Coach Pam Swander serves CA as our CEO & Head Coach. Coach Pam Swander is a veteran coach who has coached at every level of the sport from summer league to college. NCAA Division I coaching roles include Clemson University, Indiana University and University of South Carolina. Coach Swander has helped her teams and athletes achieve at the highest levels of the sport - Olympic Trials finalists, World and American world record holders, NCAA, SEC and Big10 Individual Champs and Big10 Championship team titles. Over her college coaching career, she has garnered international experience by accompanying many of her athletes to international meets and championships, including the 2008 Short Course World Championships in Manchester, England where Kate Zubkova won a silver medal while representing Ukraine and IU.
At the club level she is currently serving as CEO & Head Coach of Carolina Aquatics since April 0f 2022. She serves as Chairperson of the Nominating Committee for South Carolina Swimming’s LSC and at the national level as a committee member of the USA Swimming Nominating Committee. 2016-2018 she served as South Carolina Swim Club’s Head Coach and the club achieved Bronze Medal recognition in the USA Swimming Club Excellence Program and won 2016 LCM and 2017 SCY State Championships. For six years she was the North Regional Manager and Senior 1 coach at SwimMAC Carolina where she oversaw eight Junior National Championship team titles. She achieved club management recognition while serving on SwimMAC’s leadership team helping MAC earn Gold Medal top honors in the USA Swimming Club Excellence Program. She collaborated with MAC coaches to develop and implement SwimMAC’s high-performance initiative. The program produced Olympian Kathleen Baker, and eighteen, 18-Under Olympic Trials qualifiers who went on to have outstanding college careers. As a result, CEO & Head Coach of SwimMAC Carolina, David Marsh received 2012 Developmental Coach of the Year award from USA Swimming for having the most 18-Under Olympic Trials qualifiers in the Nation.
In addition to her elite-level coaching experience, Coach Swander has developed community swim lesson curricula, coached High School, served as both the Director of USA Swimming’s Select camp, and the Vice Chair of Hospitality on the U.S. Olympic Trials Committee, and represented Indiana Swimming as a Delegate at the USA Swimming National Convention.
Coach Pam is married to Jeff Swander and their two children, Laura Templin and Kevin, became top swimmers at Auburn University and Indiana University, respectively.
Coach Kyle Bradley, currently serving as the Head Senior Coach at Carolina Aquatics, boasts a rich tapestry of experience and a profound connection to the world of swimming. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, Kyle has called Greenville home since 2001, where his journey in the sport began to flourish.
His passion for swimming ignited during his formative years, spending 14 seasons competing for Foxcroft in the Greenville SAIL league. This early immersion in the sport laid the foundation for Kyle's enduring commitment to swimming.
Transitioning from athlete to coach, Kyle Bradley embarked on a remarkable coaching journey at Y-Spartaquatics Swim Club, where he served as the Head Age Group Coach. As an ASCA Level 2 Coach, Kyle's leadership extended to overseeing the blue and yellow groups while providing invaluable guidance to the entire program. His tenure at Y-Spartaquatics was marked by a steadfast dedication to nurturing young swimmers and instilling in them a deep-seated love for the sport.
Coach Kyle's impact transcends the pool deck, resonating deeply within the community. His commitment to the development of young athletes exemplifies the transformative power of swimming, inspiring the next generation of aquatic enthusiasts to reach for their dreams.
Now, as the Head Senior Coach at Carolina Aquatics, Kyle Bradley brings his wealth of experience, passion, and unwavering dedication to his role. Guiding senior swimmers towards excellence both in and out of the water, he remains a beacon of inspiration and leadership within the organization.
With Coach Kyle Bradley at the helm of the Senior Program, Carolina Aquatics is poised to embark on an exciting journey of growth, achievement, and continued excellence, fueled by a shared commitment to the transformative power of swimming.
With over nine years of coaching experience, Coach Josh is a certified USA Swimming coach with a deep passion for dryland development. He has a strong track record of helping swimmers of all ages and skill levels reach their goals while keeping the process fun and engaging.
Josh began his coaching journey in 2016 at Swim MAC Carolina, working under Coach Eric Lane at Volo Multisport. There, he designed and led dryland programming for athletes ranging from beginners to Junior Nationals and Y-Nationals qualifiers.
In 2020, he joined the Upper Palmetto YMCA Rays, where his impact was both immediate and transformative. His innovative dryland strategies and dedication to athlete growth earned him the role of Associate Director of Competitive Aquatics in 2022. During his time with the Rays, he worked with every age group—from the Mighty Mini RAYS to Senior YMCA National qualifiers—always leading with enthusiasm, creativity, and care.
Outside the pool, Josh is an avid disc golfer, a committed fitness enthusiast, and a proud dog dad to his beloved pup, Smidge. His fun-loving spirit and dedication to sport make him a fantastic addition to our CA family.
