Tim, a true New Yorker, born and raised by the water's edge, has always had an unquenchable affinity for aquatic environments. His lifelong connection with water began in his early childhood, and even today, he's content settling for the East River in the heart of the city.

From a young age, Tim ventured into competitive swimming, participating in both the Metropolitan and PSAL leagues, with a special focus on excelling in Breaststroke events. With over a decade of experience as a competitive swimmer, he trained in the United States and South Korea, honing his aquatic skills.

Upon reaching college, Tim decided to shift his focus from being an athlete to exploring the world of fashion apparel and technologies. His journey led him to collaborate with notable designers such as jewelry maestro Martine Ali. Tim's expertise now lies in creating avant-garde designs and crafting ocean-inspired jewelry using high-grade pearls and shells. He consistently challenges the conventions associated with luxury high-end fashion.

Yet, even after retiring as an athlete, his passion for the water persisted. Tim has been involved in aquatics since his teenage years and continues to do so to this day. He has taken on various roles, from lifeguarding and pool management to swim instruction. Currently, he proudly serves as the AG1 lead coach, marking his third year in this role.

With extensive experience as a water safety instructor for individuals of all ages, Tim is directly engaged in the 92NY swim program, where he plays a pivotal role in nurturing and developing the talent of future YFD athletes. To him, swimming transcends being just a sport; it offers more than health and success. The ability to comprehend and manipulate water imparts values, discipline, and life lessons that are truly unparalleled.

Whether he's at the poolside or on a high-fashion runway, Tim's work is a testament to his unwavering connection with water and swimming. In essence, he is, and will always be, the "pool boy."

Delia MacLaughlin is thrilled to join YFD after several seasons working with all ages and abilities on the Dublin Dolphins team in Columbus, Ohio.

Delia comes from a club and high school swimming background in Dublin, Ohio. She swam sprint butterfly and mid-distance freestyle for Wheaton College Massachusetts. At Wheaton, Delia was a three-time Academic All-Conference winner, received the NEWMAC Winter Sportsmanship Award, and had numerous podium finishes at conference championships. She earned degrees with honors in Environmental Science and Sociology.

While teaching 6th- and 7th-grade science in the Bronx as a Teach for America corps member, Delia is also currently working towards her Master of Arts in Teaching at Relay GSE. Her coaching philosophy centers around cultivating resiliency and tenacity in young people and developing awareness of one’s role in the team community.

Hervay Petion brings decades of coaching experience to his role as YFD Lead Senior Coach. Prior to joining YFD, he was the Head Coach of the Brooklyn Otters. While there, he guided all levels of swimmers to their peak performances from the Bronze Championships to the Metro Junior Olympics Championships. Hervay is a master developmental coach who has made it his mission to support motivated swimmers to transition from swimming lessons to the competitive team and even to the YFD National Group. His coaching approach is grounded in fostering a healthy competitive environment that builds both individual self-esteem and collective group achievement.

Hervay came to the sport relatively late, but was hooked immediately. He began swimming competitively in high school and was team captain his senior year. As a freestyle and backstroke specialist, he decided to continue competing at the university level. In college at SUNY Oswego, he represented the Lakers as a member of both the swim and soccer teams. He served as swim team co-captain his junior year. While in graduate school at SUNY Albany, he began his coaching career as an Assistant Coach for the Great Danes swim team. After years away from the sport, he began his USA Swimming coaching career with Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics (AGUA) and the Roosevelt Island Mariners, before being one of the founding coaches of the Brooklyn Otters. He is a member of the American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA), and holds Level II Certification.

Hervay graduated from SUNY Oswego with a BA in Music, and from SUNY Albany with an MLS in Library Science. In addition to his commitment to coaching, Hervay works as indexer and cataloger with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In his free time, he dabbles with photography, jewelry making, baking, and enjoys jigsaw puzzles.

Vic Walcott brings over a decade of experience to the YFD family. Originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, Vic began her coaching career as a young coach in 2011 with the Granite Falls Makos. During her time with the Makos, Vic worked with swimmers of all ages and abilities, eventually taking on the role of Head Age Group Coach. 

Throughout her coaching career so far, Vic has worked with athletes who have placed top 8 at North Carolina Age Group State Championships each year,  including multiple state champions and nationally ranked athletes. She has also seen her athletes represent North Carolina in the ESSZ Sectionals and Southern Zones championships. She was closely involved with athletes who have gone on to compete at Futures championships and Winter Junior Nationals Championships. Beyond this, she has helped place multiple athletes on teams at Division 1 schools, such as the University of Notre Dame and UNC Chapel Hill.

Beyond success in the water, Vic strives to provide an environment for her swimmers that cultivates not only the development of character and strong values, but a love for team spirit and the sport of swimming itself. 

Anthony Preda is excited to join the 92NY Flying Dolphins Coaching staff. Born and raised in NYC, Anthony swam competitively with the LaGuardia Twisters. He competed at meets such as the Junior Olympics, Zone Qualifiers, Eastern Zones, and Senior Mets.

