About Us & Our Program

A Welcome From our Founder

Welcome to Bakersfield Swim Academy where our motto is "From Infants to Olympians". Making the 2004 Olympic Team and earning a Bronze Medal as part of the 4x100 Freestyle Relay was a tremendous joy and blessing. However, the joy and blessing I have received from those achievements were only a continuation of blessings I have had in and around the pool. When I was only an infant, my parents saw the importance of passing on their love for the water and desire for me to be safe. That is where it all started, not the day the doors to the Academy were opened.

Water can be involved in so many amazing times in our lives. Think back to times around the pool growing up with siblings on hot summer days, taking a nap by the pool on the warm cement after playing for hours on end, or the many times you might have spent at the beach playing in the sand, surfing, or snorkeling. Maybe it was on a lake with your family, on the boat, learning to ride on an inner tube, water skiing, or jet skiing. Maybe your dream was like my dream, where you enjoyed many of these same water activities, however you did desire to make it to as high a level as you could attain, racing on the summer recreation team then competing for a college scholarship and on to the Olympic Games. These are all fun activities where memories are made and water is enjoyed.

Welcome to Bakersfield Swim Academy!

Gabe Woodward, Founder

2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist



A History of BSA

Gabe and Staci Woodward founded Bakersfield Swim Academy in the summer of 2012 in hopes of sharing their love for swimming with the surrounding community. As an Olympic Bronze Medalist, a 4x All American Athlete, a former Swim Team Captain for USC, and a father of 4 young children, Gabe’s passion for swim lessons reaches far beyond water safety. While Gabe and Staci believe that water safety is the primary goal of swim lessons, they hope to serve the Bakersfield community in more than just lowering annual drowning rates. Ultimately, they hope to provide a place where families can make memories together, a place where children can build character through hard work and dedication, and a place where people of all ages can learn to swim, all while encouraging families to live healthy and active lifestyles.

In serving the surrounding community, Bakersfield Swim Academy currently offers a large variety of aquatic services including: swim lessons for all ages, water aerobics, beginners water polo, a summer rec swim team, a wonderful venue for private swim parties, and public swim clinics conducted by current and former US Olympic swimmers.

While providing diversity in aquatic services is important, it is not the variety of services offered but the quality of services offered that sets BSA apart from other aquatic facilities in Kern County. In order to provide the highest quality customer service possible, Gabe and Staci make sure to hire hard working, dedicated, and servant minded individuals. They also ensure that all BSA swim instructors are highly trained in water safety education, that they love swimming, and that they are passionate about sharing their love for swimming with others.


Meet Our Staff