Aqua Essence Staff Profiles
Rishona Hyman
Rishona has a Masters in Social Work degree as well as an Interdisciplinary Master of Arts. She recently had a baby boy who is enrolled in swimming lessons. Rishona took her swimming lessons through the City of Winnipeg. Rishona played water polo in high school and played on the Manitoba Provincial team for 4 years. She has worked on the docks in Ontario, B.C and Israel. She has taught swimming for over 14 years for a variety of places and started Aqua Essence Swim Academy in 2000. Rishona's favourite things to do in the water are BOBS and Butterfly!
Aaron Cappelani
Aaron Cappelani is an energetic 17 year old who is starting his second year teaching with Aqua Essence. Over the summer Aaron loved his job working with the City of Winnipeg as a recreation technician where he spent time with inner city kids, playing lots of sports and games. Aaron is in grade 12 at St. Johns Ravenscourt where he enjoys playing soccer and learning sciences. His favourite thing to do in the water is play water polo. Aaron plans to attend University after his graduation.
Kirsten Dobriansky
Kirsten is in her second year of classes at the University of Winnipeg. She is working towards her Bachelor of Science degree. Along with taking swimming lessons, Kirsten was a synchronized swimmer for eight years, four of them being on the provincial team. This is Kirsten's second year as a teacher with Aqua Essence and she has recently been hired to work for the City of Winnipeg. Kirsten loves the water!
Tracey Fingas
Tracey is from Portage La Prairie and has taken all her swimming lessons there and continues to lifeguard and teach lessons at Splash Island during the summer. She has been teaching swimming lessons for 4 years. She is currently in her 3rd year of University and is working towards becoming a teacher. Tracey enjoys hanging out with friends, listening to country music, traveling to Mexico and volunteering at an elementary school. She enjoys front crawl!
Rachael Floom
Rachael is in her third year of teaching with Aqua Essence. She is going into her second year at he University of Manitoba. Rachael took her swimming lessons privately and enjoys diving and front crawl. In her free time she enjoys yoga, reading and watching TV. For the past two summers Rachael has worked as a lifeguard at Montrose Wading Pool.
Tali Floom
Tali is 17 years old and in grade 12 and Grant Park High School. She is in her 2nd year of teaching with Aqua Essence. She took her swimming lessons privately, dabbled in synchronized swimming, and loves to do breast stroke. Tali worked as a counsellor at B'nai Brith Camp this summer and had a great time. In her spare time she plays soccer and likes just hanging out with her friends. Her favourite part of teaching is helping kids to excel and seeing them (and their parents) happy with the progress they make.
Mikaela Garfinkel
Mikaela in in grade 12 at Grant Park High School. This is her 2nd year teaching swimming for Aqua Essence. In her spare time she does track and field, and competed this past summer in Quebec. She also coaches gymnastics at panthers Gymnastics Club. Mikaela loves swimming, especially breast stroke.
Gabrielle Levin
Gabrielle Levin is in her 1st year at U of W, going into pre-med. She has done all of her swimming lessons with Rishona. Her favourite swimming stroke is front crawl. Gabrielle spent the summer in Asia doing conversation work with Projects Abroad and was fortunate to see sharks while scuba diving in Thailand. In her spare time, Gabrielle enjoys taking art classes. She is also Aqua Essence's only bilingual instructor. This is her 2nd year with Aqua Essence.
Jen Schacter
Jen has been teaching swimming with Aqua Essence for 4 years. She has her Red Cross Instructors and Lifesaving Instructors. Jen graduated from St. John's Ravenscourt and now is in her 4th year at the U of M, in the faculty of science. In her spare time Jen is involved in the organizing committee for Camp Quality. Jen's favourite stroke is front crawl, she also enjoys diving!
Amber Sucharov-Benarroch
Amber is in grade 12 at The Gray Academy. She is in her second year of teaching and previously volunteered with Aqua Essence for 2 years. Ambers enjoys hanging our with her friends, reading and traveling. She is a member of the B'nai Brith Youth Organization. In the future, Amber would like to go into medicine. Amber took her swimming lessons at the Rady JCC and at Pan-am. Amber was previously a member of the Manta Swim club for three years. her favourite thing to do in the water is breaststroke.
Lexi van Dyck
Lexi is a grade 12 student at Fort Richmond Collegiate. This is her first year teaching with Aqua Essence. Lexi took her swimming lessons at Sherbrook pool, did a few years of synchronized swimming and played water polo on her school team. Lexi also enjoys singing and has been in many musicals. She loves front crawl, breast stroke, canoeing and kayaking. Lexi hopes that all her kids have a great swimming year and that all her kids swim to the best of their ability!
Erin Ward
Erin is in her 4th year of teaching with Aqua Essence. She took her swimming lessons through the City of Winnipeg. Erin did try synchronized swimming for a few years. Her favourite stroke is front crawl. She is in her 3rd year at the U of M in the faculty of Human Ecology. Erin loves to travel, water ski and read. This past summer she was the supervisor at River Heights Community Centre Day Camp.
Rachel Ward
This is Rachel's first year of teaching swimming with Aqua Essence and she can't wait to get started! she attend the U of W and is taking her first year courses with the bright prospects for the future. In addition, Rachel also works with the Storm catering company and spends her time tutoring a child with Autism during the year. She very active and enjoys playing many sports, including recreational soccer, running and is on the provincial rugby team. Rachel's favourite thing to do in the water is water ski!!
Jana Sklover
Jana is in grade 12 at Garden City Collegiate and is looking forward to attending University in the fall. She danced at the Royal Dance Conservatory for 14 years and was an assistance dance instructor for 6 years. Jana did synchronize swimming for 2 summers and recently achieved her Lifeguard Certificate. Jana enjoys music, dancing and of course, swimming. She is looking forward to teaching swimming with Aqua Essence.