My name is Carol Ann Redfield, founder and owner of Point Me to the Water. After retiring from the Army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2008, I planted my roots in North Carolina to raise my children. What began as a new chapter focused on family soon evolved into a deeper calling rooted in coaching, service, and the water.

Coming from a family of triathletes, I was naturally drawn back to coaching. I began with the local chapter of Girls on the Run and later trained 22 women—many of them teachers and friends—to complete a triathlon in April 2010. Training alongside them and watching them discover their inner athlete was transformative.

As I continued coaching in the running and triathlon community, people learned that I had been an All-American swimmer at the United States Military Academy at West Point and began asking me to teach swim lessons. The pool has always been home for me, especially during life’s most challenging moments. Throughout my military career, I brought soldiers to the water for training and taught countless ROTC cadets how to swim. I later spent ten years teaching Junior ROTC at a local high school, helping students discover their path, build confidence, and reach their potential. There is no greater calling than helping someone find purpose and believe in themselves.

As a 100% disabled veteran, my purpose has always remained rooted in service to others. While my physical limitations prevent me from serving in a traditional workforce setting, I have found meaningful ways to give back to my community through swim instruction and water safety education.

To support that mission, I built a pool in my backyard to create a low-stress, controlled environment for instruction. All lessons and activities conducted at the property are intentionally limited in scale, scheduled by appointment only, and managed to minimize traffic, noise, and neighborhood impact. On a limited basis, I also work with other instructors to continue supporting water safety education when I am unable to personally teach. The goal of Point Me to the Water is not to operate as a commercial swim school, but to serve as a community resource focused on swim safety, confidence, and lifelong wellness.

In July 2019, my brother, Kevin Heller—also a West Point graduate and the greatest athlete in our family—was diagnosed with ALS, just three months after our father passed away. Our family was devastated, but Kevin faced the disease with extraordinary strength, purpose, and joy. He inspired me to reflect more deeply on my own purpose and the work that truly brings me fulfillment.

When COVID-19 closed gyms, I returned to the water and took over my neighborhood water aerobics program. In honor of Kevin and our shared love for swimming, I expanded into adult swim fitness, helping more people experience the physical and emotional strength that water can provide.

Kevin passed away on January 5, 2021, after a courageous year-and-a-half battle with ALS. A few months later, in April 2021, I retired from teaching to fully dedicate my time to helping others use the water as a source of fitness, confidence, healing, and—most importantly—safety.

Today, Point Me to the Water exists as a mission-driven, low-impact educational home occupation with a strong community benefit and minimal neighborhood impact. We are not a commercial swim factory; we are a community-centered program committed to making water safety accessible to everyone, regardless of race, gender, age, ability, or financial circumstances.

I believe every person deserves the opportunity to feel safe, confident, and strong in the water. Through swim education and training, we build more than swimming skills—we build resilience, awareness, confidence, and lifelong safety habits.

Today, I partner with Stop Drowning Now to promote swim safety and educate families about how to stay safe in and around the water. We also partner with Hope Floats to provide scholarships for swim lessons, with all profits donated directly to scholarship funding. As a small backyard pool operation, we do not function as a traditional swim school. Instead, we serve as a community resource dedicated to reducing drowning risks and promoting water safety awareness, especially because drowning remains the leading cause of death for children ages 1–4.

Point Me to the Water is no longer a business—it is my life’s mission and my continued commitment to serving others, within the parameters of my disabilities. 

Go Army. Beat Navy.