Exceptional Instruction Starts with Exceptional
Instructors.
At ISR Austin, your child is in the hands of high-trained, passionate professionals who live and breathe
water safety, independence, and self-empowerment. We don’t just teach skills, we change lives.
Two Instructors. One Mission.
Confident kids. Safer Families. Stronger Community.
Michelle McKinney - Founder/Instructor
Hi! I'm Michelle McKinney, founder of ISR Austin and an ISR parent! I've been married for 13 years and have four daughters (two bio and two bonus), who are all part mermaid. Water has always been a huge part of my life. I’m a former competitive swimmer, NAUI Divemaster, and former owner of a resort/dive shop on an island in Belize, where I lived for five years. I have extensive experience working with children of all ages and abilities, including children with physical, developmental, and behavioral special needs.
My passion for this work is deeply personal. My daughters completed the program as infants, and I was blown away by how quickly they learned aquatic survival skills, gained confidence, and became independent in the water. Their instructor’s passion for preventing childhood drowning was evident and inspiring, and sparked my own calling to teach ISR’s self-rescue program.
Today, I am proud to share that passion with families throughout the Austin area and to lead our team. Together, we are committed to teaching life-saving skills, instilling confidence, and providing peace of mind to our community.
I’m incredibly honored to be named a two-time Top 20 ISR Instructor, ranked among 1,200+ certified instructors worldwide, in 2024 and 2025. You can read more about my journey in Voyage Austin Magazine.
Blaine DeGrange - Instructor
Hello! I’m Blaine DeGrange and I’m a Certified ISR Instructor, parent, and graduate of the program myself. I went through the ISR program when I was a little over a year old, in 1990. My instructor was the founder of ISR, Dr. Harvey Barnett. Dr. Barnett taught both me and my sister, which saved her life when she later fell into a pool out of reach from my family.
The program instilled a lifelong love of the water, leading me to swim competitively and play water polo throughout high school. My husband and I relocated to Austin in the summer of 2020, and our daughter was born that October. I always knew that I wanted to enroll my daughter in the program and was so excited when I found ISR Austin. When she started her first session with Michelle, I knew I had to become an Instructor.
After working for a decade in the tech industry, I felt an undeniable pull to make a career change and became a Certified ISR Instructor, while pregnant with our second child. We welcomed our third child at the end of 2025 and all three kids are now proud graduates. I feel so lucky to be a part of the ISR Austin team, and thrilled to serve the Austin community.
CERTIFIED AUTISM IN AQUATICS INSTRUCTOR MICHELLE MCKINNEY
CERTIFIED AUTISM IN AQUATICS INSTRUCTOR BLAINE DEGRANGE
Float Like A Boat
ISR Austin Founder, Michelle McKinney’s
new children’s book is a great way to get your child excited for what they're going to be
learning in lessons!
