Bolles-bred Olympic titan Ryan Murphy has already stockpiled enough gold to move precious metal markets.
So the Ponte Vedra Beach native felt it was high time to spread the wealth of his world-class swimming expertise in the area that raised him.
Along with his parents and grandfather, Murphy has launched the aptly named Goldfish Swim School in St. Johns County — the growing national franchise’s first location in Northeast Florida.
“We’re really excited about the area,” Murphy told The Citizen this week. “We feel like we have a good density of families out here so we’re going to be able to impact a lot of people through the business.”
The backstroke specialist, who became a repeat NCAA champion at the University of California at Berkeley and five-time Olympic gold medalist, said the importance of basic water skills at a young age can’t be underestimated.
“Drowning is the leading cause of death of children aged one to 4,” Murphy stressed. “Simply introducing them to swim lessons reduces that risk by 88%. So it’s a good business, but I also really like the mission behind the business.”
The Murphy family is marshaling far more than Ryan’s marine mastery in building the enterprise.
The Bolles Bulldog earned a business degree from Berkeley’s prestigious Haas School of Business, and his father, Pat, is a retired CPA.
Murphy’s grandfather and mother were both math professors, and will bring their numerical and educational prowess poolside.
“They’ve been in the industry of teaching people how to think,” he said. “Teaching people how to problem solve. So now we’re translating that to teach people how to move in water. It makes sense for all of us in different ways.”
Pat Murphy, who moved to Ponte Vedra Beach 29 years ago and still lives here, said he looked for the perfect parcel for the new school for several years before finding the right location.
Goldfish, a national franchise, vetted Jacksonville as a potential market with Murphy, and pinpointed rapidly growing St. Johns County as the ideal target.
Their prognosis appears to have been on the mark. The school opened just this week and 500 families have already signed up, Pat told The Citizen. Hundreds more have also expressed interest, and the goal is to have 1,000 by the end of the year.
Both Ryan and his father touted the spacious layout and a large seating area for parents to watch their guppies in action.
The affable chlorine king — who lives in the Bay Area near his alma mater and is expecting his first child — said the Murphys hope to open more Goldfish locations in the area moving forward.
While he has his hands full with the launch, Murphy still has a side hustle that demands his time.
“I’m looking forward to the LA Olympics,” he said. “I’m really going to make a push for that. But I’ve also spent a lot of time on the business, and I’m really excited about it and just the growth of the area overall.”
