Born and grew up in NYC, Far Rockaway to be exact. Undergraduate attended Queens College, NYC - Physical Education, 1975, both swam and played water polo there. Co-Captain my senior year.  Graduate School Univ. of Mass., Amherst, - Exercise Science, 1977
Started the Tsunami Swim Team in 2010
American Swim Coach Assoc. [ASCA] Level 5 Coach Senior, Age Group and YMCA.  Past President of ASCA,  Past Vice Pres. of USA Swimming
National Team Coach 5 times.
More than 45 years of national and international experience;  I've been privileged to have coached 7 Olympic athletes,  more than two dozen national age group record holders, over 40 senior, junior & YMCA individual national champions and several hundred top ten nationally ranked swimmers.

Chris began coaching with Suburban Swim Club, the team he grew up swimming for under the tutelage of the legendary swim coach Charlie Kennedy. There he taught all age groups and abilities ranging from novice to Olympic Trial finalists. After 8 years learning from one of the great coaches in U.S. Swimming, he got the opportunity to become the head coach of Sunnyvale Swim Club a member of Pacific Swimming, one of the strongest LSC's in the country.
There he coached some of the fastest age group swimmers in Pacific Swimming, while growing the team in numbers and abilities. He coached there for 3 years, and saw multiple all star team members as well as coaching a number of NAG top ten swimmers. He left Sunnyvale Swim Team, so his wife could pursue further education back on the east coast.
Once back on the east coast he took the head age group coaching position at YMCA of the North Shore Sharks, one of the largest YMCA programs in the country. Chris oversaw a multi- site program leading  the age group program for one year before taking a small hiatus from coaching.
He loves the sport of swimming for the teaching aspect but also the continued learning that occurs everyday. Chris is an ASCA Level 3 Certified Coach.
When he's not coaching he enjoys working out and training for obstacle course races and loves spending time outdoors with his wife Courtney and his dog Raul.
He looks forward to working with Tsunami, the swimmers, and the great coaching staff.

Marci Whitford is an educator and swim coach who’s passionate about helping young people grow—both in and out of the pool. She started her journey at the recreation level and finished her swimming career as a Division I swimmer and two-year team captain at Central Connecticut State University, where she helped lead her team to its first-ever conference title. Since then, she's had the privilege of coaching swimmers at all levels, from beginners to Olympic Trials qualifiers. She has been recognized as Connecticut Age Group Coach of the Year and Indiana Sectional Coach of the Year, but what means the most to her is watching her athletes gain confidence, set big goals, and realize what they’re capable of.

Marci holds both a Bachelor’s in Physical Education and a Master’s in Educational Leadership. Whether she is on deck coaching, leading a program, or spending time outdoors, she brings energy, empathy, and a genuine love for learning. Her goal is to create a positive and supportive environment where everyone feels valued and inspired. 

Graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder 2011

Monarch High School Boys Team Head Coach 2011-2012
Centaurus High School Girls Team Head Coach 2010-2017
City of Lafayette, CO, Head Swim Coach 2010-2017

Sarasota Tsunami Senior Coach, 2022 - present
 

Deb Walker grew up in Valley Forge, Pa, and swam for Suburban Swim Club. She obtained a degree in Clinical Chemistry from Penn State University where she was captain of the swim team for three years. After earning a certification as a Microsoft Systems Engineer (MCSE), she worked in IT for several years before deciding teaching was what she found most gratifying. Deb earned a Master’s Degree (Education) specialty in Integrating Technology in the Classroom, and is retired from teaching from SMA Prep. She also is the web administrator for Toad Hollow Athletics, a swim supply ecommerce site. Her two grown children were born in Sarasota, and represented Swim Florida where she coached for 16 years.Swimming Credentials

B.S. Clinical Chemistry Penn State University M.S. Education Walden University
2023: Retired from Sarasota Military Academy Prep as an Agriculture Teacher

Educational Awards
2021: Teacher of the Year, Sarasota Military Academy Prep
2019: Middle School Agriscience Teacher of the Year Fla Dept Agriculture
2018: Congressional Teacher of the Year, District 16 Vern Buchanan
2017: Teacher of the Year, Sarasota Military Academy Prep
2014: Teacher of the Year, Brookside Middle School
2007: Stewardship Award from the Sarasota Audubon Society
2005: Congressional Teacher of the Year, Florida District 16 Katherine Harris

As a Master Swimmer from 1976 to present
16 National Records, 8 World Records
2004: Inductee, Dick Vitale’s Sports Hall of Fame
As a Swim Coach from 1985 to 1999
1985-1999: Age Group Coach, Swim Florida
1992-1999: Head Coach, Cardinal Mooney High School
1997: High School Swim Coach of the Year, Sarasota Herald Tribune
1991: Recipient of President Bush’s 92nd Point of Light for volunteering at the Boys and Girls
Club of Sarasota teaching minorities how to swim.

I grew up in Gainesville, GA where I started year-round swimming at 5. My older sister was already swimming, so my mom figured I would as well. I had some early success as a 10 and under winning state in a few events, but then didn’t swim for a full season at 11 or 12 because I had a bad attitude about the sport. I was the oblivious kid who was always underwater when the coach was talking. Luckily I grew out of that and after a few years of maturing and getting back into shape I started having success as a 13-16 year old swimming 15:39 in the mile at 16. I plateaued there for about 2 years because I was from a small club and had no training partner the last 2 years.

