COACHES
AGUA masters coaches are among the best in the sport. Most of our coaching staff competed at swimming’s highest levels, some are retired or active professional athletes. All our coaches are committed to AGUA Masters’ vision and Asphalt Green’s broader mission. Beyond their personal achievements in the water, AGUA Masters coaches are committed to professional growth and development.
Jim Wu - Head Coach AGUA Masters
Jim grew up swimming starting in Dallas, TX and to Anchorage, AK before eventually captaining the Dhahran Swim Team in Saudi Arabia he developed his love for swimming at a young age. Continuing on to boarding school in Switzerland, Jim again captained the team while writing workouts where he grew to love coaching.
Starting as the Bearcat Masters head coach in 2009 before joining AGUA Masters, he welcomes all swimmers and hopes to help them develop their skills at all levels. USMS Level 2, ALTS, ASCA, USA Swimming, First Aid and CPR certified.
Isaac Gomez - AGUA Masters Lead Coach BPC
Isaac was born and raised swimming in Guayaquil-Ecuador during which he helped Guayas State win The Interstate National Championship for several years racing as part of The National Swim Team in 50, 100 and 200 Breaststroke. He developed a passion for coaching specifically swimming and triathlons, leading to achieve his first Half-Ironman in 2021.
He Has more than 15 years of experience coaching athletes making use of his background as a physical therapist. From age groups through Masters Swimmers, teaching all levels from beginners to competitive racers, his hope is to work with triathletes of all experiences and compete in their respective race distances.
Nate Freeman
Born and raised in Phoenix, Ariz., Nathan has been coaching private lessons at Asphalt Green since 2013. He swam at the college level for Seattle University, where he earned honorable mention All-American recognition for helping the 800 freestyle relay team to an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships. He also helped his high school team, Brophy College Prep, win a national championship with his contribution in the 400 freestyle relay. Nate is an USMS Level 1.
Brad Cole
Brad Cole has been an instructor and competitive swimmer for over 35 years. He has taught and coached workshops nationally and internationally for all ages and levels from children to elite competitors. As a triathlete and half Ironman competitor himself he has the experience to help you reach your goals. Certified AAU Masters swim coach and stroke technique, lifeguard, CPR, International aquatic fitness presenter and a published contributor to the international AKWA magazine.
Diana Pimer
Diana joined AGUA Masters as a coach in 2017. As a competitive swimmer, she had success at the club and collegiate levels. She captained the swimming and diving teams for Keene State College and was a four-time school record holder. In her senior year, Keene State College named Diana the Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year and the College Female Athlete of the Year. After graduating, she remained at Keene State College as an assistant coach, fostering one US Olympic Trials qualifier and 10 All-American performances. She moved on to coach for Greenwood Swimming, where her accomplishments include leading one athlete to a bronze medal at 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. She has also coached USA Swimming national top 10 athletes, National Zone Select Camp qualifiers, and New England age group champions and record holders.
Jessie Santapaul
Jessie joined Asphalt Green Masters as Assistant Coach in May 2013. A Massachusetts native, she grew up swimming for Bernal's Gator Swim Club and was a captain and school record-holder for Lexington High School. Jessie holds a degree in Business Administration from Villanova University, where she was a captain, Big East Conference Finalist, and Academic All-American.
Ed Hagerty
Ed joined AGUA Masters as a coach in 2015. He has been swimming with AGUA as part of the age group and Masters Swim Team programs since 1999. His swimming career continued at Amherst College, where he placed in the NCAA Division III top 24 in the 200-yard freestyle and received awards for his excellence in swimming. His career as a Masters Swim Team athlete includes many top-three finishes as well as clinching first in the 200-meter IM at Short Course Nationals in 2012.
Laurel Wassner
In addition to coaching Masters practices, Laurel is a professional triathlete and a three-time Ironman champion. Laurel started on her local swim team in suburban Washington, DC at age 5 and swam distance freestyle through college at George Washington University. She enjoys helping swimmers acquire the tools they need to include swimming in an active lifestyle and specializes in swimming techniques & training for triathletes. Outside of coaching, Laurel has a background in magazine publishing and is a freelance photographer. Laurel swims alongside her twin sister during the noon Masters practice at Battery Park City, so say hi!
Nicholas Burnham
Nicholas has been coaching Masters practices for over 15 years. Having started with swim lessons in his mid-30s, he quickly became obsessed with swimming and soon began open-water and marathon swimming. In addition to coaching the Asphalt Green Swim League, Nicholas also coaches Open Water Swimming for NYC’s CIBBOWS and has coached Masters for TNYA. Before most people have had their first cup of coffee Nicholas is swimming a mile with his wife at the Battery Park City campus.
Abigail McHugh
Abby is a lifelong lover of swimming and the ocean. She grew up on the Jersey Shore and was an ocean lifeguard for seven years, competing in local lifeguarding tournaments as well as being part of the national champion Monmouth County team at USLA National Lifeguard Championships. She was a two-time captain and swimmer at Binghamton University in upstate NY, where she also engaged with the local community through teaching swimming lessons with the Special Olympics program. Outside of swimming, she works as a Software Engineer at J.P Morgan and loves any form of fitness including CrossFit, spin classes, and running in Central Park. She loves coaching because of the opportunity to watch her swimmers achieve their goals, whatever they may be!
Onesimo DeMira
I am currently one of the Agua masters swim coaches. I swam competitively from age group years to high school & college, all in Minnesota. I continue to train & occasionally compete here in NYC. I have taught swim lessons at YMCA, YWCA, Asphalt Green from kids up to adults. Adult swimmers is where I am currently focussing on & have been for over 10 years. I also coach other master swim teams within the New York area including a triathlon team where I handle the swim portion. I have competed in triathlons from sprint to ironman distance & open water as well as running races from 1 mile to marathons. Outside of swimming, I work in menswear design.
Brandon Hamblin
Brandon grew up in the strong swimming culture of Northern Virginia. In high school he swam for Nation's Capital Swim Club where he was a multi-time Junior National finalist, 3x VHSL 5A State Champion, and state record holder. He then went on to swim for Indiana University where he was a 2x NCAA Division I All-American, 2x All-American Honorable Mention, and 3x First Team All-Big Ten. He competed in the 50 freestyle at the 2021 Olympic Trials in Omaha. Brandon loves coaching all strokes with a focus on technique and speed. Outside of swimming, Brandon works in the Media Sales department of the NFL.
