COACHING TEAM

Bill O'Toole (Head Coach, National) / [email protected]

Bill has more than 30 years of coaching experience and has coached swimmers to nearly 100 National and 100 Provincial records.  He has placed several swimmers on Canada's National Team including the Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships.  Bill's swimmers have been medalists and finalists at both World Championships and Commonwealth Games. Bill started coaching in 1982 for the York Swim Club and then became the Head Coach of the Markham Aquatic Club from 1986-1996. After his tenure in Markham, Bill moved on to the Cobra Swim Club as Head Coach from the fall of 1996 until the summer of 2013.

Bill has received numerous awards for his coaching including the Petro Canada Coaching Excellence Award and Swim Ontario Coach of the Year. He is a Level III certified coach and is recognized as ChPC (Chartered Professional Coach) with the Coaching Association of Canada. 

Byron MacDonald (U of T Head Coach and TSC National Assistant Head Coach) / [email protected]

As Head Coach of the University of Toronto Varsity team, Assistant Coach of the TSC National group and President of the TSC Board of Directors, Byron MacDonald not only assists in the training of our elite swimmers, but also shapes the growth and development of the Club itself.  Byron is a former Olympic finalist in the 100 metre butterfly and has been with U of T since 1978. In this time Byron has produced over 100 international swimmers and has been the Head Coach of numerous Canadian teams, taking them to international competitions. A valued and respected coach and mentor, Byron has repeatedly been awarded “Coach of the Year” by his teams.

Assistant Coach to the 1992 Canadian Olympic team, Byron proudly watched as one of his swimmers won a bronze medal. Byron is the proud father of three children including one former Gold II TSC swimmer. Byron is a Level III certified coach.

Kirsty Andrews (Academy Director) / [email protected]

As the Director of Toronto Swim Club’s pre-competitive program, it is Kirsty’s role to introduce young athletes to the wonderful sport of competitive swimming. Kirsty believes that being a member of TSC is not just about refining swimming skills, having fun, and establishing new friendships, but also about building character to set up children for a successful future.

Kirsty began competitive swimming at the age of 6 with the Oakville Aquatic Club and continues to enjoy the sport as a Triathlete, having competed at a provincial, national, and international level. As a Level 2 NCCP coach, Kirsty continues to embrace life-long learning, always striving to be a better coach and mentor to other coaches. Kirsty’s goal as the Director of the Academy is to inspire, encourage and support young athletes as they grow their swimming skills and confidence.

Casey Leslie (Senior Provincial / Senior Blue) / [email protected]

Casey grew up swimming for the Hamilton Aquatic Club and Guelph Marlin Aquatic Club. She attended Lakehead University where she received her undergrad and Masters in Indigenous Education. She learned to understand the importance of looking at each swimmer’s needs through a holistic approach: mental, emotional, spiritual and physical. She believes that all areas need to be developed so swimmers can thrive and reach their goals. 
 
While in Thunder Bay, Casey started coaching with the Thunderbolts for 6 years. She then joined the Barrie Trojan Swim Club coaching staff in September 2019. Casey loves having fun, leading by example and highlighting the individuality of each swimmer. She takes pride in creating positive relationships with her swimmers and her ability to comfort, motivate as well as challenge and inspire.

 

 

John Calnan (Junior Provincial / Junior Blue) / [email protected]

John Calnan has spent a lifetime immersed in the sport of competitive swimming. His entire swimming career was with the North York Aquatic Club rising from a young development swimmer to a National level competitor. He has coached for close to 20 years throughout Canada and his swimmers have covered the entire spectrum of age groups from the beginning level to National level and University swimmers.  He is a Level 3 NCCP Certified Senior Coach and has held the position of Assistant Head Coach with the North York Aquatic Club, University of Lethbridge (LASC), Newmarket Stingrays and most recently worked as Assistant Head Coach, Co-Head Coach and Head Coach for the Oakville Aquatic Club at various times throughout his six year tenure.  He has also held the role of Coaching Rep for the Central Region Board in 2015 and 2016.

As a coach John’s swimmers have won numerous provincial and national medals, broken club and provincial records and have gone on to represent Ontario and Canada on a number of tour teams. In 2009 and 2010 John was awarded the Swim Ontario High Performance Coaching Award for his work with 13 and 14-year-old boys. He is a two-time member of the Swim Ontario Youth Tour Team coaching staff and was also selected as a coach for the 2011 North American Challenge Cup in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. He has been awarded the Canadian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association award for domestic excellence four times.  This past season he placed a swimmer on the Swim Canada National ID Team.

As a National level swimmer with the North York Aquatic Club his commitment to training and fitness produced exceptional results. He was an Olympic trials finalist in the 1500 metre freestyle at the 2004 Canadian Olympic trials. John attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh on an academic and athletic scholarship and for many years he was the school record holder in the 200 fly. He combined these competitive experiences with an Honours Degree in Pure and Applied Science holding special qualifications in coaching and fitness assessment.

John’s many achievements in the swimming world are a result of personal dedication and a passion for fitness and training. In his coaching duties John has worked with an immense cross section of athletes and individuals who have brought to the pool a diverse set of goals and personal needs. He believes that each day presents a set of opportunities and choices to improve ourselves. Our physical well-being is directly related to our emotional and psychological lives. The goals we set in our athletic careers and the improvements we make easily overflow into all aspects of our lives.

