Assistant Coach Amy Johnson, [email protected]

I started swimming in Joliet, IL, with the Jets swim club. My favorite practice was the 6 am Saturday. I always loved dry land and yoga. I swam with them all the way through til high school, when I transferred to WI. I swam with Horlick high school sophomore through senior years. I raced the 200 IM, 100 and 200 Breast, and Fly sprint in relays. In high school, the coach made me swim the 500 and I loved it (I hated it at first but then I loved it).

I started coaching in Winona, MN with the Winfins. When I moved back to Milwaukee after college, I coached with the JCC, and with Shorewood Swim Club before I came to join Red Wing Swim Club. I coached high school preseason and age groups. I focused on technique for all swimmers and rehabilitation for injured swimmers. I worked with athletes of all abilities, from novice to junior national level.

I have taught in special education for the past 9 years (while coaching) and have taught swim lessons and lifeguarded forever (20 years now). I continue to teach swim lessons and lifeguarding at the YMCA in Red Wing. I am starting with a company in the cities as a Behavior Analyst and Independent living skills specialist, supporting adults with continuing needs after high school. Working with people and helping them live their best lives and swim their best swims is what I strive to do.

Assistant Coach Tina Jacobson

Tina Jacobson is a Red Wing native, graduating in 1997.  She started swimming with Red Wing Swim Club when she was 6 years old.  Her favorite stroke was breaststroke when she was younger but quickly developed into a butterflyer.  She went on to letter in Swimming for Red Wing High School for five years and lifeguarded at the YMCA, TBMS, Colvill, and Lake City pool.  Other high school endeavors included lettering in Track and Gymnastics, Student Council, Target, Soar, and Mentoring. After Highschool she went to Michigan State University where she turned her swimsuit in for Rugby Cleats, being a starter for four years and Captain for two years.  Swimming, Gymnastics, and Track were such individualized sports whereas Rugby is the ultimate team sport.  She played on the Under 23 National team and the all-American U23 team.  After graduating as a Microbiologist and researching anthrax and kidney failure, she went to the University of Michigan to pursue a nursing degree and in 2004 moved back to Red Wing where she has mainly worked in Infection Control and Prevention for the VA in Minneapolis and is now is a Quality Analyst for the VA Community Care Network (Data geek). 

After welcoming 3 children (Charlee in 2010, McKinzee in 2013, and Whitnee in 2015) she wanted them to experience the joys of swimming which were some of the best moments of her youth. Her best friend today was her lane mate from age 7 to age 18. There is just something about staring at the black line for hours on end that connects you to your people. Although she didn’t intend on coaching and was only supposed to be a fill-in during maternity leave for Coach Brittany, she fell in love and has never considered leaving. She loves this team and the potential that all these swimmers hold and watching them as I grow up into amazing adolescents in this community has been extremely rewarding. If she is not on the pool deck, running children to their various events, you can find her crocheting at home, teaching Sunday school at a local church, or just enjoying time with family. 

Assistant Coach Jill Tourney 

I started swimming at a young age in Indiana, taking lessons at around 4 years old and joining my first swim club at 6. Breaststroke was always my best and favorite stroke, and that passion for swimming carried me through college. After years of competing, I decided to transition to coaching with Swim America, and I've been teaching and coaching ever since.

We moved to Minnesota in 2011, but before that, I coached in Indiana, where I could teach swimmers of all ages. Once we settled in Minnesota, I knew I wanted to get back to coaching eventually, and I have loved being part of the Red Wing Swim Club coaching team. There’s nothing more rewarding than watching kids develop and grow, not just as swimmers, but as individuals. I coach the Bronze and Silver Groups, and seeing them progress season after season is truly one of the highlights of coaching for me.

Outside of coaching, I love spending time on the water—boating is a favorite hobby of mine. I also love to travel, and something fun about me is that I'm scuba-certified! The coolest place I've ever been scuba diving was Fiji, an experience I'll never forget. I have three children who swim with RWSC: Elianna, Everly, and Emmett, so swimming has truly become a family affair.

With over 10 years of experience in both teaching and coaching, I am grateful to be a part of this incredible team. Helping swimmers reach their goals, no matter how big or small, is what I’m passionate about.

Assistant Coach Kathleen Benson

I got involved in the swim community because my son, Charles, absolutely loved the water—and it quickly became a passion of mine, too. I’ve been a Swim Coach with Special Olympics for over 10 years now, and I chose to coach with Red Wing Swim Club because it’s so fun to watch the kids learn and grow. My favorite part of coaching is interacting with the swimmers, helping them reach their goals, and seeing their personalities shine through.

When I'm not on the swim deck, I enjoy knitting and sewing. My husband and I have fostered 70 children over the past 24 years, which has deepened my love for nurturing and helping kids grow. Right now, I have four kids involved in swimming—ranging from RWSC Swim Club, Red Wing High School Team, and Wingers Swim School, to the RW Special Olympics. I also helped build the community adaptive playground, which has been a rewarding way to give back to the kids and families in our area.

In addition to my work in the swim community, I served on the board for the March of Dimes for eight years. Their mission—to lead the fight for the health of all moms and babies—has always resonated deeply with me. I care deeply about supporting healthy starts and strong futures for children, and it’s at the heart of everything I do.