Meet Alfredo - Aquatic Programs Officer par excellence

If you have been part of our Learn to Swim program chances are you will have seen Yarra Leisure Aquatic Programs Officer, Alfredo, gracing our pool decks with his calm presence and warm smile. 

Alfredo has been working at Yarra Leisure for over 4 years, starting out as a Swim Instructor. In 2023 he was nominated for the Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (ARV) Swim Teacher of the Year award. 

“I’ve been involved in sports, recreation, and entertainment my whole life, so when a friend suggested swim teaching it felt like a natural move,” he explained. “I completed my qualifications and jumped straight onto the pool deck.”

After a few years of teaching and supervising, an opportunity to step into the Leisure planning team as Aquatic Programs Officer came up. 

“It was the ultimate lightbulb moment,” he said. “I could merge my background in team leadership with my experience as a Swim Teacher and Aquatics Service Officer.”

He described it as the ultimate chance to bring everything together and give back to the community every day. 

What does a typical workday look like?

Alfredo explained that in his role there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ day.  

“People often ask me what a 'typical' day looks like,” he said. “The short answer is there’s no such thing – every single day is unique and brings its own mini adventures.”

“My morning usually starts with a solid plan... which reliably lasts about 10 minutes before total plot twist mode kicks in,” he laughed.

Once hitting the pool deck Alfredo told us it was all about making magic happen behind the scenes:

• checking Swim Teachers and Aquatic Services Officers are rostered and ready to go
• keeping all swimming lessons running smoothly
• solving customer queries 
• making sure the team stays fully qualified and skilled up

“Chaos? Sometimes. Rewarding? Always," he described. 

The best thing about work

When asked what he liked the most about his role, Alfredo mentioned two things. 

 “The best part of my job is the people – I get to lead a genuinely marvellous group of humans every single day."

“And there’s nothing better than watching our students and teachers evolve, gain confidence, and grow together over time.”

“Whether it's guiding the team, troubleshooting behind the scenes, or just being there to support everyone as best as I can – I love every bit of it.”

Fun fact about Alfredo 

“A fun detail from my past life – before making the move to Recreation and Aquatics, I worked at a national TV network back home, as an editor for a fashion TV show!”