Who is Miss Maddie?

My name is Madison Russell and I started Miss Maddie’s swim school over five years ago here in Atlanta, GA.

I have been in and around the water my whole life and became an open-water SCUBA Diver at the age of 13, a Rescue SCUBA Diver at 17, and a professional PADI SCUBA Diver at 18. With over 250 dives under my belt in the last decade, I have spent a total of 320 hours of time underwater.

In addition to my SCUBA experiences, I grew up right in Johns Creek where I attended Chattahoochee High School while lifeguarding for Dynamo swim club, both during the summer and at their indoor pool during the year. As I lifeguarded I became more and more interested in how kids learned to swim and felt I had knowledge to contribute.

This is where Miss Maddie’s Swim School origin story starts. I have been teaching kids how to swim for over a decade now and have successfully taught over 150 kids how to swim since 2013. I have also been a part-time and full-time nanny for over 20 kids in that same time frame.

My experiences with kids of all ages, working with parents, and extreme comfortability in all bodies of water have enabled me to develop Miss Maddie’s swim school into one of the most sought after (and fun!) swim schools in the Alpharetta, Roswell, and East Cobb areas of Atlanta.

Meet the Team

  • Ayda Jamil

    Hi! My name is Ayda! I'm thrilled to be a swim instructor this summer with Miss Maddie's Swim School. My past experience on competitive swim teams developed a love of being in the water and I can't wait to help others develop that same love for the water. I'm looking forward to helping your children gain more confidence in the pool and improve their swimming skills this summer!

  • Ava Beaty

    Hi! My name is Ava and I am a junior at NYU studying Music Business. I'm from Atlanta and grew up competing on swim teams in the area. I have worked as a swim instructor for an intramural swim team during high school, and have worked as a babysitter since I was in middle school. I am thrilled to be working for Miss Maddie's Swim School this summer to teach your little ones confidence in and around the water. See you at the pool!

  • Lia Petramale

    Hi! My name is Lia and I have worked with kids in all different sports for the past 8 years! I grew up swimming in my neighbor's pool whenever I got the chance and eventually joined the swim team when I was old enough to participate. I did swim team for many years and can’t wait to teach your kiddos how to be the best swimmer they can be with Miss Maddie's Swim School!!

  • "Our family is so blessed to have met Maddie! She is amazing with children & gained the trust of my young kids very early on. I was so impressed with her calm nature & ability to guide my kids through their fears with water. The consistency of Maddie's classes proved to be so valuable for my 5 & 2-year-old to gain the confidence they needed to gain life-saving skills in the water. I recommend Maddie to every parent I know because you get quality lessons & your kids (& you) will love her!"

    Jessica Curran

  • "Our family cannot recommend Maddie enough for swim lessons! She has a great presence with the kids that is firm yet patient, & they show true progress by the end of the session. Try her out, you will not regret it! We will be starting our 3rd child with her this summer & we can't wait!"

    Annie Oroho

  • "Starting our summer with Madison has been great for our son to strengthen his swimming right from the start of the season. The format is great for kids & speaks to their learning style. She's great with him & he looks forward to the sessions each day!"

    Amy Eagen