Darian's Swim Journey
From Non-Swimmer to Open Water Triathlete
"3 years ago I came up with the crazy idea of completing a triathlon. There was only one obstacle: I couldn't swim. I had never taken swimming lessons as a kid, and in fact, I was quite scared of the water. Nonetheless, I attempted my first indoor sprint triathlon at UBC in 2017 after watching a bunch of 'youtube tutorials'.
Bad idea! I barely made it through the pool swim and it was not a fun experience.
I had heard many great things about Coach Stewart from friends in the triathlon community, so, I decided to give him a go! I started with private lessons in 2018 then progressed to group classes and completed levels 1, 2 and 3. In 2019 I started online coaching as it provided more flexibility for my schedule. I liked that all the practices were specifically focused on my needs which allowed me to maximize my time at the pool. I found these structured workouts to be great and I made leaps and bounds in terms of technique and physical endurance through this programming.
By early summer 2019 I had gained so much skill and confidence in the pool that I decided to try his open water swim course at Jericho Beach. Then in Sept 2019, I completed my first open water Olympic distance triathlon. I am now training for my first 70.3 Ironman in Mont Tremblant slated for 2021.
For those that don't know Coach Stewart, he is 'THE SWIM COACH' for novices, advanced swimmers and triathletes alike - and for good reason.
He has a patient coaching style that is both calming and encouraging and a great sense of humour which makes your sessions that much more fun!
I highly recommend Coach Stewart for both recreational swimmers and advanced competitors!"
Swim Smart Coaches
Stewart - Head Coach
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 - Senior Coach
For most of you, Coach Oscar needs no introduction! 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. Oscar will be coaching on Monday evenings this summer.
Joseph - Lead Coach
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
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 is returning for his third season and will be Lead Coach on Thursday nights. Fun fact: an avid strongman, he can deadlift a baby Orca!
Jason - Assistant Coach
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 assisting at the Tuesday evening classes.
Carrie - Assistant Coach
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 and coaching the Vancouver Thunderbirds Track & Field Club. She’s excited to be on the Wednesday evening Swim Smart team.
Tina - Assistant Coach
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 with Stewart on Tuesday afternoons.
Alex - Assistant Coach
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 a back helping with the Marathon Swim Training Group and back up evening coach.