Can you describe your coaching journey and the experiences that led you into coaching?
I started competitively swimming when I was nine, and by the time I was thirteen, I felt a strong desire to give back to the club that helped me feel like I had an identity in sport. I had tried many
sports, but swimming was the one that resonated with me the most. My introduction to coaching
began with teaching young kids to blow bubbles and put their heads under the water, simple, fun lessons that helped me build confidence. As my experience grew, I began coaching older
swimmers in my home club and discovered how much I enjoyed working with kids and helping
them progress.
When I moved to Fredericton from Nova Scotia for school, one of my coaches connected me
with a local club and introduced me to Marta Belsh. Marta got me coaching right away and
continued to mentor me, encouraging me to take coaching courses and strengthen my
knowledge. I always had people in my corner pushing me forward, and as someone who wanted
to give back to a community where I felt confident and comfortable, that support meant a great
deal. I enjoyed coaching from the moment I started, and I have never stopped.
How many years of experience do you have in your sport?
I have about twenty years of swimming experience and roughly fifteen years as a swim coach. I
have also been involved in many other sports — arguably too many — but I have enjoyed every
one of them. That broader background has been incredibly helpful. Being able to draw on soccer
or volleyball, for example, gives me different ways to connect with athletes and different
perspectives to bring into coaching.
It also helps me understand the multi-sport side of my athletes’ lives. Many of them play
volleyball, basketball, or other sports, and having that general sport experience allows me to
appreciate what they bring from those environments. It gives me a fuller picture of who they are
as athletes and helps me translate skills, habits, and lessons across sports. Overall, having a wide range of sport experience has strengthened my coaching far beyond swimming alone.
What significance does the mentorship program, and mentoring in general, have for you?
I think it is incredibly important to have mentors. For me, having people I could go to, look up to, and learn from was a major part of my own journey. Sometimes I learned things I wanted to carry forward in my coaching, and other times I learned what I did not want to do – both were valuable.
At the heart of it, I believe coaches need someone they can talk to about what is happening in their sport and in their coaching life. Having those outlets matters. I am also very passionate about women in sport, so if I can support young or newer coaches coming in, especially women, that is something I care deeply about. If I can offer any guidance or encouragement, I think that is meaningful and important.
What is your vision for Swimming and sport in New Brunswick?
My vision for swimming in New Brunswick has always been rooted in helping athletes go
beyond what they believe is possible. High-performance matters, but it must be balanced with
life skills, personal growth, and the ability to manage everything that surrounds the sport. For our
province, that means building a system where athletes can navigate performance demands in a
sustainable way, not chasing one-off results but developing habits and structures that support
long-term excellence.
I want swimming in New Brunswick to be a place where athletes learn to integrate their sport
into their lives in a healthy, intentional way. When they can balance training, school, work, and
personal development, they build an identity that is strong enough to carry them through the
highs and lows of performance. Sustainability is the core of the vision: creating an environment
where success can be repeated, where athletes feel supported, and where swimming becomes a meaningful part of who they are
Can you describe your coaching style or philosophy?
My coaching philosophy is performance-oriented, strategic, collaborative, and person-centred. It is essential to me that I understand the person behind the athlete, because once I know who they are, I can design better programs, recognize their challenges, identify their strengths, and help them balance everything they are managing. Focusing solely on performance misses the bigger picture. When we understand the whole person, performance follows naturally. That is the foundation of how I coach and how I support athletes in achieving sustainable success.
Based on your experience, what guidance would you offer to a younger coach entering the coaching world, or your younger self?
My advice for a younger coach is to take every opportunity as an opportunity. Do not assign too
much value or judgment to it, simply step into it with curiosity. Be open to learning about all
aspects of sport: training, performance, competition, and everything that surrounds them. The
more questions you ask, even when they feel simple or uncomfortable, the more you will
understand what coaching truly is. Hesitating to be curious narrows your perspective. Staying
open to different options and approaches expands it and helps you think more creatively.
This is especially important for women entering a male-dominated field. It can be difficult to ask
questions without worrying about being perceived as nosy or inexperienced. When I first stepped onto a national-level pool deck twenty years ago, there were very few women. Now, there are many more of us, and our perspectives strengthen the sport. Our different ways of thinking and problem-solving enrich coaching and improve performance environments.
If you can move past the hesitation, the fear of looking like you do not know enough, you will
remember that every coach before you started the same way. Knowledge grows through
exposure, experience, and time. Staying curious, staying open, and embracing opportunities is
what allows you to evolve and become a better coach