Kelly swam club, high school & summer league here in Columbia – winning several city and state championships, setting school records and SCISA records. She is a current member of Cardinal Newman’s Hall of Fame as a multi-sport state champion athlete. Kelly went on to compete in the SEC from 2004-2008 for the South Carolina Gamecocks, competing at conference all four years.
Kelly began coaching at the summer league level at Spring Valley Country Club and saw great success. During her tenure, SVCC won many division titles, sportsmanship titles, city meet splash point awards, individual and relay city championships and top 5 team finishes.
At the high school level, Kelly just stepped down at Dreher High School where she held the Girls and Boys Head Coaching position for 9 years after serving as an assistant for 2 years. During those 11 years, Dreher swimmers won many individual and relay state championships, individual and team region titles, region swimmers of the year and region coach of the year. This year Kelly will be returning to Cardinal Newman as an assistant coach under her sister, Kristen Kile.
Most recently, Kelly accepted a head coaching position with the Columbia College Koalas. In her first year as head coach, the Koala’s women’s team took a 3rd place finish at the AAC conference meet. In the men’s inaugural season, 8 NAIA national “b” cuts were achieved.
Coach Kelly attended the Charleston School of Law and is a licensed attorney. Kelly is married (Jeff Dibattisto) with three children – Alex , James and Livie.
Coach Whittaker-Anne Johnston learned how to swim at a young age at Swim MAC in Charlotte, NC. She moved to Florida in Middle School and continued to swim through High School. She swam for Holy Trinity in middle school, making the Florida state meet as an 8th grader. She attended Boca Raton High School and reached A Finals in 100 Back and relays over her 4 years.
Coach Bella Merritt began swimming at 4 years old in the Columbia Swim League. She swam year-round starting at 8 years old for the YMCA Mudcats and soon after found her place on the River Bluff Varsity Swim Team in the seventh grade. Her favorite stroke is breaststroke and throughout her career she found that 100 breaststroke was her favorite event. She qualified and went to the SC Short-Course State Meet multiple time for the 50,100 and 200 breaststroke.
Coach Bella Merritt began swimming at 4 years old in the Columbia Swim League. She swam year-round starting at 8 years old for the YMCA Mudcats and soon after found her place on the River Bluff Varsty Swim Team in the seventh grade. Her favorite stroke is breaststroke and throughout her career she found that 100 breaststroke was her favorite event. She qualified and went to the SC Short-Course State Meet multiple time for the 50,100 and 200 breaststroke.
Additionally, Coach Bella has coached for Murraywood and Golden Hills Swim Teams throughout the past 4 years. She is very well-versed in younger swimmers teaching stroke and technique alike. Coach Bella has also taught swim lessons for the past 3 years at Golden Hills.
In May of 2024, Bella graduated from River Bluff High School with honors. She plans to attend Midlands Technical College in the fall and go through the Dental Assistanting Program. When she isn’t swimming, Coach Bella likes to read, play with her two cats, Calvin and Hobbes, and hang out with her two sisters and friends. She cannot wait to meet all of the swimmers and hopes to establish good relationships with her future swimmers and coaches alike. She is most excited to cultivate a fun atmosphere on the pool deck while also encouraging her swimmers to do their best and have fun!
Christian grew up swimming in Boston before moving to Columbia in 2011 to attend USC. After graduating with a Masters in Secondary Social Studies Education, he began coaching and teaching at Brookland-Cayce as well as coaching for the YCSC Mudcats, and the Northwest YMCA Seals. During his 7 years as coach for the BC Bearcats and the Airport Eagles, He coached a multi-state champion and multiple podium finishers at the SCHSL AAA and AAAA State Championship Meet and was the 2020 AAA-V Region Coach of the Year.
As a club coach, he worked with a multitude of groups, ages, and abilities. His primary focus was with the Junior Group, where he coached multiple Age Group Sectional qualifiers, state champions, and future Y-Nationals qualifiers. Additionally, as the Northwest YMCA Seals Head Summer League Coach, he led the Seals to a runner-up City Meet finish in 2018 before leading the Seals to an undefeated regular season and City Meet Championship in 2019.
Off the pool deck and outside the classroom, he enjoys spending time with my wife (Coach Meredith), my stepdaughter and current CA Swimmer, and my two-year-old daughter. Cooking, reading, fishing, and watching Boston sports teams and the Gamecocks are what he enjoys doing in his free time.
Elevate Coaching Services
Mission
To deliver straightforward, effective & educational programming to coaches, teams and individuals of all ability levels.
Vision
Build a welcoming community through practical programming, team education, and an unwavering commitment to long-term athletic development.
The Elevate System
Focuses on developing strength through movement, through implementation of systematic, sustainable, and progressive programming.
Values
- Value people over profits on a daily basis
- Operate with honesty & integrity
- Invest in the process & long-term results
- Honor the development of each team & athlete
- Execute reliable & consistent communication
