Michael Flaherty, called Mikey by all, is a world-ranked swimmer who was a member of the University of Southern California’s NCAA 1997 championship team. Mikey became a swim instructor and coach and discovered her true passion was working with children and adults with special needs. She founded Swim With Heart in 2010 based on the philosophy that learning to swim cultivates confidence, courage, and independence in and out of the water. To date, the nonprofit has worked with nearly 1,000 swimmers and their families.