Anna Anderson (“Mrs. Anna”) is an ISR Self-Rescue™ swimming instructor with ISR Great Lakes, helping children ages 6 months to 6 years build water competence and real-world survival swimming skills. Her approach is grounded in the belief that early “traditional” water classes can create comfort without meaningful self-rescue ability—so her program prioritizes independence first: the ability to move through the water, then rest and breathe effectively. Anna emphasizes the rollback-to-float technique as an energy-efficient way for children to get air and recover, and she incorporates fully clothed practice to reflect real drowning-risk scenarios.

Her commitment to drowning prevention is personal. In a WXYZ Channel 7 interview, Anna shared that her son nearly drowned at age four after a brief moment of distraction, leaving him unconscious—an experience she says reshaped her perspective and strengthened her mission to help protect other families. Today, she teaches with positive reinforcement and age- and skill-appropriate toys and games, working to make lessons engaging while keeping safety as the priority. Parents are invited into the pool at the end of the program to learn how to practice skills correctly, and families are encouraged to return for refresher and maintenance sessions, so skills grow with the child. Ultimately, Anna’s goal is simple: if barriers and supervision ever fail, a child’s skill becomes an additional layer of protection—so kids can be safer and enjoy the water with confidence.