Andris hails from the Dominican Republic and has been living in New York since 2006. When he was seven-years-old, he made his first lifeguarding rescue - jumping into a Florida pool to save his sister after someone pushed her in. It was a formative moment in Andris's young life and instilled a passion for safety in and around the water. Andris attended George Washington High School where he was part of various teams and athletic clubs, including the high school's swim team. For two seasons Andris was the team's go-to distance specialist, as he helped lead them to the New York City PSAL A Division and B Division championships. Andris became a certified Lifeguard certified at age sixteen and began working summers for the city's Parks & Rec Department. Over six years, he progressed from lifeguarding to teaching lessons to coaching and to supervising a full aquatics staff as a supervisor for New York State Parks and other facilities. Andris graduated in May 2017 from Mercy College and obtained a Bachelor of Science in Music Industry and Technology. When he is not swimming you can find him in his recording studio making music or traveling around the world with his band!