Meet Our Coaches and Practice Coordinators
Stephanie
Stephanie was an age group swimmer in Eastern Ontario from 1996 to 2004 and became an active member of MMAC in 2009. Stephanie has been coaching and teaching swimming for various clubs and programs since 2001. As an athlete her favourite workouts and races are sprints, especially the starts and turns. As a coach she likes to keep variety in her workouts, of distances and strokes and is always available and willing to provide feedback. She would like to encourage all members to try racing in at least one masters' swim meet before deciding if it is for them or not.
Cheryl
Cheryl has been involved in water sports her whole life. She was an age group swimmer with the St. James Seals until she was 16. After leaving age group swimming, Cheryl became involved in water polo, playing for her high school team and the provincial junior team and later recreationally.
Cheryl has been involved in masters swimming for over 30 years as a swimmer, competitor, and volunteer. She has served on the MMAC board for many years, including club president. Cheryl enjoys coaching, finding it both challenging and rewarding.
Cheryl’s goals as a coach are to provide interesting and challenging practices while providing tips on how to swim better. She truly believes swimming is one of the best all round workouts for your body, mind and soul.
Swim long and prosper!
Jason
Jason learned to swim as an adult after dumping in a canoe in a northern lake. He believes research and coaching techniques derived from advanced speed swimming can help masters athletes become fast, fit and efficient. Progressive skill development through thoughtful attention to drills is the key to gaining skill - but it's really hard work!
Jason's coaching goal is the same no matter what the age and skill level: strong, confident, and smiling swimmers.
One of Jason's specialties is having swimmers use fins to help develop that "fish-like" feel for the water. Everyone's invited to join in the fun at the "Fin Friday" workout.
Joanne
Joanne has been involved in swimming for her lifetime: as a swimmer with the Manitoba Marlins; University of Manitoba Bison Swim Club; Winnipeg Dolphins Swim Club; Mid-Can Masters and MMAC. I have also worked as a swim coach with the Winnipeg Dolphins, Manta Swim Club and MMAC. I've competed in provincial, national and international level swim meets as an age group and masters swimmer. I met myhusband in the pool and swam while in labour with my daughter, born 3 hours after a workout. By my crude calculations, I estimate that I have swum over 25 million metres in my age group career, so any additional distance, at this stage of life, is "icing on the cake".
As a coach, I will strive to provide varied workouts that meet MMAC members' needs in strokes and distance, with varied pace times and rest intervals. As masters swimmers, you have the ability to choose/modify some aspects of the workout as long as this does not interfere with your fellow lane mates' workout. I will provide stroke correction and feedback for you to try and enhance your stroke performance. We are all at workouts to enhance our physical fitness, to minimize "slippage associated with aging" and to enjoy the social aspects of swimming. Remember to get the names of your lane mates and have fun!
I have my NCCP Level 1 Swim Coach Certification and a Master's of Nursing from the University of Manitoba.
Geneson
My childhood evolved in the water. At the age of six, I started competing in club and school events and some national swimming competitions in the Philippines. During my college days, I competed at the NCAA level and also joined some international competitions in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Australia. I started coaching in 2011. I was an assistant coach at San Beda College, Manila and head coach of the Lake City swimming club in the Philippines. I was also chosen to be a member of the coaching staff for the Philippine swim delegation at the ASEAN School Games in 2014. I love to continue to pursue my passion in the sport of swimming. I love to teach and provide the strategies and corrections for strokes.
Steve
Hello - I'm your Wednesday am coach! I've been coaching MMAC since the mid 80's so please don't do any math . I have a lot of ex swimming roles - ex competitive swimmer, Marlins, Manta, age group coach, University Bison's, lifeguard, anything to do with water. Somewhere in the mid 90's I attended a Total Immersion swimming seminar which changed my focus on swimming and training, depending on your goals. A Wednesday workout will have about a 10-15 minute warmup, and a generous helping of a cardio set to get you moving and the heart rate up a bit. If you are looking for some tips and hints on stroke technique, happy to chat and review!
Elizabeth
As a dedicated swimmer and experienced coach with a passion for swimming, I am thrilled to bring my ten plus years of competitive swimming experience and coaching expertise to the team. I swam for the Nepean Kanata Barracudas in eastern Ontario and coached for them as well. My journey through the world of swimming has equipped me with the knowledge, skillset, and enthusiasm to inspire swimmers of all levels to reach their fullest potential.
I have been privileged to lead and mentor swimmers of all ages and skill levels in. My coaching philosophy is rooted in fostering a holistic approach that encompasses technique refinement, mental strength development, and a supportive team environment. Through my guidance, I have witnessed swimmers achieve personal bests, overcome challenges, and cultivate a lifelong love for the sport.
I am excited about the opportunity to bring my wealth of experience, coaching techniques, and dedication to the team.
Lets make waves together!
Kristine
Hi Swimmers!
My name is Kristine and I have been swimming with Masters for almost 20 years...since I finally got over my fear at the idea of swimming 2.5+ km at a time! I've swam with Masters clubs in Montreal, Ottawa, Arlington Virginia, Kingston Ontario, and here with MMAC. I have been among the fastest swimmers in some clubs and was the slowest member in one - by far!! I love Masters specifically because it is open to all swimmers and every level of skill and competitiveness.
My true passion is open water swimming (which really took off in Kingston during the summer of 2020 when COVID shut everything down but the lake stayed open!) so don't be surprised if you see some 500m sets in my workouts! I also enjoy a sprint-distance triathlon from time to time, mainly to push myself to add some variety to my exercise routine.
I was fortunate to find an amazing, supportive, and encouraging coach in the first club I joined who did incredible things for my stroke technique, my stamina, and my love for the sport. I hope that by joining the coaching team with MMAC I can start to pay some of that forward. I look forward to meeting you on deck and I'm always happy to answer questions and troubleshoot with you! Happy Swimming