Anthony continued to swim with a USA Swimming team as well as his high school team during his high school years while living in Arizona. While there, he achieved Sectional qualifying standards and was a finalist in Arizona High School State championships in the Breaststroke and IM events.

From 2012-2016, Anthony attended and swam for Lehman College. He set school records in the breaststroke, IM, and relay events, highlighted by a NCAA Division III National "B" Cut in the 100 yard breaststroke.

Anthony graduated from Lehman with a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science in 2016.

Anthony earned his Master's Degree in Exercise & Wellness from Arizona State University.

During his post-graduate studies, Anthony spent 2 years coaching at the NCAA Division 1 level with Grand Canyon University's Men's and Women's Swim Teams. While there he was able to coach elite-level athletes that have competed at the NCAA Division 1 National Championships, as well as the Olympic Games, and various international-level competitions.

 

Iliana Bitis has been a cornerstone of the 92Y Flying Dolphins family for over a decade, shaping the success of hundreds of athletes from 8 and under swimmers college swimmers. Her coaching has led to over 50 team records, with many of her athletes competing in premier events such as the Jr Mets, Eastern Zone Championships,  NCSA Age Group Championships, ISCA Senior Championships, Sectional Championship and Futures Championships. In 2024, Iliana was selected by USA Swimming as a coach for their prestigious Zone Select Camp, and she is also an active member of the USA Swimming Women Coaches in Governance group. As of Fall 2023, Iliana became the lead coach of the National Group, further cementing her leadership role at 92Y.

In addition to her impactful work at 92Y, Iliana contributed significantly to the Hunter College Hawks Swim Team. During her two seasons with the Hawks, the team enjoyed two undefeated conference seasons, a second-place finish at the CUNYAC Championships, and multiple new school records. Several swimmers were named CUNYAC All-Stars under her guidance, and the team earned the prestigious CSCAA Scholar All-American Team Award with an outstanding 3.5 GPA.

Iliana’s coaching philosophy revolves around the principles of hard work, patience, and dedication. She fosters an environment that emphasizes both physical strength and mental resilience, encouraging her athletes to consistently push beyond their limits. Her commitment to the core values of Character, Community, and Excellence is woven into every practice, helping athletes not only excel in the pool but grow as individuals who embody these values daily.

Iliana’s journey in swimming began in Greece before moving to New York City. She later became the captain of the Long Island City High School swim team, showcasing her early leadership skills. Iliana graduated from Queens College with a degree in History, specializing in European History and minoring in Byzantine Studies. 

Karl Kilb IV brings years of coaching and a decade of competitive swimming to YFD. Karl swam from 2011-2021 for the Hemlock Hurricanes Swim Team of the Pocono Mountain Summer Swim League (PMSSL), consisting of swimmers ages 5-18.

He became the Head Coach of the team in 2022 and built the program from 23 swimmers at the start of 2022 to 87 in 2024. In that time, Karl coached the team to a PMSSL B Division Championship in 2023 and a PMSSL A Division Championship in 2024 marking the first A Division Championship for Hemlock in 8 years and the first time, in the league’s over 50-year history, that a team won the B Division and A Division Championships in back-to-back years. He has also been coaching the Jr. Panther’s running and conditioning program at Brooklyn Friends School since early 2023.

A native New Yorker, Karl played Varsity Basketball & Varsity Baseball at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, where he was an instrumental music major, specializing in piano and clarinet. He graduated in May 2024 from the NYU Clive Davis Institute at the Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Recorded Music and a minor in Philosophy.

Karl is excited to carry his winning culture to YFD, fostering disciplined, hardworking, and resilient athletes who excel in and out of the pool.

Zachary Goldman comes to YFD after coaching for the Mid Island Y JCC and the JCC of Greater Baltimore, while teaching swimming for a decade. He swam for Team Suffolk on Long Island for 7 years and was on his High School Varsity team winning Suffolk County Champs all 4 years.

Zack went to Stony Brook University, graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering specializing in Transportation. He now is a Transportation Engineer for VHB Engineering in addition to coaching. 

With his engineering background, Zack believes in bringing problem solving and creativity into the pool. This is through unorthodox sets and creative uses of equipment. He tries to foster an environment where swimmers can not only ask anything but hopefully answer them as well

Anna Turner joins the YFD coaching staff with a lifelong background in competitive swimming and a deep passion for youth development. A Connecticut native, Anna swam for the Ridgefield Aquatic Club, where she was a three-time All-American and captain of both her club and high school teams. She went on to compete collegiately for Villanova University and Holy Cross, where she also served as team captain.

Before joining YFD, Anna coached for her hometown summer swim team and the Special Olympics swim program, where she developed a love for mentoring young athletes of all abilities.

Outside of the pool, Anna taught third grade in the Bronx for two years and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Social Work at Fordham University. Her coaching philosophy centers around building confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging—helping swimmers grow not only as athletes but as teammates and individuals.