SPIRE Institute and Academy, home to one of the most comprehensive swim facilities in the world, is excited to announce Three-Time Olympian, Olympic Team Captain, and Best Selling Author Elizabeth Beisel as their International Swim Ambassador. As a SPIRE Ambassador, Beisel will lead programs for SPIRE student athletes both during her visits and virtually. Beisel, whose passions include ocean conservancy and leadership for teenage girls, will visit multiple times per year.
“I am thrilled to be a part of the SPIRE family for so many reasons. They emphasize world class academics for student-athletes grades 9-12, all while providing the finest athletic facilities in North America on their campus,” Beisel explained. “SPIRE’s values align perfectly with mine; highlighting the importance of academics, athletics, personal skills development, and career path preparation. I look forward to leading my own programs within SPIRE’s curriculum, covering several topics from leadership to ocean conservation. My goal while working with SPIRE is to educate and inspire young student-athletes who will one day end up being the future of not just our sport, but our community as well.”
Spanning the course of her career, Elizabeth competed in three Olympic Games, six World Championships and three Pan Pacific Championships, winning over ten international medals. During her collegiate tenure at the University of Florida, Elizabeth won two NCAA titles and 14 SEC titles. From 2006-2017 she was on every single US National Team, earning her the longest streak out of any female swimmer in history, and the second longest streak in the sport, only to Michael Phelps. In 2020 Elizabeth published her memoir, “Silver Lining”, which has sold thousands of copies globally and is an Amazon #1 bestseller.
Constructed on 300 acres with 750,000 sq. ft. under roof, SPIRE is among the largest indoor multi-sport, training, education and competition complexes in North America. SPIRE’S swim complex features a 10-lane, 50-meter Olympic size pool with 2 moveable bulkheads, a 1×3-meter diving area, a 25-yard recreation pool, 4 therapeutic pools to support training and rehab activities and full locker room facilities. Its world-class Performance Training Center services not only SPIRE swimmers, but SPIRE athletes from club, camp and academy training programs in every sport featured on campus. It features a national/international college preparatory academy for high school student-athletes; and a popular post graduate academy with an opportunity to take classes at nearby Kent State University’s Ashtabula campus.
In addition to being regarded as a top-tier athletic training facility, SPIRE serves as a popular venue for local, national and international events across all its sports. In swimming alone, SPIRE has hosted meets for USA Swimming, Big East and Atlantic 10 championships, to name just a few.
As the foundation of SPIRE, the Academy is where training and education live within four integrated priorities: academics, one’s specialty passion (i.e., sport), personal skills development and career path preparation.
- Training is delivered in multiple sports and specialty disciplines, and via long term athletic development training in SPIRE Performance.
- Training is offered within long- and short- term programs, both day and boarding. They include academies, camps, clubs, clinics, etc.
- Training programs are offered to juniors, collegians, professionals, teams, adults, masters, Olympians, Paralympians, Special Olympians and Wounded Warriors.
- Performance training on site supplements core training with an emphasis on physical conditioning, mental skills training and nutrition/hydration guidance.
- Education is offered on campus, currently to grades 9-12.
- The academic experience at SPIRE is offered as an approved, accredited extension of nearby Grand River Academy.
- The college prep curriculum is cross-discipline and built on a project-based experiential model that meets the needs of multiple types of learners.
- Academic courses, programs and camps are offered to the regional students as well, including adult students.
SPIRE is under new ownership/leadership, after having been purchased in December 2019 by Axxella, LLC a Baltimore, Maryland-based investment firm helmed by Blue Ocean President & CEO Jonathan Ehrenfeld. “We are very excited to welcome Elizabeth to the team at SPIRE,” said Blue Ocean CEO Jonathan Ehrenfeld. “We believe her ambassadorship will bring great value to the amazing swimming program at SPIRE. Her expertise, knowledge, enthusiasm, and warmth will serve to benefit many of our students.”
For Elizabeth Beisel press inquiries, contact Dane Vanderkaay at [email protected].
For more information on SPIRE Academy swimming programs, contact Director of Admissions Brian Oliver, [email protected] or visit the website www.spireinstitute.org/academy to download the Admissions Guide.
Swimming news is courtesy of SPIRE, a SwimSwam partner.