We’ve got it all at Goldfish Swim School: A fun environment for the kids to learn how to swim, a great place to work and…a place where you can meet the love of your life? Yep, it’s true!

Emily Ryan and Frank Wasielewski were both working for Goldfish Swim School when they met at a staff swim meet in November 2015. But, it took a little time for their love to rise to the surface…

The Meet Cute

Picture it: She is working for Goldfish Swim School in St. Charles; He is working for the location in Evanston…both relatively close in Illinois. They both attend the employee swim meet event. A mutual friend introduces Emily and Frank. They chat, and then they part ways.

About a week later, Emily said Frank emailed her, saying that he heard she was looking for someone to run a lifeguard class – and to let him know if she was interested.

“I was like, um, no, someone else handles that,” Emily said. And she didn’t hear back from him.

A few months later, Emily ran into a mutual friend – who told her that Frank wasn’t really emailing about work-related concerns. He was trying to talk to her and get to know her!

So, Emily got Frank’s number and they began talking. The first time they hung out together, he picked her up for a Cubs game even though she had planned on taking the train. Over the hour-long car ride, the two had an impromptu karaoke jam session! That pretty much sealed the deal for Emily.

“If you can connect over music, you can connect over anything,” Emily said.

The duo hung out the next four out of five days, Emily said, and the rest is history. They were inseparable.

“It’s like we were always supposed to be together,” Emily said.

The Proposal

One night in October 2017, Emily was heading out for a night on the town with a friend…or so she thought. Frank was out of town, so the girls went back to St. Charles, where Emily had been living a couple years prior when she and Frank started dating.

Emily and her friend were driving in St. Charles, where the bridge goes over the Fox River, when the car stopped. The next thing she knew, Frank opened her door!

“I was like, ‘Wait, what’s going on?’” Emily said. “My first question was, “Do I need my purse with me?’”

The purse became irrelevant.

“It was such a blur,” Emily said. “He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I said yes, I think. We’re engaged, so I said yes at some point!”

Frank had planned ahead, and his photographer friend had been stationed across the street taking pictures of the entire proposal – unbeknownst to Emily. Then, they went out to dinner to celebrate.

When they arrived at their destination, Emily was surprised when her parents – who had come in unknowingly from Michigan – and Frank’s mom were all there. All their friends were there to celebrate, too. (We’re pretty big on celebrating at Goldfish, if you didn’t know!)

“I started bawling,” Emily said. “I was totally surprised!”

And although the couple joke about having their wedding at Goldfish Swim School, where their love began, they’re actually planning to tie the knot in Michigan in 2019.

Congratulations, Emily and Frank!

Find your love (of swimming) at Goldfish Swim School

Find a Goldfish Swim School location near you and sign your kids up for swim lessons today! Our WOW! customer service, and the way our instructors display integrity, compassion and trust assure you’ll have a GOLDEN experience every time. Plus, your kids will get extraordinary results while learning a lifelong skill…and even more with The Science of SwimPlay®.