“It nourishes and sustains us, it cleanses us, it heals us, it comforts us, it challenges us, it provides a place for exploration, and it inspires us...WATER!”
Joanne M Koury
Swimming always brings me back to the childhood pleasure of swimming with my lifelong best friend Beth at our neighborhood outdoor pool in Pennsylvania. We spent every day from opening to early evening exploring water. Some summer seasons, my family would visit relatives in the Caribbean, where I enjoyed the warm tropical waters and beautiful beaches in Antigua. These early experiences instilled a love for the water. Even after 40 years of coaching swimming, it continues to give me great pleasure to share my passion for the sport with my students.
Credentials
Joanne coached for over four decades, including Northampton Swimming (Northampton, PA), Scottsdale Aquatic Club (Arizona), PAAC (Allentown, PA), LVA (Bethlehem, PA), WSC (Allentown, PA), and Central Catholic High School (Allentown, PA). She was the Fitness and Aquatic Director for Lehigh Valley Racquet and Fitness Centers in Allentown, PA. and also managed three medical wellness centers, from ground-breaking to opening.
Joanne earned her master’s degree in Exercise Science at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. She is a USA Swimming and ASCA Level 3 coach. She trained in biomechanics, kinesiology, and sports medicine, and attended coaching clinics with some of the top Olympic and Collegiate coaches at Eastern States Swim Clinics. She held certifications for over 3 decades with the American College of Sports Medicine, American Red Cross, American Council on Exercise, and the Aquatic Exercise Association. In 1997, East Stroudsburg University Graduate School honored Joanne with the Alumni Award for Early Achievement after graduation for the international publication of the book “Aquatic Therapy Programming: Guidelines for Orthopedic Rehabilitation” (Human Kinetics Publishers, 1996). She wrote for various journals, including Aquatics International, North Scottsdale Lifestyle Magazine, SWIMSWAM/Volleyball MOB, Lehigh Valley Hospital Magazine, and the Lehigh County Medical Society Journal.
I was the principal vendor for the Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach, for which Joanne managed the health and wellness center project. I found her to be extremely “on task” and very focused. She worked tirelessly to get the facility open under deadlines. I observed her involvement with the many details of opening the new facility and her timely interaction with Hospital staff, contractors, vendors and the many stakeholders involved in the project. I saw firsthand her versatile skill set as she managed wellness operations, hired employees, developed protocols for members, provided marketing leadership and engaged the membership. Joanne has wonderful credentials and is rich in experience in professional fitness operations. She applies this education and experience with a hands-on approach that is necessary to the get the job done right. She literally goes the extra mile for the organization and the membership. — Jerry Napp, FitRev
My Swim Places: Arizona, Utah, California, Texas, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania
