I travel to you — anywhere in the GTA
No commute, no crowded change rooms, no waiting list. I bring 23 years of teaching to the pool you already have access to — your backyard, your condo building, or a community pool near you. One swimmer at a time, at the pace that actually works for them.
Every enquiry is answered by me personally — not a call centre.
Toronto · Markham · Richmond Hill · Vaughan · Scarborough & surrounding areas
What I teach
Every lesson is built around one swimmer and one goal. Whether that goal is putting a face in the water for the first time or shaving seconds off a front crawl, the plan is the same: work on what is actually holding you back.
Children
Water confidence first, strokes second. Floating, breath control, submersion, and the safety skills that matter most — getting to the wall, rolling onto the back, calling for help.
Progress is measured against Lifesaving Society Swim for Life standards, so a swimmer moving into a municipal or school program lands in the right level.
Adults
It is never too late, and you will not be the only adult I have taught from zero. Private lessons at a pool you already feel comfortable in remove the part most adults dread — learning in front of an audience.
We go at your pace: standing depth until it feels ordinary, then deep water when you decide you are ready.
All ages
For swimmers who can already get across the pool but know something is off — a breath that stalls the stroke, a kick from the knee, a catch that slips.
Front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, butterfly. Small corrections, drilled properly, then rebuilt into the full stroke before you leave the water.
Youth & adults
One-on-one coaching before or alongside your Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, or National Lifeguard course — timed swims, tows, carries, and the fitness standard that trips most candidates up.
I am a Lifesaving Society Instructor Trainer and National Lifeguard Examiner, so you are preparing against the same standard you will be tested on. Awards are issued through a registered Lifesaving Society course, not through lessons.
Where I teach
Most families already have access to water — they just do not have anyone to teach in it. These are the three settings I work in most often.
Service area. Toronto, North York, Scarborough, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and the surrounding communities. Travel beyond that is possible — ask, and I will tell you honestly whether the drive works.
How it works
Four steps, and none of them involve a registration portal.
Age, what they can already do, what they are nervous about, and where the pool is. A few sentences is plenty.
Depth, water temperature, and access decide what can be taught safely. I will say up front if a pool is not suitable for what you are hoping to work on.
A rate for your location and lesson type, plus what the first block of lessons will actually cover.
Short notes after each lesson: what improved, what we are working on next, and what to practise before I am back.
About Johnny
Johnny Lai has taught swimming and lifesaving for more than two decades with the City of Toronto, City of Markham, City of Vaughan, City of Richmond Hill, and the Town of Whitby, as well as directly for families across the region.
He is a Lifesaving Society Instructor Trainer, National Lifeguard Examiner, and Leadership Conductor — which means he does not only teach swimmers, he trains and examines the people who teach and guard them.
Get in touch
Send a short message about the swimmer, the pool, and the times that suit you. I will come back with availability and a rate — usually the same day.
Rates are quoted per booking. What you pay depends on the lesson type, how far I travel, and whether it is a single swimmer or a family group — so I would rather give you an honest number for your situation than post one that turns out not to apply.