UPAC Head Coach Aaron Hughes has been a part of the Puget Sound swim community for over 15 years in a variety of roles including USA Club Coaching, WIAA High School Coaching and as the Aquatic Operations Director for the University Place School District. As Head Coach of Curtis Vikings Girls Swim, he has mentored and inspired swimmers to pursue excellence in the pool, classroom and as community members. He now carries that philosophy to UPAC.

Coach Annelise is a born and raised Washington swimmer. She has been a part of the swimming community since joining her local club team at 6 years old. She quickly fell in love with the sport and soon after, she jumped at the chance to join her local summer league team so she could be in the water year-round. That also included swimming for her local high school team.

In her time as a swimmer, Coach Annelise worked through back and shoulder injuries as well as mental health tribulations. This inspired her to get her Bachelors in Psychology at Linfield University, where she continued her swimming career. Learning from her own experience, her number one priority for her swimmers is their health and safety - in and out of the water. 

Coach Annelise was inspired to pursue a career in coaching because of the role models she had in her own coaches growing up. Some of her favorite coaches over the years were compassionate, inspiring, and always emphasized that she needed to have her own motivation and love for the sport in order to achieve her goals. She is hoping to bring the same focus and energy to the swimmers she takes on. 

In her off time, Coach Annelise loves to read, draw and paint, take her dog on adventures and teach herself guitar. In the future she hopes to take her coaching career across the Atlantic to Ireland where she has dual citizenship, in hopes to be closer to her family there.

Coach Erica Adams comes to UPAC having previously served as head coach for NWR High School men and women’s swim teams with top 3 finishes at every MHSAA championship during her tenure from 2018-2022. She also served as assistant club coach for Sunkist Swim Team from 2011-2022 during which the team rose from a 7th place LSC ranking to winning 7 consecutive championships. Coach Erica is a Millsaps College graduate with a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Secondary Education with a focus on classical studies and began her teaching career in Okinawa, Japan, with the Department of Defense. Following her years in Okinawa, she taught in Kaneohe, Hawaii, and Flowood, Mississippi, where she taught at public and private classical schools. Coach Erica began her competitive swimming career in 1983, embarked on her coaching career during college, and transitioned to an adult endurance athlete in 2014 having been recognized by USA Triathlon and Ironman as an AWA ranked athlete having competed in nine 70.3 events. With many decades of experience, Erica continues to be a student of the sport and enjoys teaching all levels of swimmers from beginning instruction, stroke school, age group, multi-sport, and competitive athletes.

Coach Ashley was raised right here in the greater Tacoma area with a deep love for swimming.  She has a combined swimming and coaching background for the better part of 20 years.  Prior to joining UPAC as a coach in 2007, she swam competitively and played polo for Mt. Tahoma High School.  She worked for over ten years for The YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties as an Aquatics Director, and has coached swimming at clubs all over our area in different capacities; UPAC, Ohana, the Lakewood YMCA, and the Morgan Family Y.  She has worked with swimmers of all age groups and she is truly passionate about giving back to the community. "I want to give back the skills and training my coaches and mentors have instilled in me all those years ago. Coaching provides the opportunity to make a positive difference in a person’s life and I look forward to strengthening that mission here at UPAC.”