Mesa swim instructor wins Pay It Forward Award

MESA, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — We decided to Pay It Forward in Mesa to a swim coach named Brandon Whitehead, who has taught thousands of children how to stay safe in the water. “He works so hard. He is so patient, he never loses his temper. He knows exactly what to do because he is done it for so long. So I think he is definitely deserving of this award,” said Erin O’Grady, who nominated Whitehead.

Whitehead has been teaching for 30 years, and he has an incredible about of patience to help kids feel comfortable. O’Grady and I walked up to Whitehead in a class to surprise him with the award. “You were nominated for a Pay It Forward Award for being such an amazing swim instructor. So here is your $500. You won!” said O’Grady. “I can’t believe this is happening. We have such great students, parents. It’s an honor to be able to do this,” said Whitehead.

The pandemic was rough on his family’s swim business. This $500 award would help them and Whitehead was very appreciative of the recognition. He says there is a lot to love about his job, but keeping kids safe around water is so important. “Making sure kids are safe, working with kids is an amazing environment, it’s just fun,” said Whitehead. If you would like to nominate someone for our Pay It Forward Award, fill out a nomination form on our community page.

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