Laurie Wachs - SAQ Head Coach 

My name is Laurie Wachs, and I am the head coach of SAQ. I have 40+ years of coaching experience and feel blessed to have a job that I am passionate about and LOVE. I have coached many athletes to medal performances at both provincial and national levels, placed numerous Saskatchewan athletes onto National Teams, had two of my athletes perform in Cirque de Soleil in Vegas, and had one of my swimmers attend Standford on an Artistic Swimming scholarship. In November of 2000, the Coaching Association of Canada awarded me the 3M Coaching Canada Award in the Development Sport – Female category. In November 2004, I was inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame as a “Sport Builder”. In 2009 I was awarded Sask Sport’s Female Coach Dedication Award, and in 2010, I received Canada Artistic Swimming’s Distinguished Member Award, recognizing a member of Canada Artistic Swimming who has made an exceptional contribution to the “art as well as the sport” of artistic swimming.

My favorite Artistic Swimming pastime is concocting drills or tips to help swimmers fix their corrections. I eat, sleep, and dream up drills daily!

In my spare time, I love to bike, go to the gym, take Yoga/Somatics classes, attend bible study, and Foster/Volunteer for Street Cat Rescue, going for coffee walks with my partner Bob every am.

Fun fact: I am celebrating a decade birthday this year. 😊 I do not like Olives and I love writing Poetry. 

Brittany MacPhersen - National Stream Coach

For nearly a decade, I swam before embarking on a coaching journey that now spans fifteen rewarding years. I have coached almost every age group in the club from Aquagiggles to National Stream. Most notably, I led the 2015 Canada Winter Games Team and apprenticed with the Canadian 13-15 and Junior National Teams. Our team of National Stream coaches achieved placing athletes on the esteemed Canadian National Team in consecutive years, 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Sydney Carroll's rise to the Senior National Team marked a recent achievement.

I love the sport of artistic swimming because of the friendships it has given me, it's my family away from home. I love the creative outlet the sport allows me to have from creating routines to helping athletes reach their potential. 

Shaelynn Thiessen - Provincial & National Stream Coach / SAS High-Performance Director

My name is Shaelynn Thiessen and this will be my 11^th year coaching with the Saskatoon Aqualenes.

Prior to coaching, I was a National Stream athlete with the Aqualenes. This year I am working mainly with our National Stream Youth & Junior athletes! In previous years I have coached everything from Giggles to Senior athletes. Outside of the Aqualenes, I am also the High-Performance Director for Saskatchewan Artistic Swimming. My main role as HPD is planning all the High-Performance camps and trials that take place throughout the year. When I am not at the pool, you can find me substitute teaching! Looking forward to another year with SAQ!

Karine Schmidt - National Stream Coach

My name is Karine Schmitt, I am a 2x Olympian and have now been coaching with the Saskatoon Aqualenes for just over 2 years. In all my years involved with the sport, I have had the privilege of choreographing and coaching with many different coaches and clubs from around the world.  I keep learning as the sport evolves and strive to give my best to every athlete I encounter. 

Theodosa Den Brok - Provincial & National Stream Coach

Hi, my name is Theo den Brok and I’m 21 years old. When I’m not at the pool, I also work as a wedding coordinator! Some of my major accomplishments as a swimmer with the Aqualenes are competing on the Sask Winter Games team in 2014, swimming on Team Sask for 2 years, and participating in the National Team trials in 2017. 

This year, I completed my Competition Development certification and was an apprentice coach for the Junior National Team in Montréal. 

This is my seventh year coaching, I love being able to pass on my passion for this sport to young swimmers. It brings me joy to see swimmers fall in love with synchro just like I did. I can’t wait to see what this year brings and how these swimmers grow as I grow with them as a coach!

Jenna Willie - Provincial Stream Coach

This is my 7th year coaching with the Aqualenes and I’m super excited for another season coaching the youth provincial stream team. I swam for 10 years before beginning to  coach and was a part of the provincial team for my last 3 years as an athlete. I decided to take my intro to comp coaching certification so I could continue to be a part of the SAQ family through coaching. I love sharing my past experiences with the swimmers and helping them all find their love in the sport and becoming amazing athletes themselves. 

Ainsley Bristol - Provincial Stream Coach

Hi! My name is Ainsley Bristol and this will be my 3rd year coaching with the Aqualenes. Prior to coaching, I was an artistic swimmer for 12 years in rec, provincial and national stream pathways. Outside of the pool, I am a Kinesiology student at the University of Saskatchewan and enjoy going to the gym, running and skiing. I absolutely love this sport and am so excited for another successful season!!

Mickayla Jones - Provincial Stream Coach

My name is Mickayla. I grew up in Alberta and moved to Saskatoon in 2019 to further my eduction in medicine.
I have been an athlete of artistic swimming for 15 years, swimming with both the Calgary Aquabelles and UofC Dino’s.

I have been a coach with the Aqualenes since 2019 and love sharing my passion for this unique sport with the younger generations.

In my spare time I love walking my three dogs, reading books and building puzzles.
I look forward to another successful year and can’t wait to continue my journey with the Saskatoon Aqualenes! 

Cate Janzen - Provincial Stream & Recreation Coach

My name is Cate Janzen and I have been a coach with SAQ for five seasons. I started swimming in our rec program eleven years ago, so it feels like a full circle moment that I run that same program now! I love working with our new recreational and limited competitive athletes and showing them all the amazing things that synchro has to offer! Watching athletes fall in love with the sport for the first time has become something special for me to be able to watch year after year.

Away from the pool, I am a second-year Toxicology student at the University of Saskatchewan and enjoy reading, gardening, and baking. I also am lucky enough to be able to continue to swim for SAQ as a masters athlete for the 2023/2024 season.

I cannot wait for another great season! See you at the pool!!

Alora Brown - Provincial Stream & Recreation Coach

Hi, my name is Alora Brown. This will be my 4th year coaching with the Saskatoon Aqualenes. Previous to becoming a coach I was a swimmer with the Aqualenes for 8 years. I started in the aqua giggles program progressing all the way to the national stream program. I love coaching because it gives me the opportunity to pass down my knowledge and love for the sport. This past year I graduated high school and will begin my studies at the University of Regina on the Saskatchewan Polytechnic campus. My biggest accomplishment was receiving the Karen Dumas Memorial Award 2022/2023 from the Saskatoon Aqualenes for excellence in coaching. I can’t wait to continue growing as a coach, mentoring young swimmers and seeing what successes this year will bring!!

Eliot Paul -  Provincial Stream & Recreation Coach

My name is Eliot Paul, but I also go by Elie. This will be my 4th year coaching with SAQ after taking a break to go to college for Photographic Technology. I swam for 10 years with a few different teams, but I loved every moment I had as an athlete with the Aqualenes, and now I can't wait to get back to the pool!

When I'm not at the pool, I work at Hearth Restaurant as a baker, and practice my photography skills on the side. I also love seeing my friends and giving my cat Fynn lots of treats and cuddles.

Can't wait to see you at the pool!

Joley Friesen -  Provincial Stream & Recreation Coach

Hi my name Joley Friesen. I have been with the Saskatoon Aqualenes for 10 years. I started as a swimmer in Giggles and competed provincially and nationally. This year I am coaching Limited Competitive 14U and Rec 10U. I look forward to sharing my love of the sport with my athletes.