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Sisterhood Spotlight

Aponi-Brunson profile image
Aponi Brunson
Assistant Director of Programs at SwimRVA

As Assistant Director of Programs at SwimRVA, Aponi Brunson helps students from all walks of life learn to swim. Playing a critical role in the expansion of the Learn-to-Swim program and Lifeguard School through SwimRVA, Aponi is working to ensure all people have access to this life-saving skill. In this Sisterhood Spotlight, Aponi shares about her experience as a swimmer and coach, along with advice for Virginia’s Women+girls (W+g).


Can you tell us a bit about who you are, what you do, and how you got involved with SwimRVA?

Swimming has always been a part of my life.  At the age of four my parents recognized that my brother and I had an affinity for the water and started us in swim lessons at our local YMCA.  By the age of seven I had joined the Richmond Racers Swim team and began competitive swimming.  I continued to swim throughout my K-12 years.  During High School and College, I was a City of Richmond seasonal lifeguard and during college lifeguarded for the Rappahannock Area YMCA.  My freshman and sophomore years at the University of Mary Washington I was a member of the Synchronized Swim Team.

I first joined the SwimRVA family as an instructor the summer of 2019, and made my coaching debut in 2021 as one of the Novice Assistant Coaches at the Church Hill location.  I have now expanded my coaching to Advanced Novice and Age Group.  In 2023 I was promoted to Programs Manager at Church Hill where I led my team in the expansion of the Learn-to- Swim program and Lifeguard School to the Church Hill location.   In addition, I made my Virginia High School League coaching debut with John Marshall High School’s swim team, a program that had not been active in 40 years.  This year John Marshall swimmers qualified, competed, and medaled in the Class 1 and 2 State Championship.

You have an impressive background in music along with your talents in swimming. How, if at all, do these two activities intersect?

Swimming is very rhythmic, and rhythm is the foundation to music.  For example, the timing of kick placement in relation to arms in swimming butterfly or breaststroke is something that can be felt rhythmically and heard.  The difference of how many kicks per freestyle arm stroke when swimming a 50-meter free vs. a 1600 meter free is also something that can be heard and felt.  This maybe something unique to me as I often view and experience the world in relation to music.  A more direct relation of music and swimming is with artistic swimming formerly synchronized swimming.  Athletes perform routines composed of artistic swim skills and in water acrobatics to music.  Athletes are judged on not only their execution of the skills, but also their artistic interpretation.

May is National Water Safety Month. Can you tell us why this is so important?

Water safety is a lifesaving skill and drownings and water related accidents are preventable.  In a city like Richmond, the River City, with so many bodies of water and access to public and private pools it is imperative that this skill is provided to as many folks as possible, so we decrease the likelihood of drownings.  SwimRVA's mission is to drownproof Richmond and with a concerted effort with other organizations in the aquatics field as well as philanthropists that value this effort we are making a huge impact.

What advice do you have for Virginia’s Women+girls interested in pursuing an athletic – or aquatic - career?

Representation matters and your very presence in the field of aquatics may inspire others to take a leap and do something they would've never dreamed of.  I would definitely encourage young women to continue to break those barriers and excel in the field of aquatics.  Aquatics is unique in that it is a sport that can lead to careers in aquatics.  You may start in swim lessons, but could become a swim instructor or lifeguard.  Or you may start on swim team and become a swim coach or even a manager for an aquatics organization.  If tech is your interest there are positions that are tech heavy in the field of aquatics.   As tech grows there is also a need for engineers and programmers to create technology that improves safety and efficiency of the many branches of aquatics.  There are just so many avenues you can go in the field of aquatics, but it all begins with water safety and access.

What is one challenge you have overcome in your life or career?

The most challenging aspects of any organization is effective communication of your mission to the right audience, getting boots on the ground (so to speak) to deliver the mission, and creating a financial system that can support the mission and its growth.  I don't think these are challenges that I have or any one person has overcome, but it is a daily challenge that we all fight.  Some days, months, or years are better than others, but if the mission is something you are passionate about it will help you to regain focus and continue to march forward.  SwimRVA's mission and vision is something that I am passionate about and gives me motivation to push forward on those tough days.

About Coach Aponi Brunson

Coach Aponi began swimming at the age of four and began her swim team experience with the Richmond Racers.  Throughout high school and college she was a City of Richmond seasonal lifeguard and while at University of Mary Washington she continued her aquatics journey on the synchronized swim team.  After earning her Bachelor’s in Music, for 12 years Coach Aponi served as the Assistant Artistic Director and Managing Director of GreenSpring International Academy of Music, where she led youth harp ensembles and was blessed to tour to Europe and perform in U.S. venues such as Carnegie Hall.  She then ventured into public music education with the City of Hopewell for three years and along the way earned her M. Ed. in Educational Leadership from American College of Education.

Coach Aponi first joined the SwimRVA family as an instructor the summer of 2019, and made her coaching debut in 2021 as one of the Novice Assistant Coaches at the Church Hill location.  She has now expanded to coaching Advanced Novice and Age Group.  Coach Aponi led her team in the expansion of the Learn-to- Swim program and Lifeguard School to the Church Hill location.  In addition, she made her Virginia High School League coaching debut with John Marshall High School’s swim team, a program that had not been active in 40 years.  This year John Marshall swimmers qualified, competed, and medaled in the Class 1 and 2 State Championship.  Coach Aponi is excited to continue, as well as facilitate the growth of SwimRVA’s positive impact in aquatics in Richmond City’s East End at the Church Hill Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club that she attended as a young child!

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