Born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, our Assistant Aquatics Director Lydia Samples moved to Jacksonville as a young girl and started swimming at the JCA when she was 12 years old.

Lydia swam on our Makos Swim Team until she was 18, and was hired as a swim instructor and lifeguard at 15 years old. She served as our head lifeguard during JCA Summer Camp in 2021 and 2022, before being promoted to Aquatics Coordinator in the 2022 camp season.

Lydia says she loves her job because she gets to work with children and adults of all ages to help them achieve their goals in the water. Certified as a Water Safety Instructor (WSI), Safety Training Instructor for swim coaches, Lifeguard, and Aquatics Facilities Operator, Lydia says she has always loved to swim and thrives when she is in the water.

According to Lydia the best part of her job is teaching people to swim and sharing valuable life-saving skills with the members of our community. When she’s not in our pools, chances are Lydia is working out or riding some waves; she loves spending time with her family, weightlifting with her dad, and surfing.