Today, we sit down with Thurman and Torrence Thomas of Tankproof, a nonprofit that gives free, accessible swimming lessons to youth in under-served communities.

From providing quality swim instruction to feeding hundreds on their neighborhood food routes, Tankproof have had the opportunity to impact multiple cities nationwide since their founding in 2011 in Baton Rouge.

Listen in as the twins reflect on how Tankproof evolved out of an urge to use their (then) small platform as musicians to provide free swimming lessons to minority youths in their local community.

They tell us why five days is all they need to completely change how you manage in large bodies of water, and why they insist that every new student at Tankproof is given a fun experience around the culture of the organization before they even step into the pool.

Thurman and Thomas do a deep dive into their unique approach to branding the nonprofit and how they spread Tankproof’s initiative around the country. They share how they attract ambassadors for their crucial mission to teach the life-saving skill of swimming to as many children as they can around the country.

Sponsors: 

• Poolside Tech - https://poolside.tech/ 
• RayPak - https://www.raypak.com/ 
• Tankproof - https://www.tankproof.org/  

Topics Discussed: 

• [05:02] The story behind Tankproof
• [09:02] What to expect when going into your first swimming lesson with Tankproof
• [14:25] Why you need only five days to get a great education at Tankproof
• [18:34] How Tankproof builds trust in different communities
• [25:32] Where Tankproof gets financial support
• [31:20] Creating the Tankproof brand
• [40:41] Tankproof’s craziest students
• [43:53] What Tankproof needs to expand to other cities
• [45:31] Where Tankproof conducts lessons

Connect with Tankproof: 

• Tankproof Website - https://www.tankproof.org/ 
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tankproof/ 
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/tankproofswim 
• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/tankproof/ 
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@tankproof 
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@tankproofteam746/videos 

Key Quotes by Thurman and Torrence:

• The first thing that you’re going to get is an experience. The first thing that anybody who ever comes in contact with Tankproof will get, before going into the water, is a feel of what the organization is all about.
• Teaching kids this life-saving skill is a humanitarian issue.
• Beautiful spaces can literally heal trauma.