COACHING STAFF

 

 

     Szilvie Carriere
      Head Coach - Elite
     [email protected]

 

 

My name is Szilvie Carriere, Assistant Head Coach of Manta swim club, and this season coaching the Junior Performance group. Originally I am from Hungary, where I was part of the Hungarian National Team and represented my country in several International competitions. I have been coaching swimming at Manta Swim Club for 30 years in many different capacities, the past 12 years as the Assistant Head coach in which I have been responsible for coaching the best 11-14 year old athletes in the club. I helped to develop athletes from Man-Sask; our provincial championship to Canadian Senior National level competition and to Western and Summer Canada Games Teams. I had the pleasure to work with athletes at the highest level and some of Canada’s top coaches. I have been on the coaching staff at several Summer Canada Games, and Western Canada Games.

I enjoy the challenge of finding ways to help young athletes achieve their goals. I believe swimming is a great sport for all ages. It builds a great community and helps with team spirit and sportsmanship as well as individual growth. I believe, Coaching is beyond a worthwhile outlet for making a difference by teaching life lessons. If I can get one swimmer to look back and say, “wow – swimming taught me so much about LIFE and made me who I am today”, my job is fulfilled. Don’t get me wrong – being a champion in the pool is and should always be a goal, but most importantly, it’s about the person we become along the way outside of the pool by challenging ourselves in ways we did not think possible

And last but absolutely not least I want our swimmers to ENJOY the sport of swimming.

 

 

     

     Ian Grunewald 
     Assistant Head Coach - Age Group Elite
     [email protected]

 

 

Ian has been a fixture in the Manitoba swimming community for close to three decades.  A 3-time Manitoba Coach of the year and 3-time Manitoba Development Coach of the Year, Ian has coached with a number of clubs throughout the Province.  Most recently he was Head Coach of the St James Seals here in Winnipeg coaching the team for 13 years developing numerous Provincial and National finalists.  He has been on three Manitoba teams as a coach including the 2017 Canada Games here in Winnipeg.  He is a Past President of the MB Swim Coaches Association and a former NCCP instructor. 

As a coach, Ian’s focus is “Coaching the swimmers he has, not the swimmers he used to have or might have in the future”.  Ian’s practices are geared to helping each swimmer achieve success in the pool while having fun working hard and gaining a sense of pride in themselves.

Ian was raised and swam competitively in Red Lake Ontario.  He is a High School Teacher at Elmwood High School in Winnipeg teaching English and Social Studies.  He and his partner also own Undefeated Health and Performance, a Crossfit gym here in the city. 

 

     
     

    Adam Naylor
     Academy Coordinator 
     [email protected]

 

 

 

This will be my 7th year of coaching with the Manta Swim Club, and first as an Academy Coordinator. I swam for the Manta Swim Club for 8 years, followed by 3 years of elite triathlon, competing at both national and international levels.

I recently graduated from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Manitoba. My long-term goal is to become a high school educator!

I love sports of all kinds (but swimming the most) and I am NCCP 201 Coach in training. I am excited to be a part of another great season of pride, toughness, and respect.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

     

    Gabe Dela Cruz
     Performance
     [email protected]

 

 

This will be Gabe’s 4th year coaching with Manta following 12 years of swimming with the St. James Seals and the University of Manitoba. Gabe loves the interaction piece of coaching and you will be hard-pressed to find him not putting a smile on a swimmer's face. 
 
Gabe is NCCP 101 Certified. Outside of the pool, Gabe is headed back to school in the winter working toward being an optometrist. 
As a coach, Gabe’s number one goal is to make sure every swimmer is having a great time in a productive learning environment. He believes the best way to make the environment is to lead by example and enjoy the practices just as much as the kids in the pool!
 

 

     
 
     Joel Guillemin 
     Development
      [email protected]

 

 
Joel Guillemin has a distinguished background in both swimming and coaching. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with Distinction and a Doctor of Naturopathy from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. His extensive education includes certifications in advanced cardiac life support, intravenous emergency procedures, and various other therapies. Joel's commitment to continuous learning is evident as he is currently enrolled in the Age Group Coach (Swimming 201) certification program with Swim Canada, to be completed in August 2024.
 
Joel's swimming coaching career is equally impressive. He has been a competitive  swimming coach with the Swimming Rockers Club since 2021 and previously coached the Moose Jaw Kinsmen Flying Fins from 2016 to 2021. His coaching credentials include a Fundamentals Coach (Swimming 101) certification from Swim Canada, Respect In Sport certification, and Safe Sport Training. 

     

 

 

     Emma Richardson 
      Maternity Leave
     [email protected]

 

Emma swam competitively for 12 years before making the transition to coach. She has been a coach with the Seals Swim Club for the past 15 years and has worked with all levels of athletes from pre-competitive to senior/performance level. Emma has the most experience coaching athletes aged 10-12 and was the recipient of the 2009/2010 Swim Manitoba Grassroots Coach of the Year for her work with that age group. Emma is beyond excited to join Manta for the 2021/2022 swim season and is looking forward to helping young swimmers reach their goals and continuing to develop her coaching skills.
 
As a coach, Emma wants to instill a love of swimming in her athletes. She fundamentally believes that sport is not only important for one's physical health but plays a huge role in one's mental and emotional well-being. It is Emma’s goal as a coach to not only develop strong, hard-working swimmers, but to help develop individuals who are confident, respectful, resilient, hard-working, and kind. In addition to her role as a coach, Emma works as a Social Worker for the Province of Manitoba.
 