I swam at Georgia Tech 2002-06 where I dropped to 15:12 my freshman year, and 14:54 by my junior year. I was also 3:52 400 IM and 4:21 500 free. I went to GT to study Mechanical Engineering, but my mom was right. If you breeze through high school math and never study, you won’t have the study habits for the harder maths required for an engineering degree. I switched to business management which I’ve come to terms with, because while I still love anything mechanical, I probably never wanted to work as an engineer anyway.

After college I got big into racing triathlons because I really fell in love with cycling (you get to look at stuff and explore the world rather than staring at a black line), and I was an good runner for somebody 6’3” 195 lbs. I was winning races by the end of my first season and placed top 10 overall twice at the national championships as well as qualifying for my pro card at St. Anthonys Olympic in 2010. I never turned pro in triathlon because I knew I was too big to run fast in the heat and racing hard was incredibly painful (worse than swimming). I didn’t have anything to prove and didn’t want to train as hard as I did in college again.

While racing triathlons I was busy working on my swim and triathlon coaching careers. I was the head coach for 5 years of a small summer team of about 100 kids where we not only taught kids to swim, but to race as well. I started coaching teens and adults in triathlon in 2009 and still do to this day (online only right now).

After my wife and I had our daughter in 2016 while living in Atlanta we decided to RV around the country while she was young and we were trying to find somewhere else to settle with less traffic. We spent a year on the west coast and I worked odd jobs and coached online, but eventually we found ourselves in Florida near my in laws who live in Bradenton. I’ve had a lot of different jobs over the years, but like a bungee cord I always find myself pulled back to coaching. I know the effect a structured swim program can have on a kid because I was one of those obnoxious kids who needed structure and discipline. By working with lots of adult triathletes over the years I can say for sure swimmers train better than any other sports background I’ve encountered. Swimming hard in your youth makes everything else in life seem easier, and I enjoy being part of that process.

I started swimming in Richmond VA at the age of 6 in 1969.  My parents moved us to Charleston WV for the next 11 years I swam under Coach Greg Olsen.  I attended Bethany college and received a Degree in Economics.  I was Captain of the Bethany College swim team for 3 years, MVP for 4 years, placed 21st and 23rd in the 400 IM for Division III and still currently hold the 400 IM school record.  I still swim masters and have done the Lido beach swim as a team for the last two years.  I have swum Alcatraz four times and plan to do it again.  
I started coaching in 1983 for my local summer league, then in 1986-87 assistant coach for Bethany College.  I was the assistant coach for VCU for the 1989-90 Season.  My USA swimming coaching experience started in 1990 with NOVA then TRAC of Richmond till 1995.  When we moved to Mooresville NC  I coached for Lake Norman YMCA from 1995 to 2000, Then SwimMac from 2001 to 2011.  I started my own YMCA team from 2012 to 2014 till we moved to Cary NC.  There I coached for NCAC for the 2014-15 season.  
I am a ASCA level 3 coach and had 5 all American swims with Lake Norman High School.  I also coached over 20 years for summer leagues.  
I have a Business High School Teaching Degree from VCU and taught in Richmond VA 1990 to 95 and Mooresville NC from 2001 to 2014.  
I have two wonderful kids.  Austin 25, who graduated from VA Tech with a Mechanical Engineer degree and living in Lexington Park MD, and my Daughter Elle is living in New York City and graduated in sports marketing from NYU where she was captain of the swim team in 2019.  
I met my lovely wife Kathy at Bethany College.  We just celebrated 30 years of marriage.  We moved to Sarasota to be closer to my father and love it here.  
My other side business is a boat touring business called Tucker Tours.  My wife is my first mate.  We have a 35 foot Sea Ray Sundancer and enjoy getting to meet new people and enjoy the Sarasota Bay.  Fun fact… I got a WSET level III wine certification from the Napa Valley Wine Academy in 2017.   
I look forward to meeting the swimmers and the parents of the Tsunami Swim Team. 

I’m a Sarasota native who grew up in a swim family, spending much of my childhood on the pool deck at Arlington Park and the old Boys & Girls Club. Over the years, I taught with Swim America, helping kids and young adults learn water safety, strokes, and technique, and later served as a Sarasota County lifeguard at Siesta and Lido beaches. Whether swimming myself, helping out with the club (concessions, timing, hospitality—you name it!), being an instructor or lifeguarding, being around the water has always been a big part of my life.

My personal swimming career ended after high school, but I’ve stayed connected through Masters’ swimming, family ties, and now watching my kids give it a shot (Go Oliver!). Along the way, I’ve had the privilege of attending swim meets at different levels of competition, sharing the pool with amazing athletes and learning from excellent coaches who have each left their mark.

 

I have an inner drive to be a helper and love to volunteer my time for my kids, family and worthwhile causes, which flows into my career as well. Nowadays I work as the Desktop Operations Manager for the Sarasota County Government IT Department where we help create an efficient and meaningful tech experience for county employees that interface directly with the public. 

I’m excited to be accepted as a volunteer and provisional coach with the Tsunami Swim Team. It's a great chance to give back to the community that gave so much to me, while helping the next generation of swimmers grow, learn, and love the sport.