Ryan Murphy, a five-time Olympic gold medalist and Ponte Vedra Beach native, has brought his world-class swimming expertise home.

Murphy, along with his parents and grandfather, has launched Goldfish Swim School in St. Johns County—marking the franchise’s first location in Northeast Florida.

“We’re really excited about the area,” Murphy told The Citizen. “There are a lot of families here, and we’re going to be able to impact a lot of people through this business.”

Teaching Life-Saving Skills

Murphy stressed the importance of learning to swim at a young age.

“Drowning is the leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 4,” he said. “Simply introducing them to swim lessons reduces that risk by 88%.”

Beyond his Olympic achievements, Murphy has a business degree from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, while his father, Pat Murphy, is a retired CPA. His grandfather and mother, both former math professors, also bring their teaching expertise to the school.

“They’ve been in the business of teaching people how to think,” Murphy said. “Now, we’re translating that into teaching people how to move in water.”

A Growing Success

The new swim school has already seen overwhelming demand:
✅ 500 families signed up in the first week
✅ Hundreds more have expressed interest
✅ Goal: 1,000 students by the end of the year

Murphy and his father highlighted the school’s spacious layout and a large seating area for parents to watch lessons.

Looking Ahead: Business & the Olympics

Murphy, who still lives in California and is expecting his first child, hopes to open more Goldfish Swim School locations in the area.

Meanwhile, he’s also focused on one more Olympic run:

“I’m looking forward to the LA Olympics,” he said. “I’m really going to make a push for that.”