 

 

     
 
     Jasmine Cheung
     Prospects
 
 
 
 
 
This will be Jasmine’s 1st on staff following 10 years of swimming with Manta at the provincial and national levels. Jasmine swam varsity for one season at the University of Alaska Fairbanks before coming back home. Jasmine is NCCP 101 certified. 
 
Jasmine is looking forward to working with both the Prospects and Swim Academy T/Th 11+ class this season where she hopes to share her knowledge and love for the sport with all of her athletes!
 
 
 
 
 
      Chandler Zastiko 
      Prospects Elmwood Kildonan Pool 
      [email protected]
     

 

 
This will be Chandler's 4th year on the coaching staff following 10 years of swimming competitively for Manta Swim Club. Chandler is currently an NCCP 101 certified coach.
 
Chandler is currently in his final year at Red River College with the goal of becoming a Civil Engineer through the college’s Civil Engineering Technology program.
 
As a coach and a former athlete, Chandler believes that all forms of sport should be performed with a high level of passion, positivity, and fun so that all athletes can train, perform, and succeed as best as they can. As such, he ensures that his swimmers fully enjoy their time in the pool, with their peers, and in a positive environment to maximize productivity and growth in his swimmers during practice.
 
In addition, he also believes that swimming (and competitive sport in general) not only develop oneself physically, but also develops other aspects such as self-confidence, pride and dedication towards what they do, and a positive state of mind.
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
     Diego Barcena-Martinez
     Prospects
     Pan Am Pool
      

 

This will be Diego’s 1st year coaching the Manta Swim Academy, where he will be helping coach the 11+ Tuesday/Thursday class. Originally from Mexico City, Diego swam competitively for 10 years with both the Northwest Narwals in Thunder Bay, and Manta. Diego is currently pursuing an engineering degree at the University of Manitoba. Diego is NCCP 101 certified.
 
As a former swimmer, and now coach, Diego is super excited to have a new experience in this sport. He is looking forward to showing all of his swimmers how much fun they can have in the supportive and educational environment this club offers.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
     Ana Barcena-Martinez
     Prospects
     Pan Am Pool
      

 

This is my 2nd year coaching with Manta swim club, I swam competitively for 10 years 7 being with the Thunder Bay Northwest Narwhals and the last three years being with Manta Swim Club. I am currently studying criminology at the University of Manitoba. I am NCCP 101 certified. I am really looking forward to coaching Prospects Black and Purple this year and super excited for this season to see the kids grow not only as swimmers but as people as we guide them through race prep and passing along the manta values; pride toughness respect. Happy to watching the kids enjoy the sport as much as I did.

 

Swim Academy Coaching Staff 

 

 

     Zoe Wiebe
     Swim Academy
     Pan Am Pool 
      

 

Zoe is beginning her 1st year coaching the Manta Swim Academy following 7 years of club swimming where she competed in both provincial and national level competitions with Manta. Zoe is NCCP 101 trained and she is currently enrolled in her first year at the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Arts.
 
Zoe is super excited to have the chance to work with the next generation of young swimmers and pass along all the club values and skills that made her enjoy the sport for so many years!
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     Abby Torrance
     Swim Academy
     Pan Am Pool 
    

 

Coming Soon

 

 
 
 
 
     
     Ava Thomson
     Swim Academy
     Pan Am Pool 
    

 

This is my 1st year of coaching with Manta Swim Academy. I swam with Manta for over ten years, competing at provincial and national competitions. I am in my first year of university in the faculty of science at the Uiversity of Manitoba. After graduating last year, I knew I wanted to stay connected with the swim community through coaching which is when I decided I would get my Swimming 101 and coach with Manta. 

 

I am super excited to be helping out with the Monday and Wednesday Academy classes this year. I have always loved the sport of swimming and I want to pass on the enthusiasm and passion for the sport to the new generation of swimmers!

 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     Jack O'Malley 
     Swim Academy
     Pan Am Pool 
    

 

Coming Soon
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     Jacob Bell
     Swim Academy
     Pan Am Pool 
    

 

Coming Soon
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     Elsa Saltel
     Swim Academy
     Pan Am Pool 
    

 

This is my first year of coaching with Manta Swim Academy. I swam with Manta for 8 years, and before that I swam with the Nepean Kanata Barracudas. I am currently in my first year at the University of Manitoba in the Faculty of Sciences. I am very happy to continue my involvement in the swimming community by coaching! I'm excited to share my passion for swimming with the next generation of swimmers and help them develop both their skills and confidence in the water. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     Olivia Samson 
     Swim Academy
     Elmwood Kildonan Pool 
    

 

This is Olivia’s first year coaching Manta’s Swim Academy at Elmwood Kildonan pool. She swam with Manta in her youth, and is excited to interact with the sport differently through coaching. She is looking forward to working with her swimmers by helping them to create enjoyment in what they do and find the confidence to ask questions.
 
Olivia is in her second year of a co-op microbiology honours degree at the University of Manitoba. She has hopes to further her education with a masters degree in neurovirology later on. Olivia is trying to get back into reading, and loves watching movies and TV shows with her three cats.
 
 
 
 
 
     
     McKayla Kerr 
     Swim Academy
     Elmwood Kildonan Pool 
    

 

Coming Soon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     Miranda Lushaw 
     Swim Academy
     Elmwood Kildonan Pool 
    

 

This is Miranda’s first year coaching for Manta Swim Academy at Elmwood Kildonan Pool. Prior to becoming a coach, she spent five years training with Manta before competing for one year with the University of Manitoba Bisons varsity team, where she participated in both provincial and national competitions. 

 

Now in her fourth year at the University of Manitoba, she is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree and plans to further her education with a master’s in sports psychology. Miranda is very excited to share her love for swimming and inspire the next generation of athletes to develop their skills and passion for the sport!