WATER STORIES
Our Aquatics Ambassadors
A remarkable group of people with deep relationships to swimming and water.
Here, our Ambassadors share what lies at the core of their commitment to water, hoping their water story might inspire their neighbors:
Emilio Perez
“Swimming has opened so many doors for me. My life as a professional swimmer has introduced me to the world beyond Milwaukee, taking me around the country and to international competitions in Mexico and Japan. I’ve had phenomenal experiences in the pool and the sport has introduced me to an amazing community — teammates, friends and mentors. Swimming has also given me opportunities to become a better leader, a better teammate and overall a better person.”
Emilio Perez is a professional swimmer whose career started in Wilson Pool on Milwaukee’s South Side. Now, he represents Mexico in international competitions and competes in meets around the United States and world. He is also an emerging graphic designer, creating his own custom gear with his swimwear sponsor A3 Performance. He also designed the Aquatics Ambassadors Milwaukee logo.
Lloyd Seawright
“Water can be therapeutic on the one hand and induce fear on another. Water can give life and take it away. Water is a balance beam of life. The pleasure and nourishment water provides through our oceans, waterways, and pools will ensure a healthy relationship for all who desire to engage this omnipresent medium — water!”
Lloyd Seawright is a “waterman,” engaging in the sports of swimming, paddling, rowing, and other extreme water sports. A true steward of all things water, he grew up on Bradford and Atwater Beaches, also spending time at the YMCA and CAMP Minikani. Lloyd works in disaster response and emergency management, also providing the EMS Program at MATC with evaluation assistance in the NREMT Practical Exam Process. He is a senior partner with the Beach Ambassador program, a board member with Surfrider Foundation MKE, a water quality tester with Milwaukee Riverkeeper, an associate of the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, and on a disaster response team with the Red Cross.
Jesse Ambos-Kleckly
“When we talk about water safety in Milwaukee, swimming is a life skill, but also a potentially life-saving skill. Lake Michigan is the deadliest of the five Great Lakes and we have too many drownings in our rivers and other bodies of water. Learning to swim can be about developing your stroke, but it can also be breaking through generational and genetic trauma.”
Jesse’s passion for water began early. A competitive swimmer at the age of 6, her childhood pool was at Dineen Park, where her mom and aunt had been lifeguards. She swam on the varsity swim team at Rufus King in high school, eventually becoming a lifeguard and teaching swim lessons for over eight years. With representation at the forefront, Jesse requested placement in Black and Brown neighborhoods to invest her skill within communities most impacted by socioeconomic barriers limiting access to pools and water safety education.
Rae Johnson
“Swimming always felt far away from my life in Milwaukee, but in reality, it’s not. I wish I’d known how to swim growing up because it’s fun, a low-impact exercise, and a real survival skill. Plus, I think it’s a perfect activity for introverts like me.”
Rae learned to swim in 2020, as an adult, because they didn’t want their 10-year-old son Elijah to feel afraid as he began lessons at North Division. They also wanted to take on a challenge and learn a major new life skill as an example for Elijah. Rae continues to swim and seek time in the water, especially in winter and has branched out to water aerobics (including going with their mother!).
Apply to Be a Lifeguard
Without you, our community will have limited access to pools and swim lessons.
Start training now to be a lifeguard. Do some good, have fun, get paid! What are you waiting for? Apply now!