Novice Coaches

Coach Brendan

Coach Brendan leads the second-level Novice group on the town side but frequently assists with other groups. He began swimming with Rainbow Aquatics in 2009 at age seven, where he earned the nickname “B” from a coach who forgot his name but remembered it started with that letter. After graduating from Kaiser High School in 2020, he began coaching and has grown through the BOWS program. He currently attends Honolulu Community College in the FIRE program and works part-time for a local carpentry and renovation company. He also volunteers on weekends with New Hope Oʻahu’s video team. Brendan enjoys hiking, hanging out with his three cats, and searching for the best Loco Moco on the island.

Coach Diana

Coach Diana coaches the Novice group and has been a part of Rainbow Aquatics since age 13. She continued her swimming career at Willamette University, competing in NCAA Division III during her senior year. She graduated in 2018 with a degree in Exercise Science and later earned a master’s in elementary education. She began coaching through BOWS' Learn to Swim program in high school and returned after college. She currently teaches Kindergarten at Liholiho Elementary. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, reading, trying new foods, and spending time with her dog Piper, friends, and family.

Coach Zoe

Coach Zoe coaches the youngest Novice swimmers on the town side. Born and raised in Honolulu, she started swimming competitively at age eight and joined Rainbow Aquatics at 11. A graduate of Punahou School, she now studies Anthropology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She works as a lifeguard at Pālolo Pool and teaches Learn to Swim classes for the City and County. In her free time, Zoe enjoys crafting, swimming, and most of all—sleeping.

Coach Allie

Coach Allie is a Novice coach at the Kaneʻohe location. She swam competitively for Castle High School and now attends Windward Community College. In addition to coaching, she works as a lifeguard at the Kaneohe District Pool.

Coach Maddie

Coach Maddie is a Novice coach at the Kaneʻohe location. She swam for her hometown’s swim team over the summers from third to eighth grade and has maintained a love for the sport ever since. She is passionate about encouraging the growth of Novice swimmers and helping them build confidence in the water. Coach Maddie currently attends Hawaiʻi Pacific University, where she is pursuing a degree in Marine Biology.

Beginner Coaches

Coach Emma

Coach Emma co-leads the Beginner Group at the town-side pools. She swam competitively for 12 years and has coached both age-group and masters swimmers in Seattle, WA. At the University of Washington, she helped bring back the school’s first swim team in 13 years! Outside the pool, she works as a Speech Language Pathologist and enjoys using American Sign Language. Coach Emma loves sharing her passion for swimming and is excited to welcome swimmers of all ages, levels, and interests into the sport she loves!

Coach George

Coach George co-leads the Beginner Group at the town-side pools and has been with Rainbow Aquatics since 2018, starting as a swimmer during his freshman year of high school. He began coaching novice groups in 2023 and supported the Beginner Group before moving to Arizona to pursue a career in aviation. Now back in Hawaiʻi, he is committed to bringing the same professionalism, grit, and respect he learned under Coach Merri and Coach Dorothy.

Coach Julia

Coach Julia began swimming at age nine with the Kaneohe Swim Association and later swam for Kailua High School and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. She began coaching at KSA and brings years of experience both as a swimmer and a coach. At Rainbow Aquatics, she focuses on helping Beginner swimmers build technique, confidence, and a lifelong love for the sport.

Coach Ryan

Coach Ryan coaches the Beginner Group in Kaneʻohe. Born and raised in Kāneʻohe, he swam competitively from age 10 and trained under the Wada family. After graduating from Castle High School in 2001, he began coaching and lifeguarding for the City and County while also coaching Castle’s swim and water polo teams. He later earned a business degree from Oregon State University, where he coached and was awarded District Coach of the Year and VALCO League Co-Coach of the Year six times each. He returned home in 2010, became head coach of KSA in 2018, and helped support the merge with BOWS. Ryan is married to Stacey and has a daughter, Kylie. He enjoys cooking shows, video games, and sports.

Intermediate Coaches

Coach Howie (co-head)

Coach Howie coaches the Intermediate Group in Kaneʻohe. He swam for Mission San Jose Aquatics in California before enlisting in the Navy. He was an assistant coach for the Yokosuka Base Swim Team from 1999 to 2001 and joined Rainbow Aquatics in 2022 after retiring from a 23-year naval career, including 16 years as a Special Warfare Combatant Crewman. He regularly participates in the Waikiki Rough Water Swim and Around Ford Island Memorial Swim. He is the Back-of-the-House Director at Chick-fil-A Makiki and aspires to own his own restaurant. Coach Howie’s philosophy emphasizes kindness, honesty, and helping swimmers grow in mindset and character.

Coach Logan

Coach Logan swam competitively for 12 years with the RAYS club team and is currently a Division I swimmer at the University of Hawaiʻi. He has coached swimmers of all levels, including leading the Salem Fields Sunfish as head coach for three summers. He has learned under elite-level coach Nick Folker, a former Olympian and coach to dozens of Olympic medalists. Coach Logan is passionate about helping swimmers fall in love with the sport and aims to make every practice enjoyable and fulfilling. His coaching philosophy focuses on teaching skills and drills while maintaining a fun, supportive atmosphere.

Senior Coach

Coach Nathan (co-head)

Coach Nathan coaches the Senior Group and first joined Rainbow Aquatics at age 10. He assisted with Learn to Swim while in high school and returned to coach after graduating with a degree in Environmental Biology in 2021. He also competes in the annual Waikiki Rough Water Swim. He is currently an 8th-grade science teacher at Princess Ruth Keʻelikolani and holds a master’s in secondary education. He enjoys running, swimming, hiking, and spending time with friends. He is passionate about preserving and continuing the positive spirit of Rainbow Aquatics.

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Alumni Coaches

Coach Trisha (2017 - 2025)

Coach Trisha leads the Novice program for Rainbow Aquatics. She started swimming with BOWS at age 10 and taught Learn to Swim classes in high school. After swimming distance events collegiately and playing water polo at Lindenwood University, she coached at Swim Hawaii and Pac-Five from 2016–2022. She began coaching at Rainbow Aquatics in 2017 and currently also coaches cross country and swimming at Kaimuki High School. She teaches third grade at Queen Kaʻahumanu Elementary and recently married her high school sweetheart. She enjoys training, CrossFit, lifting, and spending time with her three chinchillas. Trisha values the lasting friendships built through Rainbow Aquatics and is committed to the team’s continued success.

Coach Dorothy (1998 - 2025)

Coach Dorothy brings a lifelong passion for developing young swimmers. She previously swam for Rainbow Aquatics and the University of Hawaiʻi, excelling in freestyle, breaststroke, and the 200 IM. She began teaching swim lessons in high school and continued through college with Swim Hawaiʻi under Dr. Jan Prins. Dorothy has been coaching with BOWS since 1999, with occasional breaks, and is deeply committed to helping swimmers succeed in and out of the pool.

Coach Lia (2023 - 2025)

Coach Lia has been swimming since childhood and joined Rainbow Aquatics at age nine. She began helping with Learn to Swim in the summers and became a Novice coach in 2021. Since 2022, she has also worked as a lifeguard at Kapaolono Pool. A 2023 graduate of Kalani High School, she now attends Kapiʻolani Community College, where she plans to major in Hawaiian Studies and Education. She enjoys spending time at the beach.