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Our mission is to make swimming simple, safe, and enjoyable for everyone — regardless of age, background, or ability. With a gentle, proven method and dedicated instructors, we build confidence, improve fitness, and nurture lifelong skills — one stroke at a time.
🌊 Where Mind Meets Water — Coach SLY blends psychology and coaching expertise to help anybody swim with confidence and skill. At Swimsly Academy, swimming is more than strokes — it’s about confidence, discipline, and the mind. That’s where Coach SLY’s psychology background makes the difference.
Our passion lies in helping individuals of all ages and skill levels
discover their ability to swim, even if they once feared water or
believed they couldn’t. From nervous beginners to individuals with
special needs, we specialise in turning fear into confidence and
helping every swimmer feel safe, strong, and capable in the water.
👉 Join us today and discover that Anybody Can Swim!
– Founder & Head Coach
With a passion for water and a heart for people, Coach Sylvester, founder of SWIMSLY ACADEMY, has dedicated his life to helping others discover the power and joy of swimming. Over the years, he has trained hundreds of beginners, helped many overcome deep-seated fear of water, and guided both children and adults toward swimming confidence — including those with special needs.
What makes his approach unique is his background in psychology, which he blends with swimming coaching to build confidence, discipline, and resilience. By understanding the mind as much as the strokes, he helps every swimmer grow not just in skill, but in self-belief.
Sylvester Onyeka Okeke (Coach SLY), the founder of Swimsly Academy, is an NAqF Level 2 Certified Swimming Teacher, an NAqF Certified Aquatic Lifeguard Professional, and a graduate of the Nigeria National Technical Officiating Training Course (NAqF Certified). He is also certified in Basic Life Support (CPR, AED, and Bleeding) by the Nigerian Red Cross Society.
He holds a First Class BSc in Psychology from the University of Ibadan, a background that enriches his coaching with deep insight into learning, motivation, and athlete development.
Coach SLY is a member of the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA), an ASCA Level 3 Certified Swimming Coach, and a former member of the University of Ibadan Swimming Team.
His journey to launch a swimming academy began in 2016, inspired by his passion for swimming and the fulfillment of seeing those he taught become confident swimmers. Ever since, he has been unstoppable in fulfilling his mission: empowering people through swimming, regardless of age, gender, or background.
* “Born and raised in a riverine area of Anambra, Delta, and Bayelsa states, I learned to swim informally from my parents and siblings as a little boy. Later, while studying at the University of Ibadan, I joined the school’s swimming team. I wasn’t a coach yet, just a passionate swimmer, but I enjoyed using my spare time to teach others.
I remember my friend, Dr. Adegboyega Ifeoluwa (DVM), then captain of the swimming team, once said to me: ‘Sylvester, you can do it; I mean, you can teach swimming very well.’ Those words lit a spark in me and gave me the confidence to share my love for
the water. As a lifeguard at Ogudu GRA Recreational Center in Lagos, I taught staff to swim—reinforcing my mission that truly, anybody can swim. I also witnessed many children and adults struggling
with fear of water—standing by the poolside, longing to swim but unable to take the leap. That was when I realized how powerful swimming could be, not just as a skill, but as a life-changing experience.
With my background in psychology, I began creating a safe, supportive, and motivating environment where truly, anybody can swim.” *
— Sylvester Onyeka Okeke (Coach SLY)
All our team members are committed to our mission: empowering people through swimming, regardless of age, gender, or cultural background.
You will be in safe hands. Our swim coaches hold NAqF Swimming Teacher Certification. They also hold lifeguard certifications from recognized institutes and are trained in first aid and CPR. To ensure the highest standards, they regularly update their skills.
Each Swimsly Academy coach understands what it takes to support swimmers at every level, from complete beginners to aspiring triathletes.
Whether you're a beginner looking to learn the basics, an intermediate swimmer aiming to refine your skills, or an advanced athlete seeking personalized coaching, we have the perfect course for you.
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