Meet The Team
Annie Scott (Babicz)
Owner & Instructor
Annie grew up swimming for the Sarasota Sharks, where she became one of the best age group swimmers in the country. To this day, she remains the 2nd fastest American swimmer of all time in the 11-12 girls 100 breaststroke and is one of the youngest Olympic Trial Qualifiers ever. She won the Rookie of the Meet award at 1998 National Championships alongside Ryan Lochte, and went on to compete at UC Berkeley where she competed internationally and was Pac 10 Champion and a four time NCAA scorer.
After graduating, Annie went on to coach at the club and college level, while also teaching private lessons to kids and adults of all ages and abilities. Her philosophies stem from her time at Cal, where unconventional training practices led to a more holistic understanding of the water. She is excited to bring a fresh new perspective to the Sarasota swimming scene!
Josh Scott
Owner & Instructor
Josh joined his first swim team when he was 6 years old, shortly after his family had moved to Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia. While he wasn't a "natural" swimmer at first, he did have a love for the water and a strong desire to improve.
After moving back to the United States, Josh went on to become a top age group and high school swimmer in California, competing in both Junior and Senior Nationals, and earning a swimming scholarship to Syracuse University. While at Syracuse, he was a school record holder and honored by his teammates by being voted both Team Captain and MVP. His athletic pursuits continued after college, where he became a U.S. Masters Swimming National Champion in multiple events.
Josh found his true passion in life as a coach, helping others "understand" the sport he loves so much. He is an American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) Level 4 Coach. He has coached multiple National Record setting relays, a U.S.A. Swimming National Team member, and a Junior National Champion.
Josh is known for making a complex sport "simple" to those he is teaching, and focusing on the RIGHT things that create massive improvement. He believes the only thing a swimmer is limited by is their technique and their heart.
Nicole Cooper
Director of Training & Instructor
Swimming has always been an important part of Nicole’s life. At age seven, she joined the YMCA team where she swam competitively for eleven years. But it did not end there! While attending college at Seton Hall University for elementary and special education, Nicole’s mother became the proud owner of a swim school. Together, Nicole and her family ran the swim school and taught lessons for everyone, from infants to adults.
Recently, Nicole and her family moved down to Sarasota from New Jersey. It was not even a question of what she wanted to do when she began looking for jobs. Luckily, she has found SwimSRQ to continue her love of teaching swimming. Her ultimate goal is for every child to learn how to swim.
Nicole Buckley
Instructor
My first swimming memory was at age 4, jumping off a 10 meter platform while my father stood on the pool deck.
My second was of failing my first formal swim lesson at age 8. The solution, according to my instructor, to this lack of endurance and ability was to join a competitive swim team.
I have never looked back.
Swimming has saved me more than once in life; not only can it create a life long sport, it forms character, provides skills of teaching and understanding of others.
My high school years were of swimming endless laps in a pool, traveling to swim meets each weekend, lifeguarding, and teaching swimming lessons to children.
I became a RN and chose pediatrics as my specialty. While working over 20 years in acute care, I raised 2 beautiful girls, who of course swam before they could walk and each competed in swimming. During these years, I volunteered pool side with lessons and endless swim parent responsibilities.
Fast forward to 10 years ago, where I had a multitude of health issues and needed to make personal changes to become well. Where better than in swimming, aquajogging, and aqua aerobics?
8 years ago I was challenged to try open water swimming. The sea became a healing place. I began a routine of swimming sunrise at Siesta 4-5 times a week and have continued to do that since. Our sunrise group and social media has grown tremendously since that time. Beginning from a group of 10 to over 800 members from around the world. Because I know how powerful swimming is I try to include and encourage all to join us, watching the sun rise and the dolphin call, all while swimming the beautiful sea.
Miss Riah
Instructor & certified Swim Whisperer (special needs certification)
My name is Miss Riah and I have loved swimming since my Grandad taught me in his pool! I spent the first 12 years of my childhood homeschooled in Arcadia, FL and moved to the Parrish area around 5th grade.
My earliest memory of the ocean is my first snorkeling experience in the Florida Keys with my brother and dad - I thought the water was kool-aid! In my adult life, I have an obsession with Sea life ( Reefs in particular). My father has had a massive positive impact on my confidence in the water and life! I have had some wild adventures so far - with plenty more to come! In my free time I love to paint the creatures I swim with, kayak, be a good plant mom, fossil hunt for sharks teeth, sew, and spend time with my family. I am currently CPR certified for adults and babies and have teaching experience .
I am elated to join the SRQ family and look forward to meeting everyone at the pool!
Luci Lozano
Instructor
Born and raised in Sarasota, Florida, Luci quickly established a love for the water at a young age despite not knowing how to swim. After attending swim lessons, her parents signed her up for the Sarasota Sharks. Luci began competitively swimming at 8 years old and then went on to spend 10 years with the team where she predominantly trained
IM and butterfly. As a high school swimmer, she contributed to the FHSAA State Championships as well as YMCA Nationals all 4 years.
After graduating from high school, she then went on to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. At USAFA, she became a prominent addition to the IM and butterfly groups. She recently transferred back home to pursue a career in the medical field.
Growing up around the pool deck, Luci has always had a profound love for the water, and she hopes to instill that same passion in others as they build their confidence and safely learn their way around the pool.
Kim Calhoon
Instructor
Kim was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. She learned to swim as a baby and grew up in the pool when she wasn’t in the dance studio. Kim is trained in ballet, jazz, tap, modern and street dance and studied with Dance Masters of America and Dance Educators of America. She danced professionally for 15 years and received numerous awards as she toured the US. She later created her own dance company and began to teach children and adults throughout Atlanta. She formed several dance programs throughout the inner city to serve at- risk youth and give them an outlet during after school hours. Seeing the enormous needs, she volunteered in several youth shelters as a certified counselor.
Kim moved to Sarasota in 1997 with her two adopted boys and got immediately in the water and continued counseling in local youth shelters. She fell in love with open water swimming in the Gulf and it also helped with the several injuries she sustained from dance.
Kim has always been a believer in doing whatever you are passionate about in your life. This entrepreneurial spirit, which she accredits to her mom, has created a space for her to live her life to the fullest. So, after arriving in Sarasota, she began studying art at Ringling and currently paints and has a gallery and studio in Nokomis. Having applied stage makeup for years for her and her dance teams’ performances, she re-discovered the art and became a professional makeup artist 17 years ago. She specializes in television, theater, and bridal and has worked for the Sarasota Opera’s wigs and makeup department and youth camp for 6 seasons.
Kim was diagnosed with Lupus several years ago and decided to focus more on swimming which has been very healing to her joints. In 2017 she decided, with her love of the water and natural ability to teach, to get certified as a swim instructor. She became certified with Swim America and has been teaching ever since. Many of her students have advanced to swim team with Tsunami, including her 7-year-old granddaughter. “Swimming has given so much to me my whole life and I want to share my love for the sport with as many as I can.” She believes that teaching swimming not only saves lives but teaches a valuable lifelong recreational sport and aids in physical healing as she has experienced so greatly.
Kim Hazelton
Instructor
With over 30 years of experience, Kim is an overly qualified premier swim instructor. Back in New Jersey, she is the owner of KimSwims, a family owned and operated swim school where she teaches lessons to people of all ages. Now a snowbird living in Florida, she is ready to get back in the pool and teach more lessons on her time off.
