CASSIE PAYNE
CERTIFIED ISR INSTRUCTOR
Thank you for making it to our website and reading about ISR. In being here, you are on the path to helping your child add a layer of safety in and around water. My husband, Logan, and I have 2 spunky little girls that light up our lives. I left my career, in higher education, almost 5 years ago to raise our family. it has been a challenging joy! We moved to Forney, from Euless, in 2017. Moving here was never really in our plan, but as the saying goes “the best laid plans… often go awry.” Our girls were 6 months and 2 when we began discussing our forever home. We
wanted a little property, single story, mother-in-law quarters and a race car shop. It was a 10 year plan. Shortly after we began discussing our plan a friend of ours walked into Logan’s collision center and said “wanna buy my house?” It turned out to be our dream property. My only concern, the beautiful pool in the backyard.
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Four days into being in our dream home and it happened. The thing I had feared most when buying this house. Our 2 year old opened the back door. Out she went and her crawling sister followed. They had just been playing in the floor of our bedroom. I walked to the laundry room to put the dry clothes in the basket. I walked back to my room to fold… the girls weren’t there. The panic set in; I saw the back door open. I immediately ran to the pool. By the grace of God our girls weren’t in there. Our 6 month old was crawling in the grass; a few feet from the pool. Our 2 year old was making her way to the swing set. I gathered my girls, hit my knees, held onto them for dear life and sobbed. Four days. We had been here 4 days.
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That was in October. It was slightly chilly outside. I knew I wanted the girls in swim lessons. Like most I figured I would search in the Spring. Within 2 days of that incident we had a patio fence installed. I contacted Tiffani and got on her list for ISR lessons. I will never be able to shake that heart sinking feeling of seeing the back door open. However, I knew I had to do something to prevent the worst. Our outcome could have been so different. I am eternally grateful for this second chance to get things right.
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Tiffani taught my girls for 2 seasons. I can’t describe to you how much joy it brought me to see my girls floating and breathing in the water. I couldn’t help but become passionate about water safety. It was then that I decided I wanted to be a part of this journey. I wanted to help save lives. Tiffani and I talked. She took me under her wing… and I went through ISR’s rigorous training in the Spring of 2019.
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I have joined the ranks of the most highly trained swim instructors in the country. We are trained in child physiology, physiology, behavior science and sensory motor learning. I have completed 60 hours of supervised in-water training. I am certified in Adult/Pediatric CPR and First Aid. I will undergo annual reviews and recertification to keep my skills current. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with you and your children.