Becky Bentz, Certified Instructor
I was born and raised in Jacksonville Florida on waterfront property on the St. John’s river. My family has always been involved in all water sports as well as fishing and boating. My home was 3 doors down from the Arlington YMCA where I began to swim before I can remember – around age 2 or 3.
My youngest son Brooks completed the ISR program in 2008 at 16 months, and at the time, there were no ISR instructors in South Carolina! I traveled to my hometown of Jacksonville to provide these life-saving skills to my son. It was at this time that I made the decision to become an ISR instructor. This has been so fulfilling to me because I am able to give families in the Charleston community the benefits of the most effective and safe Self-Rescue program available and therefore provide a new level of safety to children in an area surrounded by water.
I was born and raised in Jacksonville Florida on waterfront property on the St. John’s river. My family has always been involved in all water sports as well as fishing and boating. My home was 3 doors down from the Arlington YMCA where I began to swim before I can remember – around age 2 or 3.
My youngest son Brooks completed the ISR program in 2008 at 16 months, and at the time, there were no ISR instructors in South Carolina! I traveled to my hometown of Jacksonville to provide these life-saving skills to my son. It was at this time that I made the decision to become an ISR instructor. This has been so fulfilling to me because I am able to give families in the Charleston community the benefits of the most effective and safe Self-Rescue program available and therefore provide a new level of safety to children in an area surrounded by water.
Jody Mantie, Certified Instructor
My name is Jody King Mantie. My husband and I relocated to Mount Pleasant after being born and raised in Connecticut. I have been an ISR instructor since 2008. I have always had a passion for health and wellness and spent many years teaching group fitness classes and personal training. This career, along with my husband's career as a firefighter has given me an understanding of the importance of being proactive when it comes to safety and health.
I had been educating adults about health and wellness for many years, and becoming an ISR instructor seemed like the next logical step for me. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a child roll over and float on his or her own for the first time.
My certifications include: ISR Instructor, CPR, AED, and First Aid.
My name is Jody King Mantie. My husband and I relocated to Mount Pleasant after being born and raised in Connecticut. I have been an ISR instructor since 2008. I have always had a passion for health and wellness and spent many years teaching group fitness classes and personal training. This career, along with my husband's career as a firefighter has given me an understanding of the importance of being proactive when it comes to safety and health.
I had been educating adults about health and wellness for many years, and becoming an ISR instructor seemed like the next logical step for me. Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a child roll over and float on his or her own for the first time.
My certifications include: ISR Instructor, CPR, AED, and First Aid.
Elizabeth Thompkins, Certified Instructor
My name is Elizabeth Thompkins. I have been a lover of the wonderful world of aquatics since I was very young. In the process of becoming certified lifeguard, I developed the acute awareness that water safety is of utmost importance to all people, especially young children. As a swim instructor and lifeguard at a local pool for the past few years, I have had the opportunity to see an ISR instructor at work. During this period, I watched in awe child after child be transformed from an anxious student to very confident and able to execute Self-Rescue skills as well as swim with confidence. That in itself provided me the impetus to move forward and become certified as an ISR instructor in 2019. All children should have the opportunity have high-quality lessons which will empower them with a skill that adds an extra and last layer of protection against aquatic accidents. There is nothing more fulfilling than to have a career of saving lives, 'our children'. I humbly embrace this responsibility as an ambassador for ISR and to fulfill our mission of “Not One More Child”.
My name is Elizabeth Thompkins. I have been a lover of the wonderful world of aquatics since I was very young. In the process of becoming certified lifeguard, I developed the acute awareness that water safety is of utmost importance to all people, especially young children. As a swim instructor and lifeguard at a local pool for the past few years, I have had the opportunity to see an ISR instructor at work. During this period, I watched in awe child after child be transformed from an anxious student to very confident and able to execute Self-Rescue skills as well as swim with confidence. That in itself provided me the impetus to move forward and become certified as an ISR instructor in 2019. All children should have the opportunity have high-quality lessons which will empower them with a skill that adds an extra and last layer of protection against aquatic accidents. There is nothing more fulfilling than to have a career of saving lives, 'our children'. I humbly embrace this responsibility as an ambassador for ISR and to fulfill our mission of “Not One More Child”.
Nicole Williams, Certified Instructor
I grew up near the seacoast of New Hampshire and our family always loved going to the beach, lakes and pools all summer long. While attending James Madison University in the mountains of Virginia, I realized how much I enjoyed the warmer weather and missed the coast. Soon after I graduated I moved to Charleston and began my teaching career. After a year, I quickly took a pivot and moved to the non-profit world running educational programs after school that primarily focused on social and emotional skills. I fell in love with teaching life skills and have been with the program ever since. I am a mom to three young children and my oldest two completed ISR while I was on maternity leave. I loved seeing how much progress they made. The aspect of giving back to the community and teaching survival skills inspired me. I jumped on the opportunity to complement my education background and teach aquatic survival skills in the most effective manner. I’m excited to serve the Charleston community and contribute to the ISR mission of “Not One More Child Drowns”.
I grew up near the seacoast of New Hampshire and our family always loved going to the beach, lakes and pools all summer long. While attending James Madison University in the mountains of Virginia, I realized how much I enjoyed the warmer weather and missed the coast. Soon after I graduated I moved to Charleston and began my teaching career. After a year, I quickly took a pivot and moved to the non-profit world running educational programs after school that primarily focused on social and emotional skills. I fell in love with teaching life skills and have been with the program ever since. I am a mom to three young children and my oldest two completed ISR while I was on maternity leave. I loved seeing how much progress they made. The aspect of giving back to the community and teaching survival skills inspired me. I jumped on the opportunity to complement my education background and teach aquatic survival skills in the most effective manner. I’m excited to serve the Charleston community and contribute to the ISR mission of “Not One More Child Drowns”.
Michelle Barbare, Certified Instructor
I grew up in Maryland spending my summers at the pool and on the beach. I don’t remember learning to swim, it is just something that has always been part of my life. As a competitive gymnast, swimming became a form of rehabilitation after a serious elbow injury. I’ve been a Physical Therapist for the last 14 years, and after having my first son I learned of ISR. I had to do a lot of driving and juggling of schedules to make ISR possible for both of my boys, but after watching their skill growth and development, I felt people in our area would love to have an instructor closer to home. Watching children grow in both competence and confidence around the water is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever been a part of. My husband’s job has brought us to Charleston and I look forward to working with the rest of the SC ISR team to improve water safety in the greater Charleston area.
I grew up in Maryland spending my summers at the pool and on the beach. I don’t remember learning to swim, it is just something that has always been part of my life. As a competitive gymnast, swimming became a form of rehabilitation after a serious elbow injury. I’ve been a Physical Therapist for the last 14 years, and after having my first son I learned of ISR. I had to do a lot of driving and juggling of schedules to make ISR possible for both of my boys, but after watching their skill growth and development, I felt people in our area would love to have an instructor closer to home. Watching children grow in both competence and confidence around the water is one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever been a part of. My husband’s job has brought us to Charleston and I look forward to working with the rest of the SC ISR team to improve water safety in the greater Charleston area.
