Our Coaches
Robin McMurachy: Competitive Level Coach
I moved to Nanaimo in August 2011 and almost immediately started coaching for the Nanaimo Diamonds. I moved from Winnipeg, where my synchro career began. I began swimming with the Manitoba Aquadians when I was 13 and soon became the provincial level champion in my age group in solo and figures. I moved into National stream with Winnipeg Synchro at 14 years old. I attended the 2003 Western Canada Summer Games as a member of Team Manitoba. I retired in 2004 due to rotator cuff injury. More recently I have become a provincial level judge which I find very rewarding, but not as rewarding as my true passion – coaching. This is my second coaching season and I have had the pleasure of coaching Aquasquirts, Athletes with a Disability, and Provincial Stream 12 & under groups. I am looking forward to taking NCCP courses and becoming certified as a competitive coach this season.
Brenda Smythe: Head Coach
Brenda has a wealth of coaching experience and has bee the Head Coach Nanaimo Diamonds for the past ten years. She is also the Technical Director for Synchro BC. She consistently takes teams to the Provincial, Western Division and National Championship level competitions. Her coaching style reflects her philosophy of enabling each swimmer to reach their personal goals. Brenda is a fully certified NCCP Level 3 coach and a Level 2 Synchro BC Judge. Brenda participated in the High Performance committee for Synchro BC 2009 – 2010 and was awarded the Synchro BC Annual Coaching Award 2005 and the Synchro BC Coach Leadership award for 2008.
Courtney Poulin: Aqua Squirts Coach
This is Courtney’s first year working with the Diamonds. She has been around the water for almost her whole life. She was a competitive speed swimmer for 10 years, and coached with the Riptides for 6 years. She was introduced to the Diamonds when she joined Masters’ Synchro last year, and fell in love with the sport. She recently graduated from Vancouver Island University with a Bachelor of Education, and aspires to one day have her own classroom. She is very excited for the opportunity to coach the Aqua Squirts program, and is looking forward to a great season!”
Becky Edwards: Competitive Level Coach
Becky started synchronized swimming when she was eight years old in Victoria. She started coaching with the Nanaimo Diamonds when she was in grade 11 and her pre-competitive team took first place at Jean Peters. Summer 2009 Becky traveled to Venezuela where she had the opportunity to help coach their National Team for a week. Becky is Level 1certified coach and is working on her level 2 certification.
Angelica Jetter: Competitive Level Coach
Angelica started as a synchronized swimmer with the Nanaimo Diamonds and went on to swim professionally with the water show for Expo 88 in Brisbane Australia. Returning to Nanaimo Angelica has been coaching both the competitive level and recreational programs with the Nanaimo Diamonds since 2002. Angelica is also a lifeguard and swim instructor for the city of Nanaimo.
Emily Trenchard: Competitive Level Coach and Masters Coach
Emily started swimming with the Nanaimo Diamonds when she was nine. She has competed in the 2004 BC Summer Games and her team was first at Westerns and Third at Nationals in 2007 for Synchronized swimming. Emily was part of the Pacific Sport Junior Team in 2007. She began coaching with the Nanaimo Diamonds in 2003. Emily is a practicing level 1 judge and has finished her Intro to Competition Level of Certification for Synchronized swimming.
Kim Kuemper: Assistant Coach
I have swam for 8 years with the Nanaimo Diamonds, spending my last 2 years in the National Stream level and the previous 4 competing provincially. Throughout the the past 3 or 4 years I also managed to fit in a bit of coaching around my swimming schedule, as well as completing coaching and Red Cross training, and I look forward to giving back EVERYTHING I have learned over the years into younger swimmers!
Catharine Edwards: Development And Competitive Level Coach
Catharine has been coaching synchronized swimming since 1974 and has a wealth of National and International Experience. She has coached all levels of synchronized swimming from the recreational to the high performance. Catharine has her NCCP Level 3 certification and is a Level 2 Judge. Catharine coaches the Development levels with the Nanaimo Diamonds.
Victoria Rickson: Assistant Coach
Victoria started swimming with the Nanaimo Diamonds and competed with the club up to the National Level. She has returned to assist with the Development level of synchronized swimming.
Emily McCarter: Assistant Coach
I started my synchro career in grade 3, and with the exception of taking one year off, I continued swimming until I was in my first year of university. I started coaching when I was a teenager. I have recently started coaching again after taking some time off to go to school. I originally joined the club because I loved swimming and my parents thought I would find speed swimming boring. I found synchro to be anything but boring. I progressed my swimming abilities to the point that in my final year competing I went to nationals with my team and we placed third.
Melissa Pirart
Melissa has been a part of Nanaimo Diamonds Synchro club for 8 years and is very passionate about the sport. She has swam regionally, provincially and nationally. She still swims on the national stream team for Nanaimo and works as an assistant coach for aqua squirts. She also has some coaching experience from coaching synchro summer club and is currently working on her provincial coaching course.
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