SEASTARS Aquatics obtained non-profit status May 2004.

Robin Mohanco Heller, Chaz Heller, and Bonnie Becker envisioned a program to make swimming a sport everyone can participate in regardless of economic, physical, or mental restrictions.

In 2004, it was the only organization of its kind in the United States providing a quality USA Swimming swim team free to its participants

We reached our goal of 29 Swimmers. SEASTARS Swimmers began practicing in June at the City of Pensacola’s Cecil T Hunter Pool. SEASTARS swam outdoors year-round. Swimmers did community service events and swim meets for the first time with outstanding results! SEASTARS held its first Annual Registration Day.

SEASTARS participation grew to 60 Swimmers. SEASTARS hosted its first USA Swimming sanctioned meet bringing over 300 swimmers from Northwest Florida and Alabama to Pensacola. SEASTARS practiced at The Salvation Army pool from November to March. This allowed all Swimmers, especially our Special Needs Swimmers, to participate year round. SEASTARS held its first Annual Water Safety Day. SEASTARS Aquatics received a marketing grant from IDEAWORKS USA (a Pensacola marketing and public relations firm). SEASTARS Aquatics increased market visibility and Swim Team participation numbers by collaborating with IDEAWORKS, Channel 3 News, Pensacola News Journal, Ballinger Publishing, and many other local media outlets and individuals.

SEASTARS participation grew to 63 Swimmers. SEASTARS offers both morning and afternoon practices for the first time. Fifty percent of the Swimmers participated in both practices. SEASTARS hosted two summer meets. Two of our Special Needs Swimmers swam and medaled at the Special Olympics State Swimming Meet competition. SEASTARS Aquatics staff and SEASTARS Swim Team received recognition and awards for contributions made to the local community.

•Coaches Chaz and Robin received 4th place in the International Doc Councilman Award. This award, sponsored by theAmerican Swim Coaches Association, recognizes innovative ideas in swimming and creative coaching.
•WEAR Channel 3 TV featured SEASTARS Aquatics Swim Team on “Angels in Our Midstâ€
•Pensacola Magazine’s featured Coach Robin in their April 2007 issue “Ordinary Heroines- women who are working to change the world.â€
•ASCA chose Coach to be oRobin ne of seven swim coaches in the world to take part in the Fellows Class of 2007. Shetook part in the ASCA World Clinic and Fellow Training and Clinic. She participated in a task force exploring ways towork with and develop swimmers from low socioeconomic backgrounds at ASCA’s request.

SEASTARS participation grew to 71 Swimmers. For the first time, SEASTARS Aquatics offered fee-based private and semi-private lessons (to any age or ability level) at both The Salvation Army pool and clients’ home pools in the greater Pensacola area. This was a new revenue source used to help fund the Swim Team and raise community awareness of SEASTARS. Congressman Jeff Miller nominated Coaches Chaz and Robin for the 2008 Lewis Hine Awards. With this nomination, Congressman Miller recognized them for their “work on behalf of America’s children and youth.â€

SEASTARS use of The City of Pensacola’s Cecil T. Hunter Pool ended.

SEASTARS Aquatics began offering services full-time at The Salvation Amy pool. SEASTARS participation fell to 47 Swimmers primarily due to our transition to the new home. The Salvation Army of Pensacola is the only State of Florida Salvation Army with a swimming pool. Because of the SEASTARS program and what it offers to the community, The Salvation Army State Headquarters chose to completely renovate the facility. Our growing relationship with The Salvation Army helped our organization thrive by providing an indoor facility ensuring consistency of services year-round, fostering a new partnership which supported and encouraged our growing business, and increased visibility within our community.

SEASTARS participation was 45 Swimmers. SEASTARS lessons and community awareness grew.

SEASTARS started a Facebook page. We offered Fun Fridays during swim practice, once per month for the first time. Nike Swim and Perry Ellis International recognized SEASTARS their work â€make[ing] it possible for a child’s life to be changed through Swimming” and donated over $54,000 worth of suits, caps, and warm-ups.

Florida State Employees’ Charitable Campaign (FSECC) included SEASTARS on its Charity Listing for the first time.

SEASTARS participation grew to 84 Swimmers, almost doubling over the period of one year. The Salvation Army painted the SEASTARS logo on the side of their building.

