Since 1986, the Wes Deist Aquatic Center has been a staple to the community for families, friends and above all, swimming enthusiasts. The center is a space for swimming education and simply for fun. “It provides a place for so many different people,” Head Lifeguard Maddie Wahlen said. “Lots of people come in for a public swim that are here to enjoy being together, and doing something fun.”
Maddie knows just how fun swimming can be as a fellow swimming enthusiast. Growing up, she spent a lot of time in the water and when she began working at the Aquatic Center 6 years ago, she found a love for swimming instruction.
As head lifeguard, she oversees a lot of the day-to-day tasks at the center including running the front desk, making sure the facility stays up to code and most importantly, ensuring the safety of swimmers by supervising the other lifeguards out on deck and taking the lead in the case of an emergency. And when she’s not on shift as head lifeguard, she’s teaching a variety of classes.
“I love helping other people, and being able to be at the front desk and answer people's questions, being able to teach swim lessons and see people learn, being a swim coach and helping kids reach their goals, that's all really rewarding.”
Maddie teaches many of the classes that the center offers, including coaching swim teams, instructing fitness classes and teaching swimming lessons. As one of her favorite parts of the job, she likes to make sure students have fun while learning at the center.
“You're there trying to make it really exciting for them, and then you're also making fun games that are both interesting to do, but also help them learn different skills,” she said. “It's just a good way to get them comfortable in the water.”
One of Maddie’s heartfelt moments as an instructor at the center is what reminds her of how important her role is.
“I had one kid who had a disability, so his arm wasn't fully formed, and I remember he kind of struggled with learning how to swim front crawl because it was just a little bit different for him, and so I worked on helping him kind of figure it out. He was pretty young, so I figured out some different ways that he could swim it. At the end of class every day, we had a one-minute recap where I would say, ‘Hey guys, what did you learn today?’ One day I forgot to do this, and when he got out of the water, he was wrapped up in a towel by his mom, and he ran over and he said, ‘Teacher, you forgot to ask us what we learned today.’ I said, ‘What did you learn today?’ and he replied, ‘I learned that I can do anything.’”
The Wes Deist Aquatic Center is filled with friendly faces like Maddie’s who also work hard every day to ensure the center is safe and swimmers are having fun. And between the variety of swimming classes, swimming teams, water fitness classes, and its general swim hours, the Aquatic Center has something for everyone to enjoy.
About the Wes Deist Aquatic Center
Public Swim Hours
Monday, Wednesday
10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday
6:30-9 p.m.
Friday
10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 6:30-9 p.m.
Saturday
3-8 p.m.
Sunday
Closed
Lap Swim Hours
Monday, Wednesday
5:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Thursday
5:30 a.m.-9 a.m., 7-9 p.m.
Friday
5:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m, 7-9 p.m.
Saturday
6-8 a.m., 3-8 p.m.
Sunday
Closed
Admission Fees for Public and Lap Swim
Adults (Age 13-61): $7
Seniors (Age 62 And Over): $5
Children (Age 4-12): $7
Toddler (Age 3 And Under): $3
Military Rate: $5
For More Information
149 7th St.
Idaho Falls, ID 83401
208-612-8111 | www.idahofallsidaho.gov