infant Aquatics, YMCA and Red Cross swim instruction, and adaptive Swim Whisperes certification. She is an ASCA Level 3 swim coach, a stroke and turn judge, and a certified lifeguard, lifeguard instructor, and lifeguard instructor trainer. She has taught at community pools, YMCAs, and country clubs, including the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach, California.

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Tami and her daughter MaKenzie wrote The Things You Can Do When You Learn How to Swim, a book built around a belief at the heart of JUMP: learning to swim opens up a lifetime of possibilities. They are working on a second book about travel and swimming, planned for spring 2027.

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Tami lives in Southlake with her husband, Lance, and their two young Dragons. She is a mom of six, and her 4 oldest children have been competitive swimmers and lifeguards.