Hi! We are Tankproof.

We are an events and education-based non-profit organization on a mission to provide equitable access to aquatics and food security to minorities across the U.S.

Meet the founders

Hi y’all! We are Thurman and Torrence.

In 2011, we envisioned an avenue to give back to our local community of Baton Rouge but we weren't quite sure what that would look like at the time. Some years later after Thurman's vivid near-drowning experience at age 10, we began to do research and stumbled upon some stats that floored us.

“According to a study conducted by USA Swimming, 64% of minority children do not know how to swim and black children are 5.5x more likely to drown than white children.”

This issue even extends beyond race with the startling statistic that about 10 people drown daily with at least two of those victims being children.

Upon becoming aware of these hard truths, we were left with two options: either do nothing or figure out a way to bring change in this area. We chose the latter and the rest you can say is history!

With no background in facilitating swim lessons, we were determined to make a plan and help our community sink the stats. We were now on a mission to help as many kids become confident in the water and learn how to swim.

In 2018, along with teaching swim lessons, we began providing meals to youth homes, veteran’s homes, and homeless shelters. Through partnerships with large grocery chains, supermarkets, and locally-owned restaurants, we have been able to provide tons of food to those in need.

In 2020, during COVID-19, we were able to pivot to provide meals to youth in communities that are being hit the hardest.

In 2022, we expanded our swim lessons to a total of 9 different states across the U.S. and provide even more kids with the essential skills for them to become confident swimmers.

In 2024, we have redesigned our operations to reflect our involvement in swim, events, and food security.