Chris Sheppard - Head Coach/Owner
Email: [email protected]
Chris Sheppard is the founder and Head Coach at Commonwealth Swimming. Under Chris' guidance, Commonwealth Swimming has placed athletes on the US National and National Junior Teams, US World Junior Championship and Junior Pan Pac Teams. The team has developed multiple Olympic Trials, US National, and US Junior National Qualifiers, along with as well as dozens Academic All-Americans.
As an athlete, Chris has been fortunate to train under some of the nation’s great swim coaches. He learned to swim with the University of Florida’s USA Club, now Gator Swim Club, led by Randy Reese. He also trained as an age group athlete with the late Paul Blair at the Little Rock Racquet Club Dolphins. While training as a distance freestyler & backstroker at the Bolles School under Gregg Troy, Chris earned his first US Nationals qualifying times and National Age Group Rankings.
While performance is important to Chris, it is not the most important; his coaching philosophy revolves around developing the whole individual and community together. High performance is not likely, and not nearly as valuable, when it comes at the sacrifice of strong character. This philosophy is tangible on deck at practice and at meets through the loud, visible support demonstrated by Commonwealth athletes and coaches.
In 2019 Chris was voted "Dorsi Raynolds New England Coach of the Year" for overall club performance by his peers in New England. This was the second time Coach Chris has won such an award; in 2009 he was voted New England Age Group Coach of the year.
Outside of the pool Chris enjoys caring for his dogs, performing across the country with his band, game nights with friends and sleeping on the beach.
Ellen Caruso - Age Group Coach, High Tides Lead Coach
Email: [email protected]
Coach Ellen started swimming at the age of five at her local club team. Ellen swam for her club team S.E.A.S. in Brockport, NY. She completed her competitive swimming career after graduating from Niagara University as a Division I athlete where she specialized in the 100 and 200 fly/back.
Prior to joining Commonwealth Swimming, Ellen spent 10 years as a swim instructor and 10 & Under coach alongside of Coach Chris at the CRA Dragons. Ellen is currently a 5th grade Special Education Teacher at a charter school in Somerville. Coach Ellen received a Masters Degree from Lesley University in 2006 in Curriculum Instruction/Literacy and from Simmons College in 2011 with a degree in Special Education.
In her free time, Coach Ellen enjoys cooking, especially Italian.
Quinn Beattie - Age Group Coach, Rip Tide Lead Group Coach
Email: [email protected]
Coach Quinn began swimming competitively when she was seven for her club team in Northern California, AquaSol. Quinn continued swimming through college at Concordia University in Irvine, CA. After college, Quinn moved to New England and here she spent time coaching for Solo Aquatics in Exeter and Haverhill along with working as an ocean rescue lifeguard at Hampton Beach. Coach Quinn then had the opportunity to move to Thailand to continue coaching swimming for the British International School of Phuket. Since returning from Thailand in 2020, Quinn earned her Masters degree in School Counseling from Merrimack College and is now working in student support at an elementary school in Chinatown.
When she is not working, Quinn loves cooking, working out, and hanging with friends.
Emma McClellan - Undercurrent Lead Group Coach
Email: [email protected]
Julio Carballo - Senior 1 & 2 Assistant Coach
Email: [email protected]
Alex Santos - Senior and Age Group Assistant
Coach Alex began swimming at age 13 for the Windsor High School Swim Team (Windsor, CT) to cross-train for spring soccer season and ended up falling in love with the sport. He went on to study Psychology (’14) and swim for Clark University (Worcester, MA), where he completed his tenure as a 4-year varsity scholar-athlete and co-captain. During his time as an undergraduate, Alex spent two of his summers (2011 & 2012) as head coach for the Windsor Water Rats Express’ (WWRX) 8 & Under swim team. Alex remained at Clark for a 5th year to earn his master’s degree in public administration (’15), and work as an assistant coach for the varsity men’s & women’s swim teams.
After completing a pre-med post-baccalaureate program, Alex pursued his master’s degree in Medicinal Chemistry (’19) at the Universidade de Coimbra (Coimbra, Portugal), where he specialized in neuroendocrinology while working at the Center for Neuroscience & Cell Biology. Since graduating Alex has been a cell & gene therapy (CGT) scientist in the greater Boston area, working for companies such as Bluebird Bio and Be Biopharma.
Daniele Tirabassi - Senior, National & High Performance Assistant Coach
Alex Jefferson - Senior and Age Group Assistant
Alex continues to work in the CGT field as a Regulatory Scientist & CMC consultant. While he loves his day-job, it’s coaching the kids on the Current that fills his cup. In his free time, Coach Alex likes to read, surf, and hang out with his feline familiar, Felix.
Coach Alex swam competitively for 10 years, competing locally for Patriot Swim Club, United Swim Club and Westford Academy as a breaststroke and IMer. Agter graduating in 2020, Alex spent four years training and competing at Skidmore College where he studied Psychology. Prior to joining Commonwealth Swimming, Coach Alex taught swim lessons to children of all ages and worked at the Harvard Technique Swim Academy.
Coach Alex is currently working as a financial advisor at Keenan Financial in Boston. His coaching philosophy centers around enjoyment of the sport and building meaningfuly habits and connections with teammates, coaches and other athletes. When not on deck Alex enjoys watching sports, exercising and reading.
Hannah Lord - Age Group Assistant Coach
Gabi Aladjem - Age Group Assistant Coach