Amanda Andal (Senior White, Youth Festivial) / [email protected]

A member of TSC since age 9, Amanda can proudly say she grew up with this club.  It was through TSC that Amanda learned the importance of good sportsmanship, building a support system among team mates, and confidence — characteristics she hopes to instill in her swimmers.  As a TSC coach for the past several years, Amanda believes success comes from dedication and love for the sport.  She believes swimming is a marathon sport, focus on how to swim and not just on swimming fast and you will be successful.  Swimming has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember.  It is where she learned life skills such as time management; goal setting and setting her own measure of success.

Tamsin Andrews (Youth Blue) / [email protected]

Tamsin began swimming at a young age and joined the Toronto Swim Club in middle school. She is thrilled to be a part of the TSC coaching team, and has enjoyed working with a wide range of swimmers, from Academy to Senior groups. Tamsin has met some of her closest friends through swimming, and learnt the value of having a sport in your life. She is always excited at the prospect of continuing to support young swimmers to gain the same positive experiences from swimming that she did. She is currently attending the University of Toronto, and plans to further her studies into the Education field. Tamsin is a NCCP Level II trained coach.

 

Madelaine Dixon (Junior White, Junior Orange) / [email protected]

Madelaine’s swimming career started at TSC when she was 9 years old after which she swam competitively with NYAC until her 3rd year of High school. Madelaine’s passion for swimming kept her involved in the sport, first as a volunteer, level 3 swim official and soon after (as of 2016) she began her coaching career.  Aside from her love for swimming, Madelaine loves skiing, rock climbing and is member of the University of Toronto Varsity Lacrosse team.  Madelaine’s passion for sports and interest in healthy active lifestyle led her to pursue a bachelor’s degree of Kinesiology and Physical Education with a minor in French at U of T. Coach Madelaine is NCCP Level III trained and is a certified personal trainer (NSCA-CPT). Madelaine hopes to use her swimming background, knowledge of kinesiology, coaching and personal training skills to help swimmers continually improve, develop discipline and team spirit. Madelaine believes that setting realistic goals and providing positive feedback will keep swimmers motivated and help them succeed.

Josie Andres (Youth White, Youth Orange) / [email protected]

Josie is an audiologist and swim coach who graduated from Western University and the University of Waterloo. At UWaterloo, she co-captained and competed for the varsity swim team. There, Josie competed at the national-level CIS and Usport championship meets. During her degrees, Josie coached with the Club Warriors and the London Aquatic Club before moving to Toronto to start her career in audiology. Outside of work, Josie enjoys walking her dog, playing volleyball, trying new restaurants, and enjoying live music.

Jane Wright (Assistant Coach) / [email protected]

With more than 30 years in competitive swimming as an elite athlete, coach, student and fan, Jane is thrilled to join the TSC family and we are lucky to have her.  

Jane was the Head Age Group Coach of the Lakeshore Swim Club, Chair the Aquatic Council of Ontario member of the Board of Directors of the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame.  Prior to Lakeshore, Jane coached for several years with the Fredericton Y Aquanauts, University of New Brunswick and University of Toronto, and pursued a career in health care management.

Jane’s swimming successes are impressive!  For six years she was a member of Canada’s national team participating in the 1970 Commonwealth Games, 1971 Pan-American (1 gold, 1 silver) and 1972 Olympic Games.  She set more than 100 national and provincial records, following which she was inducted into each of the University of Toronto and Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame and Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame.

Dimitri Petropoulos (Senior Orange) / [email protected]

Dimitri was a competitive swimmer for 14 years, having a wealth of experience from qualifying meets, all the way national races. Born and raised in Greece, he arrived in Canada after high school to complete his undergraduate studies in University of Toronto. After completing his degree at U of T, Dimitri returned to competitive swimming, this time from the coaching side.

 
Dimitri began his coaching career with TSC back in 2019, and after a short season away completing his military conscription in Greece, he is back on the pool deck. An NCCP Level II trained coach, he is constantly honing his skills as a coach, willing to learn and expand his knowledge with the ever-evolving sport that is swimming.
 
Dimitri hopes to pass on his passion, knowledge, and experience of swimming to the younger generation, as he grows as a person and a coach along with his swimmers.

Tereza Macel (Assistant Coach) / [email protected]

Tereza brings to coaching a passion for swimming and triathlon, and loves helping swimmers develop into lifelong athletes. She has been coaching  young swimmers as well as masters athletes since she was a university student.
 
Tereza was a competitive swimmer throughout her youth, and continued swimming at the University of Waterloo, where she became involved in triathlon. She competed as a professional triathlete in Olympic distance races around the world, before finding out she was better suited to Ironman distance races, and continued to race internationally, until she settled down in Toronto and had a family. 
 
Tereza enjoys teaching swimmers how to set personal goals and commit to the steps necessary to achieve them, thus developing lifelong skills that are vital in any competitive sport and valuable in everyday life. 
Doug Vanderby (Assistant Coach)

Doug brings a great deal of energy, enthusiasm and experience to the pool deck. A certified Swim Canada Level 3 Trained NCCP Senior Swim Coach and Assistant Coach to the University of Toronto Varsity Swim Team since 2005, working under Canadian Coaching Legends Byron Macdonald & Linda Kiefer. He has been a integral part of U of T's Men's 2012-13, 2013-14, 2015-16 and Women's 2015-16, 2021-22, 2022-23 Canadian University Championship Teams. 

A former Captain with Toronto Fire Services, Doug is also the founder and Head Coach of North Toronto Masters Swim Club. A lifelong swimmer, Doug’s achievements include being an OUA Gold medalist and Canadian University Finalist, and multiple medalist and record holder in the World Police and Firefighter Games. Doug holds numerous Canadian Masters Records in Breaststroke included a World Masters Record in the 100 Breast.