Welcome to Swim Smart!

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 2021 we started triathlon coaching and leading these programs will be Oscar's main focus this summer.

Joseph has been a Swim Smart client for over a decade, working his way up through the technique courses, training with the masters group, racing with Coast Swim Team, and in our triathlon team as well. He possesses a wealth of triathlon training and racing experience, having completed an Ironman, 9 half-irons and 15+ sprint and olympic events. His approach to coaching and racing is equal parts mental training as it is physical training. He has also previously coached and mentored Team In Training triathletes and marathoners.  This is Joseph's will be leading Thursday classes. 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 first wetsuit and took to the open water. He has since competed in multiple triathlons and open water races. This is Jason's third summer coaching with us and he will be leading the Tuesday evening classes.

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 is 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. Tina is passionate about introducing the joy of open water swimming to all ages and abilities and will be coaching Tuesday and Thursday evenings this summer.

From lakes to ocean to the pool, Meghan is happiest when she's around water. She started swimming at a young age and raced with her school and local club team. Later, she became a swim instructor for children and even dabbled in triathlon. After a 20+ year hiatus from competitive swimming, Meghan joined Swim Smart in 2022, first as a Masters swimmer and then as a member of the Coast Swim Team. She qualified for the 2023 World Aquatics Masters Championships in Japan and competed in both open water and pool events. Meghan is delighted to be coaching the Wednesday night open water courses with Stewart this summer.

Sam began his swimming journey by teaching himself basic water survival skills in his teenage years, just enough to float and begin enjoying the water. Working with Stewart marked a turning point as Sam's confidence grew when he learned better techniques and became a strong swimmer. Sam's goal is to help others discover the same confidence he found in the water, drawing from his own transformative experience. This summer Sam will be assisting Jason on Tuesday nights.

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. I finished the Skaha Lake 12k Ultra Swim several times and have crossed the  Bosphorus Channel from Asia to Europe. This summer I will be helping with the Marathon Swimming Group and a back up open water coach. 

Cillian's swimming began at an early age in Ireland, where he competed with his local club in Dublin. He became distracted with the beginning of university, and swimming took a back seat for a number of years. However, the allure of competing in the Liffey Swim, which runs through Dublin City centre, pulled him back in. After making the move to Vancouver in 2014, Cillian immediately joined English Bay Swim Team and people often confused him with Stewart, requesting swimming tips and feedback. It only seemed right, then, to join Swim Smart.

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, recently certified as a Run Like A Girl coach and will be a back up open water coach this summer.