After nearly 16 years of teaching people how to swim, Robin Oldham is retiring.
“It’s just been my life each summer for years and years, and right now I’m lost thinking of a summer not spent at the Parsons pool,” said Oldham, who is moving out of state.
“It has been my all-time favorite job,” she said.
Chances are if you were born in the 2000s, live in Parsons and know how to swim, you have Oldham to thank.
“Miss Robin” has taught and coached the start of two generations of swimmers since she began at Parsons Municipal Swimming Pool in 2008.
Oldham wore many swim caps in her time at the Parsons Municipal Swimming Pool.
“Robin has been a tremendous asset to me, as we became teammates in Parsons at the same time. She knew pools, how to teach swimming and had a great class structure,” said Gary Crissman, executive director of Parsons Recreation Commission, who oversees the pool. He said where Oldham saw a need, she dove right in to help. She helped manage the pool, including training lifeguards, and providing valuable feedback while being the face of Parsons’ swim lessons for a decade and a half.
“Robin is a true leader who has operated at a high level for such a long time,” Crissman said. “It’s hard to replace that.”