SEASTARS Swimmers were now strong enough to compete in long-course competition and many team records are broken. One male SEASTARS Swimmer placed first in the Escambia County Middle School Championship Meet. Four Swimmers taught free swim lessons to The Salvation Army Campers for the first time.

Two Swimmers qualified for Southeastern Competition (Local Swimming Committee area comprised of swimmers from Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida Panhandle). Coach Robin took the Swimmers to Nashville, Tennessee for the competition. The Pensacola News Journal ran a sports section story in March about our Southeastern Qualifiers and the team as a whole.

SEASTARS participation was 113 Swimmers. Our Facebook page currently has 2,107 local, national and international followers.

SEASTARS was voted “The Best Sports and Recreation Program in the Coast†by Independent News.

There were 108 swimmers registered on the team. Robin Heller was named Executive Director and an entire new board was established.

In July SEASTARS Swimmers earned their first ever 1st place trophy at the PNY Sprint Meet!

Swimmers also participated in numerous community service events including: Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army, Two water stations for The Pensacola Marathon, Reimagine Brownsville and Reimagine Warrington, UWF Festival on the Green Children’s Carnival, Nickelodeon World Wide Day of Play, Escambia County’s School We Believe in the Children Health Fair, and The Girl Scout’s Run for the Cookies.

SEASTARS participation grew to 112 Swimmers. Two SEASTARS Swimmers were employed to coach the Novice Group and teach Swimming Lessons.

We placed 2nd in the Summer League Championship Meet (highest placing in years past was 5th). Coach Robin was asked to serve on Southeastern Swimming’s Board as their Disability Chair. USA Swimming invited her to go to Colorado Springs and stay at The Olympic Training Center for a week’s Disability Workshop.

SEASTARS was voted “The Best Non-Profit in the Coast Runner-Up†by Independent News. SEASTARS had its First Annual Summer Kickoff Luau as a fundraiser and it was a huge success grossing over $5,000.00

SEASTARS was named the first ever “Non-Profit of the Quarter†by The Pensacola Bay Area Chamber for June- August.

SEASTARS Swimmers competed in over 19 swim meets, participated in 12 community service events, and donated over 77 hours teaching free swim lessons to Salvation Army Campers this year. SEASTARS sent three of our Special Needs Swimmers to Augusta, GA for their first ever Nationally Qualifying Paralympics Swim Meet in October.

Coach Robin was named an Ambassador for Persons with Disabilities by the Center for Independent Living. Swimmer, Jawone Blankenship, placed 8th in the State in Diving in November and has qualified for The Southeastern Championship Swim Meet in Auburn, AL in February.

After 11 years, we were able to purchase “SEASTARS†lane lines and backstroke Flags in January for the pool. In May our relationship with The Satori Foundation began. Our swimmers get to enjoy 4 sailing trips a year, we also carried the torch for the opening ceremony for the Junior Olympic Sailing Regatta at The Pensacola Yacht Club in June.

SEASTARS had 9 swimmers donate 69 hours teaching 16 non-swimmers to swim through The Dondre Lewis Aquatic Scholarship Pilot Program which ran the month of July. So proud of The SEASTARS Swimmers for giving back to their peers! The death of 13yr old Dondre in April at Ft. McRae was tragic, we were so glad we got to help his fellow church members inside and outside of the pool! Anthony was able to compete in the Southern Zone Meet in Cary, NC and Coach Robin was honored to be selected as the team disability coach.

In October two of our Special Needs Swimmers medaled in the Special Olympics State Competition bringing home 3 golds and 1 bronze. We had 4 swimmers travel to Augusta, GA for a Paralympic meet. Jawone Blankenship place 3rd in the State in Diving and the entire team got to travel to Montgomery for a swim meet in November.

In April our first SEASTAR ever signed a letter of intent for AN ATHLETIC COLLEGE SCHOLORSHIP! Jawone signed and received a Diving Scholarship through Delta State University!

SEASTARS had 9 swimmers donate 51 hours teaching 27 non-swimming Salvation Army Campers totaling 116 lessons. This was a donated value to the community of over $3,625.00. In August Coach Robin was the 14th recipient to be honored with The Center of Independent Living’s Spirit of CIL Award, it recognizes individuals who promote positive change for and with people with disabilities.

Anthony was selected again to compete in the Southern Zone Swim Meet as a Disability Athlete in Tupelo MS. SEASTARS hosted its 1st Annual Awareness Day for the Special Needs Community at The Pearl Nelson Center in September and it was a huge success! We look forward to the event annually and we are always needing help sponsoring that event!

