Hello Winskill! I competed at the club and varsity level and was on the Canadian National swim team for four years. I became internationally ranked at the age of 13: ranking within the top 20 swimmers in the World for 400 IM, 200 Fly and 800 Free. In 1980, I broke the Canadian record for the 800m Free. I was the first female swimmer inducted into the NAIA Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame and was honoured with Athlete of the Year for Simon Fraser University. I ended my swimming career in 1983 and soon thereafter started coaching full-time.

Upon completing my coaching theory and practicum level three, I became head coach of the Winskill Dolphins in 1989 where I enjoyed many great successes and earned youth coach of the year in 1998; I stepped down from this position in 2000 to focus on running my own business. I sold this business in 2016 so I could give more attention to my true passion in life: swimming. While I have always coached part-time with the Winskill Otters Master’s program, in 2015 I was honoured to be chosen as Canadian National Head Coach for the Deaf. This summer we traveled to Brazil for the Deaflympics!

My general philosophy towards swimming is about instilling strong training habits and work ethic while building a sound technical platform in all four competitive strokes. Most importantly I do everything within my power to form healthy and lasting relationships with all my athletes; I believe socializing with both swimmers and their families to help build strong club dynamics. The main objective behind all healthy competitive swim clubs is to provide an opportunity for each of its members to attain his or her maximum potential in competitive swimming. I will work with all of the swimmers and their coaches to help provide an individualized approach to their goals in this sport!

Hello Winskill! My name is Kennedy Loewen, and this is my first season with the team. I will be the Assistant Head Coach, leading the Age Group Gold and Age Group Blue Programs while also mentoring our younger coaches.

I am an accomplished swimmer and coach with over 15 years of personal competitive swimming experience. Throughout my career, I earned multiple provincial and national medals, received 5 NCAA All-American honors, set school records, and was nominated for Female Athlete of the Year at Simon Fraser University. I also swam with a semi-professional team and competed at the FINA World Cup in 2022. Years of training and competing alongside world-class athletes have significantly refined and expanded my skills and knowledge in the sport. This background provides me with deep insight into the demands of high-level competition, which I incorporate into my coaching.

As for my coaching experience, I’ve had the privilege of working with both Summer and Winter club programs, and I’ve also co-founded my own private training business, SwimX Community. Through SwimX I coach athletes of all ages and host swim clinics with Olympians and Canadian National Team swimmers. 

Through my years of coaching, I’ve developed a holistic approach that focuses on proper technique, building endurance and power, developing mental strength and preparation, and instilling a strong work ethic. I also emphasize teaching swimmers how to train smart to maximize their performance and growth in the sport. 

I graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor's Degree in Behavioral Neuroscience. Through my studies, I gained a deep appreciation for the importance of both the mind and body in sports performance, and I aim to educate my athletes on both aspects to help them excel in training and competition. I believe that a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer, and I’m dedicated to supporting my swimmers as individuals, not just athletes!

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Under Renovation

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Hi Dolphins!
My name is Coach Sam, and this will be my fourth season with Winskill! I will be leading the Mini Dolphins program, as well as working with the Age Group Blue swimmers throughout the week.
I am currently a kinesiology undergraduate at UBC, where I am about to complete my third year. I began swimming competitively in 2014 with the Ladner Stingrays, which is where I am lucky to still be today. I started my coaching career with them in 2018 and just completed my seventh summer season of coaching, and first as their Head Coach! Though I enjoy swimming IM, my favourite stroke has to be butterfly. Despite not having been a winter swimmer, my passion for this sport is just as strong. I am so grateful to be apart of this team as it gives me even more of an outlet to coach the sport I love. I cannot wait to teach, learn, and have a great season with you all! See you on the pool deck:)

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Hi! My name is Sophie Raffai (or coach Sophie). I am 16 years old and I have been swimming my whole life ever since I was taught by my dad. I lead both Junior Dolphins 1&2 for this season. I previously was a swimmer for 11 years, the last 4 of them being for Winskill in the provincial/national group. My previous experience with this was last year when I transitioned from swimming to coaching JD GOLD for the last few months of the season, as well as the volunteering I have done with this club over the 5 year course I have been at Winskill. As a coach I strive to keep learning from my mentors in order to improve our swimmers to the best of my ability. My two biggest values as a coach are athlete-coach relationship and technical focus.

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 Hey Dolphins! My name is Zeina and I will be coaching the Mini Dolphins and Junior Dolphins Blue this season. I have been swimming with the Dolphins for almost 8 years, and this is my third year coaching. In the pool, my favourite stroke is Breaststroke. However, outside the pool, I like trying new recipes, reading, and catching up with my friends. I look forward to passing on my skills and love for the sport to your swimmers, see you soo​​​​​​​n

!