Paul Oliver and Roberta Prygon aren’t used to receiving the VIP treatment.
On Wednesday afternoon, they were the subjects of an extensive photo shoot and video Q and A with the media in tow.
“I don’t want you to freak out,” cautioned Battista Ramati, Pleatco’s head of marketing. “But this will be on the back cover of national magazines.”
No pressure.
The pair took it in stride, striking various poses and trying to deliver their one line in unison into the camera –- “We are Pleatco’s 2017 Perfect Pool Guy and Gal!” -– bungling it multiple times to hilarious effect.
They’re not used to this sort of thing. They’re pool professionals, not celebrities. Yet, for the remainder of the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo in Orlando, they’ll be treated as such.
Oliver and Prygon represent the very best professionals working in the industry today, as declared by voters in Pleatco’s 10th annual contest. Though the competition was particularly fierce this year, it’s easy to see how this pair rose to the top.
They’re enthusiastic about the industry, have clear career goals and have managed to bring their passion to their work. Both are avid divers, a skill that comes in handy for underwater repairs.
It was diving that led Oliver to the pool and spa field.
He was on the fast track to becoming a diving instructor when a bicycle accident injured his C1 vertebra. Doctors advised him to give diving a rest. Oliver then began lifeguarding, which eventually segued to pool service.
He had his own service company, the Pool Monkey, for a time and is now working as a repair technician for Patriot Pool and Spa in Austin, Texas. Oliver has been in the industry for 12 years.
Though his professional diving career was cut short, he convinced his boss to allow him to perform minor repairs under water with diving equipment. Through his work, he’s able to dive two to three times a month – enough to get his fix.
There’s only one drawback.
“There are no sharks,” Oliver said with a laugh.
His favorite part of the job? Troubleshooting. Every pool, he says, has its own unique temperament and personality. He also enjoys being able to work outside. He’s proud of his “pool guy tan.”
While Oliver enjoys repair work, he has his eye on renovation with the goal of eventually becoming a full-fledged builder. He was grateful to take the Genesis course on pool construction, free of charge, at the PSP Expo – part of the awards package for both of Pleatco’s Perfect Pool Guy and Gal.
Prygon began her professional career as a personal trainer, but found the pool industry more to her liking. She, too, began her career as a lifeguard for a management company. The owner was a woman who became a mentor to her.
Prygon found the industry offered multiple avenues to success. She keeps many irons in the fire as the general manager at The Pool and Spa Place in North Cranbury, N.J. – a company she’s been with on and off for 17 years. She’s involved in construction, retail and maintenance.
“You can literally pick any facet of it,” said Prygon, a CPO with 23 years of experience. “I’m fortunate to be able to get my feet wet in all these aspects of the industry.”
While Prygon enjoys variety, she definitely has a favorite discipline, and it’s design.
“My biggest thing,” she said, “is being able to take this design on paper and make an amazing oasis for them.”
She’s a traveler and a diver and splits her time between New Jersey and Florida. Her skill set is in demand wherever she goes.
“That’s the great thing about the pool industry,” she said. “You can build pools anywhere.”
The official awards ceremony will take place Thursday, Nov. 2, 1:00 at the Pleatco booth No. 931 at the PSP Expo in Orlando.