In March we provided water safety material, swim suits, water watcher whistles, and taught Throw Don’t Go at OJ Semmes Elementary Safety Carnival. The Magnolia Bar had a fundraising event for us in April and we had our First Annual Team Banquet that month. The 2nd Annual one will be April 30th, 2019 and we will continue this awesome tradition!

SEASTARS had 9 swimmers donate 44 hours teaching 16 non-swimming Salvation Army Campers totaling 88 lessons. This was a donated value to the community of over $2,750.00. In June we started the tradition of pairing with Gulf Breeze Sertoma’s Family Fishing Rodeo as our monthly community service. Anthony and Dolon were able to travel to Midland TX in August and compete in the Southern Zone Age Group Championship as Disability athletes. Walker Parra, brother of one of our Special Needs Swimmers, presented us with tons of swim gear and over $1000 raised as his Senior Project for Washington High School. Coach Will started Volunteering in the Summer and helps 5 days a week coaching and doing Swim Lessons.

We held our 2nd Annual Awareness Day in September. We continue our relationship with UWF Swim Team every September and January, and have been manning Water Stations for the Pensacola Marathon every November. We also teach 2nd graders at both Pensacola Water Safety Days in May and September and Bell Ring for The Salvation Army in December.

In February, Robin Heller was interviewed today by the Kela Group that promotes drowning prevention. In March, Coach Robin Heller and SEASTARS Aquatics were honored by the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge.

In April, SEASTARS Aquatics held their 2nd Annual Team Banquet at The Wright Place in Downtown Pensacola, Isabella, volunteered during the Pensacola Water Safety Day for They’re Making Kids Water SMART to Keep Kids Water SAFE event doing lessons for 2nd graders all day at the event. Swimmer, Malik, 9, made Southeasterns in the 100 breaststroke. Dolon got the 11 and 12 boys 100 fly cut too! Truly amazing for our little Autistic swimmer who has represented SES at the Age Group Zones meet as a disability swimmer MADE ABLE BODIED CUTS! Dolon also MADE the SES Championship Meet cut in 100 meter Fly!

In May, we had our First Annual SEASTARS Aquatics Team Trip to the 2019 Water World Classic Swim Meet in Dothan, AL. SEASTARS competed against 10 other teams in Dothan at the 2019 Water World Classic and took 1st place overall!

In June, Coach Aj Lee flew to South Carolina yesterday to attend The USA Swimming Southern Zone Diversity and Inclusion Summit to represent Southeastern Swimming. He will be working on USA Swimming Diversity and Inclusions Initiatives. It is a huge step in Aj’s journey from an 11 year old SEASTARS Swimmer to an almost 21 year old SEASTARS Coach.

In September, Robin was honored with winning the Disabled Swimming Service Award.

In October, we had an amazing turnout for our SEASTARS Awareness Day, Coach Robin, Coach AJ and Coach Marissa attended 4.5 hours of Southeastern Swimming meetings. Dolon Babcock made the Southeastern All-Star Team for being in the top 5 fastest times in the 11 and 12 boys long course mile swim. He is our first SEASTARS swimmer to achieve this accomplishment!  Our SEASTARS Coach AJ Lee will now serve on the Southeastern Board of Directors as our new Diversity Equity and Inclusion Chair!

In November, our community service was The Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome.

Our December community service was Ringing the Bells for The Salvation Army at Cordova Mall. We have been doing this for over 8 years.

Our January community service was Timing for the UWF Women’s Swim Meet.

In February, the organization “I Support the Girls†of Gulf Coast donated over 300 Summersalt swimsuits to SEASTARS Aquatics! February’s Community Service was to do a complete cleaning of the pool, pool deck, locker rooms, showers, toilets, pump room, swim equipment and dry land equipment. Malik and Dolon had some great meets.! Malik went to Huntsville for Southeasterns and he got 3 best times and he placed 17th on the 50 Breaststroke. Dolon got 2 best times and got 1st in EVERY event he swam in with his classification and age. As a 13 year old, that is really impressive considering he is swimming against primarily adults over the age of 18!

In March, we received suits, goggles, and swim caps from Goggles for Guppies; a program who help serve Disability and Low Income Swimmers.

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

COMING SOON

COMING SOON