About Us
History
Marcia Tollefson began teaching swim lessons to young swimmers in 1989 at Bethesda Sport and Health Club. As a mother of four active boys, she knew the importance of water safety and exercise for mental and physical health. Since then, her vision grew into the comprehensive swim program you see today. In 2010, Tollefson Swimming added the competitive Team TOLL to their offerings. John and Marcia Tollefson handed the reigns over to their oldest son, Henry, in 2021. Henry currently heads the organization with this assistance of his brother, Andrew, and the other two brothers have also participated in the program as swimmers or coaches over the years.
Tollefson Swimming Mission Statement
Tollefson Swimming aims to create and sustain a safe environment in which individuals of all ages, gender, diversity and ability can learn water safety, attain personal excellence and enjoy the sport of swimming.
Tollefson Swimming Vision Statement
Tollefson Swimming’s vision is to develop and maintain programs in which swimmers and potential swimmers will become the best swimmers they can be. Through technical development in swim classes and team practices, each swimmer will learn the joy and satisfaction of successful swimming. We will train swimmers to compete in local, regional, national, international and Olympic levels. Tollefson Swimming embraces the goals of Safe Sport and strictly adheres to Safe Sport guidelines.
Tollefson Swimming offers five main programs to meet the needs of any swimmer:
- Semi-private classes for beginners to learn water safety and stroke basics from an in-water instructor
- Small deck-coached classes for intermediate and advanced swimmers to refine stroke techniques and learn more advanced competitive skills
- Training and Endurance classes for strength and conditioning.
- Masters swimming practices and meets
- Team TOLL, a competitive USA Swimming team that competes regionally as a part of Potomac Valley Swimming
At the core of Tollefson Swimming is a passion for technique through which the most efficient swimming can be achieved. Coaches focus on improving swimming and technique for every individual swimmer no matter their age, skill level, or desire to compete. Instruction follows a logical path from water safety, breathing, and proper stroke technique to advanced skills, like starts and turns. Tollefson Swimming feels that by addressing parts of a stroke individually and only moving on when that technique has been mastered, a swimmer can truly achieve their best.
Not sure where your swimmer should begin? Contact us for an appointment so we can observe your swimmer in the water for placement in the proper stroke class. We train a broad range of swimmers from beginners and recreational swimmers to seasonal MCSL and CCSL swimmers, high school competitors, USA Swimming Team members, adults, tri-athletes, and seasoned master swimmers.
Swimmers succeed when they learn and practice proper technique with continued support and guidance.
