Making a Splash with Rishona Hyman of Aqua Essence Swim Academy
Entrepreneur builds swim skills and encourages play in people of all ages
By Leigh Patterson
“This is where the magic happens.”
These few words hand painted by Winnipeg artist Kal Barteski on a wall at Aqua Essence Swim Academy carry a lot of meaning at this full-service swim space located in Winnipeg’s Kenaston Common.
The brainchild of founder Rishona Hyman, a.k.a. “the Head Fish,” Aqua Essence is Manitoba’s only private swim school that has a pool with a deep end. This distinction is one of the many reasons more than 1,700 students a week – ranging in age from four months to adult – take lessons here, gaining confidence in their swim abilities and to thrive in other areas of their lives.
Another reason is the more than 100 passionate, highly trained full and part-time instructors who teach foundational skills that enhance their students’ safety and enjoyment in the water. This includes Hyman herself.
“I’ve always loved being by and in the water, it’s calming and soothing; it’s my happy place,” says Hyman, who has been teaching in Winnipeg pools since 1995. She’s dabbled in synchronized swimming, played on the provincial water polo team, and has worked as a lifeguard internationally. She now serves on the board of the Canadian Swim School Alliance.
Her idea for Aqua Essence started as she noticed kids who struggled just to pull themselves out of or safely enter a pool. Seeing a need for essential life skills got her thinking about how to best serve the community. Pooling resources and her expertise, Hyman launched Aqua Essence Swim Academy in 2002, teaching essential life skills in city-run pools until the move to her Kenaston location in 2023.
A set of core values guides the crew at this one-of-a-kind swim space. These include relationships, teamwork, authenticity, attitude, quality and excellence. “Overall, we want people to be successful, overcome hurdles and make connections,” says Hyman.
Aqua Essence is a welcoming and inclusive environment, where swimmers are warmly greeted by front desk staff. Universal, accessible change rooms equipped with hair dry bars are located adjacent to the glassed-in pool area. The custom-designed, 13.5-metre-long stainless steel pool was manufactured in the Czech Republic, with panels shipped to Winnipeg and welded together onsite. The hospital-grade stainless steel pool is heated to a comfortable 89°C to 90°C.
A common area with tables, chairs, snacks for sale and even a photo booth is a handy staging area for school groups to hang out and eat lunch while awaiting lessons.
Aqua Essence offers swim programs, leadership programs, babysitting training, the Lifesaving Society Leadership and First Aid training.
For the parent and student’s peace of mind, all classes have a maximum of two swimmers per instructor. All instructors are not only first aid certified, but each undergoes 10 weeks of training before teaching their own classes.
“We formalized the teaching techniques we had already been using into a full proprietary curriculum with our own measures of success called Ready, Set, Swim!,” says Hyman. These 12 levels were created in a way to empower, build comfort, confidence, and skills for life. Upon completion, swimmers will know how to confidently swim in both shallow and deep water. Customized training plans are available and students can learn advanced techniques as required for competitive level training.
Aqua Essence instructors deliver powerful results. “Parents say ‘we have the best swimming program in Canada’ and that ‘their kids learn more in one lesson at Aqua Essence than they did in years of classes’ at other locations,” says Hyman.
These testaments to these results is the second generation of kids that are being introduced to Aqua Essence by parents who had enjoyed great experiences at the Swim Academy.
“We’ve become part of families and their milestone events,” says Hyman. “We strive to do well by Winnipeggers.”
Aside from nurturing a special community, Hyman says she’s motivated by the students. “It’s meaningful when you hear the sigh when people get into the pool. That’s the magic element of water. I love what I do.”
Helping people rediscover the power of play
Hyman hasn’t stopped there. As a parent of two, she noticed that children move less, and it’s affecting their confidence, coordination and focus. This was the impetus for her next venture: Ready, Set, Move!, which opened in February 2026 and is located just across the parking lot from Aqua Essence. Here, Hyman’s team of coaches are bringing back the magic of childhood movement through science-based play.
The same core values that have shaped the success of the swim academy apply at Ready, Set, Move! This bright, colourful, high-energy space is equipped with ropes to swing on, hoops to run through, a wall to climb and extra-thick mats for tumbling.
The classes here offer purposeful, movement-based activities led by coaches in a structured environment. “We focus on gross motor movement in kids aged six to 12, emphasizing balance, coordination and agility,” notes Hyman.
Ready, Set, Move! is set up to host birthday parties and other special events. Full-day and full-week summer camps are available, with young campers enjoying 45-minutes of free daily swim time at Aqua Essence Swim Academy.
The Game on Fitness option is a daily class that brings back the fun of being active through playground-inspired activities to move the body in a natural, enjoyable way.
The personable young coaches at Ready, Set, Move! are role models, most of whom are high-level athletes aspiring to future careers as occupational therapists, teachers, physiotherapists and more. They are passionate about kids’ growth, and just like energetic Rishona Hyman, are leading by example.
