Alyson Murphy is the newest component to the leadership team at the YMCA of Ithaca & Tompkins County. Well known in the aquatics department as a former weekend swim lesson coordinator, Murphy has made connections with the Tompkins County community through teaching and promoting quality, life-saving swim lessons for all ages.

Murphy grew up around swimming pools swam recreationally for most of her life, and also participated in synchronized swimming, and short-term, competitively as a child. College, grad school and being a parent took her away from swimming for quite a few years. She returned to the aquatic life in 2011 when her daughter was old enough to participate in the Y SKIP (infant/parent) classes as a means to meet socialize with other parents of young children as a new resident of the area

Enjoying the swim classes, Murphy purchased a Y family membership, and resumed an aquatic life by swimming laps for the reasons of fitness and as a way to de-stress, as well as swimming in the Masters program. In 2016, Murphy became an employee, teaching swim lessons under the supervision of Veronica Edwards. In January, 2017, Murphy assumed the position of part-time weekend coordinator.

Murphy holds a Masters degree in School Counseling and worked several years in Buffalo at various non-profit agencies with at-risk and emotionally disturbed youth and their families. In 2009, Murphy moved to Ithaca when her husband assumed a position at Cornell University. As a stay at home mom for a few years, Murphy had spent the last four years teaching preschool at the Lansing Drop-In Center. Murphy happily states that she has worked with children in some capacity since college days, and that kids and swimming are most likely her most favorite things in the world.

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