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I’ve had a terrible fear of water my whole life. I would even get scared standing on a pier overlooking the water!
In 2018 after a camping trip where I sat on the side of a lake watching all my friends happily swim around, I decided I should learn to swim. I started with YouTube videos, the baby pool and stubborn determination. A few months later I felt confident enough to join group lessons and tried a few different coaches before I found Coach Stewart. I started in Level 3, from the first lesson Stewart made me feel comfortable in the water and my technique began to improve. He has a great talent for teaching you what you need to know at exactly the right moment.
I knew that he did open water classes, but it wasn’t on my radar (swimming in open water, are you crazy?! There’s sharks and gun-toting monsters down there…probably) until March 2020 when Covid hit and the pools were closed for months, so I took the leap and signed up for the beginner open water classes that summer. Since then, I’ve been hooked on swimming. I progressed from Level 3 through to Master’s and even joined Coast Swim Team, competing in my first meet in November 2022.
While I love the technique and focus of pool swimming, open water swimming is just more freeing and a completely different dynamic, so when Stewart started the Marathon swim program in 2022 I said, ‘heck yeah!’. It was the best decision I made; I had such a blast last summer doing adventurous swims I never would have imagined possible.
The 2023 Marathon group just started up again and I’m currently training for the Skaha Lake Ultra 12k swim in August 2023. I’m nervous about the distance (and lake monsters) but excited for the challenge. Stewart has created a 6-month training plan for us that is simple to follow and I know it will get me across the lake.
Thanks for visiting our site. I've been coaching swimming in Vancouver for the last 11 years, helping 1000s of clients become more comfortable in the water. I grew up in Scotland very close to the Loch Ness monster. A competitive swimmer through my teenage years, breaststroke and butterfly were my best strokes. I rekindled my love of comp
Thanks for visiting our site. I've been coaching swimming in Vancouver for the last 11 years, helping 1000s of clients become more comfortable in the water. I grew up in Scotland very close to the Loch Ness monster. A competitive swimmer through my teenage years, breaststroke and butterfly were my best strokes. I rekindled my love of competitive swimming in 2016, created a swim team, won medals at Nationals and qualified for Worlds in Korea and am close to swimming faster as an adult than I ever did as a teenager. Whether you want to swim for fun, complete your first triathlon, or race for the podium we can help you achieve your goals. Get in touch and learn to Swim Smart!
Oscar was one of my first coaching clients back in 2012, and now he is one of the most experienced open water coaches around, with 7+ years of coaching experience and 20+ triathlon and open water swim races under his belt. Don’t be fooled by that mean face and death stare though, Oscar is notoriously laid back and calm under pressure. In
Oscar was one of my first coaching clients back in 2012, and now he is one of the most experienced open water coaches around, with 7+ years of coaching experience and 20+ triathlon and open water swim races under his belt. Don’t be fooled by that mean face and death stare though, Oscar is notoriously laid back and calm under pressure. In 2021 Oscar an I started triathlon coaching and leading these programs will be his main focus this summer.
Joseph has been a Swim Smart client for many years, working his way up through the technique courses, training with the masters group and racing with Coast Swim Team. Currently training for his first Ironman, he has a
wealth of triathlon training and racing experience, having completed an Ironman, 6 half-irons and 15+ sprint and olympic
Joseph has been a Swim Smart client for many years, working his way up through the technique courses, training with the masters group and racing with Coast Swim Team. Currently training for his first Ironman, he has a
wealth of triathlon training and racing experience, having completed an Ironman, 6 half-irons and 15+ sprint and olympic events. He has also previously
coached and mentored Team In Training first-time triathletes and marathoners. Joseph will be Lead Open Water Coach on Thursday nights this summer. Fun fact: an avid strongman, he can deadlift a baby Orca!
Jason is originally from South Africa, where his dad taught him to swim in their backyard pool. Jason swam throughout most of his school career, taking a break from grade 9. He picked up swimming again in university when he joined a Master's team and fell back in love with the sport. When pools shut down due to COVID, Jason bought his fir
Jason is originally from South Africa, where his dad taught him to swim in their backyard pool. Jason swam throughout most of his school career, taking a break from grade 9. He picked up swimming again in university when he joined a Master's team and fell back in love with the sport. When pools shut down due to COVID, Jason bought his first wetsuit and took to the open water. He has since competed in multiple triathlons and open water races. This summer, Jason will be co-teaching the Tuesday evening open water classes with Stewart.
Carrie didn’t learn to swim as a kid growing up on a ranch in the big sky state, Montana. As an average athlete who always loved to run, she decided to try triathlons as a young adult. Learning to swim was definitely the hardest part! After years of dedicated training she qualified for the Xterra off-road world championships in Maui in 20
Carrie didn’t learn to swim as a kid growing up on a ranch in the big sky state, Montana. As an average athlete who always loved to run, she decided to try triathlons as a young adult. Learning to swim was definitely the hardest part! After years of dedicated training she qualified for the Xterra off-road world championships in Maui in 2018. Swimming in big waves for the first time during that race proved to be a challenge, but gave her confidence to encourage others to go after big goals. Since moving to Vancouver with her family she began teaching indoor cycling , coaching the Vancouver Thunderbirds Track & Field Club and just certified as a Run Like A Girl coach. She’s excited to be on the Wednesday & Thursday evening coaching team.
Back in the day, Tina was one of the first group of runners from The Pacific Roadrunners club where she enjoyed being a pace leader and completed several marathons, including London, Berlin, New York and Gold Coast, Australia. Marathon and triathlon training may be in her past, but she proud to represent a growing group of “young at heart
Back in the day, Tina was one of the first group of runners from The Pacific Roadrunners club where she enjoyed being a pace leader and completed several marathons, including London, Berlin, New York and Gold Coast, Australia. Marathon and triathlon training may be in her past, but she proud to represent a growing group of “young at heart” swimmers who are goal oriented with a strong desire stay in shape and improve technique and is passionate about introducing the joy of open water swimming to all ages and abilities! Tina will be coaching on Wednesday and Thursday evenings this summer.
I started swimming with Stewart as part of my preparation for my first Sprint triathlon back in 2012. Since then I accomplished many triathlons, running, and swim races including Ironman Canada in Whistler and two ITU Long Distance triathlons. Recently I shifted my focus to long-distance swimming. In 2020 I finished the Skaha Lake 12k Ult
I started swimming with Stewart as part of my preparation for my first Sprint triathlon back in 2012. Since then I accomplished many triathlons, running, and swim races including Ironman Canada in Whistler and two ITU Long Distance triathlons. Recently I shifted my focus to long-distance swimming. In 2020 I finished the Skaha Lake 12k Ultra Swim in Pentiction, and last year I became a cross-continental swimmer by crossing Bosphorus Channel from Asia to Europe. This summer I will be helping with the Marathon Swim Training Group and a back up open water coach.
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