Coach Gardner is bringing an insurmountable amount of coaching experience to Chinook Aquatic Club and we could not be more excited to start this new era of swimming under his leadership. Gardner swam competitively for the University of Tennessee (Go Vols!). He was a National YMCA record holder, a high school and NAIA All-American and an Olympic Trials qualifier. He is an inductee in the Tennessee Swimming Hall of Fame and was a 7-time YMCA National Champion as an athlete. He also was a 5 time recipient of the Southeastern Coach of the Year honor. 

Gardner served as Head Age Group Coach and Head Masters Coach for the Santa Barbara Swim Club from 1985 to 1991. In 1991, Gardner was announced as the Head Coach and Director of Swimming at Conejo Simi Aquatics Swim Team and served there until 1994. 

He has served on numerous USA Swimming teams including head coach for the United States National Junior Team in 2003-2004 and 2007-2008, Assistant Coach for the United States Goodwill Games team in 2001, Head Coach for the United States National Junior Team Camp in 2003, and for the US Swimming Zone Distance Camp in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

He also was the Head Coach of the Knoxville Pilot Aquatic Club where he spent 14 years until 2008. 

He then became the Head Coach of the Kansas City Blazers where he spent 9 years and moved their program into a Level 4 standing in the USA Swimming Club Recognition Program - the highest rating a club can achieve. This rating represents a strong, stable, financially sound, and athletically productive program. In 2019, he then moved on to be the Head Coach of the Tennessee Aquatics team which practiced out of the University of Tennessee collegiate pool - a Level 2 program. In addition to a full age group program, the club also serves as the representation in USA Swimming competition for most University of Tennessee swimmers.

Most recently Gardner was coaching at Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club and we are excited for him to lead Chinook going forward!

Gunther started swimming in 1972 at the Boys Club of Hollywood and continued as a competitive swimmer through High School and Jr. College. He has been coaching swimming for over 30 years at mostly small swim clubs. In addition to coaching, Gunther was an elementary classroom teacher for over 20 years.

His coaching/teaching career led him to both coasts along with seven years at international schools in Asia. Gunther has coached and helped develop, Olympic trials qualifiers, USA Swimming AG record holder, Central Cal record holder, Potomac Valley Swimming record, several USA top 10 AG swimmers. Gunther is committed to helping every swimmer achieve their full potential. Gunther has a Masters in Coaching and Athletic Administration, along with a multiple subject teaching credential. Gunther has lived in the Pacific NW since 2016 with his wife and two daughters.

Ananya began coaching in 2018 in San Diego and has been working with age group swimmers of all levels ever since. With a background in competitive swimming that started at the age of eight, she brings both experience and enthusiasm to the pool. Now in her seventh season of coaching, Ananya was honored to be selected as a coach for the 10 & Under Pacific Northwest Zone Team, where she worked with some of the fastest young swimmers in the region.

Ananya holds a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Sociology, which supports her strong ability to connect with and motivate young athletes. Her coaching style focuses on building strong technique, fostering confidence, and creating a fun, inclusive environment where swimmers can thrive.

Outside of the pool, Ananya works as a UX designer, enjoys hiking, and loves spending time with her dog, Benny!

Coach Kevin has been involved in swimming from an early age. Born and raised next to the water in Kingston, WA,  Kevin  swam for the Poulsbo Piranhas Swim Team till graduating from high school. He attended college at Lewis & Clark College in Portland where he swam on the NCAA DIII swim team and earned a Bachelor's in Music Composition and Theory. While at Lewis & Clark, Kevin was a part of a record-breaking 200 Yard Medley Relay team and was a 2-year captain.

Prior to joining Chinook, Kevin was Head Age Group Performance coach for the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland. While at the MAC, he coached several age group swimmers to the Regional, Sectional and Futures level and the 11-14 women’s team to Top 5 placements two years in a row.  Kevin started his coaching career as a junior coach for his childhood club swim team, helping develop age group athletes. During college, Kevin coached summer swim camps hosted at Lewis & Clark College. He was also an assistant coach at Central Catholic High School.

Coach Kevin’s guiding philosophy for coaching is the development of the whole athlete, meaning all components of an athlete’s life account for their success in the sport of swimming. Creating strong and healthy social, educational, and athletic goals are crucial for fostering a positive and enduring swim career.

In addition to swimming, Coach Kevin recently completed his Master of Arts in Teaching, Secondary Music Education at Western Oregon University. Although he mainly enjoys producing music and songwriting, he plays numerous other instruments including piano, bass, drums, singing and more (he will always have a music recommendation!). He is also an avid cyclist in his first year of amateur racing. When he needs to sit back and relax,  Kevin  enjoys playing PC or Switch games with his partner, Nicole. They have two adorable and obnoxious cats, Simon and Cheese.

A lifelong swimmer, Clara has over 20 years of experience working with children. She has spent the last six years as an adapted swim instructor teaching children with special needs and physical limitations to enjoy aquatic recreation. She loves to connect with developing swimmers to help them build a solid foundation where they feel empowered to achieve their goals in the water. Because of her experience as an adapted swim instructor, Clara excels at explaining challenging concepts in a simple way. Despite her pink hair and playful attitude, Clara holds her swimmers to the highest standards and corrects errors in form so that these young athletes can achieve their full potential as they grow and learn in the water.

Julia started swimming at the age of 7 in Moscow (Soviet Union). In 1986 Julia won USSR national swimming championship and joined the junior national swimming team. Julia quickly excelled at sportsmanship and became one of the youngest captains in the history of the team, specializing in backstroke. She travelled the world with the team: Germany, France, Hungary, Romania, North Korea, winning multiple international awards. Julia took a break from professional sports career and graduated from Russian State University of Physical Training, Sport and Tourism in 1997 with honors cum laude.

Julia returned to professional sport in Ireland where she played on the Irish national water polo team for 10+ years. She was selected player of the year in 2005 & 2010, became a national champion multiple times, and travelled to many international tournaments in France, Hungary, Sweden, and Wales. At the same time, Julia continued coaching swimming and shared her love for the sport with hundreds of students of all ages. Her trademark is individual and friendly approach in a safe and fun environment.

For the past ten years, Julia has coached extensively in the United States holding various senior positions, including Water Polo Head Coach and Senior Age Coach.