A little about me! I am currently coaching with the St. John’s Legends Swim Club where I get to work and develop the East Coast’s next generation of swimming success. 2020-21 brings me into my tenth season of coaching and aquatic experience across the breadth of swimming, lifesaving sport, and Lifesaving streams of experience. As a Senior Swim Coach (NCCP Level 3 – Trained) I presently work chiefly with 13 years old and older and under athletes who are honing their technical and athletic abilities as I continue to enhance my own skills through mentorships, further education, and certification within the sport.
Originally from Newfoundland, I started my aquatics journey like many as a swim instructor and lifeguard with the local YMCA. It was there I discovered the joy of aquatic sport and aquatic safety, which would later become a full-time passion.
After a detour through the field of Information Technology – where I had the chance to work with a number of inspiring individuals and technologies at leading high tech companies – I rediscovered my former passion in aquatics and began developing my skills coaching young athletes to their successes.
I have a diverse background in aquatics including a decade of swimming as a masters swimmer where I have attended multiple provincial championships and enjoyed successes such as; Nova Scotia 2014 Top Team, 15th FINA World Masters in 2014, 4 Nova Scotia provincial record relay teams, and numerous provincial medals in my competitive age group. I also volunteer my time with the Lifesaving Society of Newfoundland and Labrador as an active Instructor Trainer, board member, and represent the province on 2 national committees contributing to Lifesaving programming and sport.
Over the past ten seasons of coaching I have prepared athletes who have qualified and medaled at the (former) East Coast Championships in 12 & Under swimming, won top team at Nova Scotia Junior Provincial Championships, and made Canada Games identification teams. Other athletes have gone on to break Nova Scotia provincial records, qualified for Speedo Easterns, and medaled at Age Group Nationals (now: Canadian Junior Championships). Through mentoring I have also had the opportunity to work with senior athletes swimming at the Canadian Championship, Olympic Trials, and varsity level swimming.
The combination of personal experience and good mentors has led to my own coaching philosophy:
Greatness can come from anywhere and that every goal we set, every result we desire, enables us to build a better person through the sport of swimming.
This statement has defined my leadership and leads my athletes to their own success both in and out of the pool.