COACHES – SUMMER 2021
COACHES – SUMMER 2024
Josie Field
Head Coach - SR1
Josie is beyond excited to return as head coach this summer. As assistant head coach last year, she learned so much and had more fun swimming than ever before.
She grew up in Langley BC, and began swimming when she was 5. She swam with the Langley Olympians for 12 years, then when she graduated, she moved to UBC to swim for the Thunderbirds. Josie swam at UBC for 4 years and won multiple national titles. Her favorite stroke is butterfly, but she also loves freestyle. Josie decided to hang up her flippers last season and retire from the sport, but swimming and coaching is still a big part of her life. Josie has been coaching the Vikings throughout the winter, and can’t wait to start the summer season!
Josie is currently in her final semester at UBC and will graduate with a bachelor's degree in English literature. She plans to take a year off of school to travel next year, but hopes to pursue an education degree in the future.
Outside of swimming, Josie loves videography, working on cars, and hanging out at the beach.
Zoey Johnson
Assistant Head Coach - JR1
Zoey is very excited to be joining the Vikings as the Assistant Head Coach this upcoming summer season!
Zoey is moving on from her position as the head coach of the Salt Spring Stingrays, the club that she swam with for 13 years before transitioning into a coaching role in 2018. Zoey’s absolute favourite events are the 200 IM and 100m backstroke, but she would happily swim anything but breaststroke! Fun Fact: Zoey has competed at every BCSSA provincials since 2009!
Zoey is starting her fourth year studying Environmental and Sustainable Geography at UBC, and when she isn’t studying or coaching, you will find her hiking the mountains on the North Shore, baking bread, or hanging out at the beach (as if the pool wasn’t enough!). Zoey is looking forward to an epic summer with the Vikings community!
Mira Jamal - SR2
Group Coach
Mira is thrilled to be returning as a group coach this summer! Since joining the Vikings in 2014, she’s taken on various roles, starting as a swimmer, before progressing to junior leader, assistant coach and now, group coach.
In 2019, Mira further pursued her passion for swimming by transitioning to winter swimming with the Vancouver Pacific Swim Club, where she actively competed for two years, before continuing on as a coach for another two years.
Off the pool deck, Mira is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at UBC. Outside of coaching, you might find Mira hanging out with friends, baking a new recipe, trying out a new cafe, or studying on campus!
Hayley Lim - JR2
Group Coach
Hayley is thrilled to be returning for her second season as a group coach this summer!
Hayley’s passion for swimming began when she joined the Vikings in 2014 as a Mini Vikings. She then grew her passion for coaching when she volunteered as a junior leader and was an assistant coach. Her favourite event to race is 100 backstroke, but she also loves relays with her teammates.
Currently, Hayley is studying commerce at the University of Toronto. When she isn’t at the library or pool, you can find her going on runs, baking, or walking at the beach.
Hayley is excited to return to Vancouver and spend the summer with the VIKs community. She is eager to share her swimming knowledge and enthusiasm with swimmers. She cannot wait for the fun barbecues, water gun fights, coaches’ beauty pageant, and the thrilling swim meets the 2024 season will bring.
She looks forward to seeing everyone on deck!
Tea Gilberg - JR3
Group Coach
Tea is excited to return to the Vikings for her second year of coaching summer swimming.
Tea started swimming with the Vancouver Vikings when she was five years old and swam with the Vikings for twelve consecutive years. She loves summer swimming and fondly remembers the friendships she made and all the fun she had over her time as a swimmer. Her favourite stroke is breaststroke, but she also loves the 200IM. Her best memories are of swim meets, hanging out with her teammates, and competing at provincials in Kamloops.
Tea now spends her school year in Kingston, Ontario where she is studying sciences at Queens University. She loved coaching last summer and is returning this year to pass on her enthusiasm for the sport to her swimmers. She can’t wait for the season to get started!
Jack Mace - INT1
Group Coach
Jack is very excited to be joining the Vikings this summer as a group coach.
Jack grew up in Nanaimo and began swimming when he was 6. He spent 11 years as a competitive swimmer with the Nanaimo White Rapids swim club. He coached for three years with the club starting in 2021. Jack’s favourite races are 100 freestyle and 200 IM.
He is a first-year student at UBC and is studying business. He races with the UBC triathlon team and plays in the UBC intermural ultimate frisbee league.
Outside of swimming, Jack’s interests include watching basketball, skiing, and playing piano.
Ryder Ilich - INT2
Group Coach
Ryder is super stoked to be coaching with the vikings again this summer season!
He's been swimming with the vikings since 2016 and has represented the club and medalled at BCSSA provincials every year since. As captain of the WPGA varsity team, Ryder has also brought home some hardware for the wolves at BC aquatics provs since he first dived off the blocks in grade 3. His favourite events are 50 - 100 free and fly, but as long as the goggles stay on he's just happy to be racing!
Outside of the pool, he loves skiing and spending time in the gym. Ryder cannot wait to get this season started and help each of his swimmers develop as athletes and have fun!
Tristan Yung - NOV
Group Coach
Tristan is thrilled to join the Vikings this summer as a Group Coach!
Tristan thoroughly enjoyed her time as a summer swimmer when she competed for the Vikings from 2014 to 2021. During the 2022 summer season, she gained invaluable experience as an Assistant Coach and always cherished the tight-knit community feeling that the Vikings provided. Transitioning to winter swimming in 2022, she swam for the Vancouver Pacific Swim Club for two years. After recently hanging up her goggles, she began working part-time as an in-water instructor for the VPSC Swim School.
Tristan is currently in her final year at York House School and serves as Co-Captain of the swim team. Throughout her high school years, she has also volunteered as a Junior School swim coach. Her favourite stroke is freestyle, but breaststroke definitely comes as a close runner-up! In her spare time, you can find her enjoying nature walks, attending dance classes, or reading. Tristan is eager to meet new faces at Vikings and is looking forward to an exciting season ahead!
Nicky Penz- Jr 2
Assistant Coach
Nicky has been swimming with the Vikings since 2015 as well as with his school team, St. George’s since grade 3. He is currently in grade 12, and plans to go into medicine in the future. He has a passion for swimming, and is currently serving as an Assistant Swim Coach.
Nicky's favorite stroke is butterfly, and he also swims the 200 IM. This is his second year as an Assistant Coach with the Vikings, and he is super excited to pass on his knowledge to the younger swimmers.
In his free time, you can find Nicky playing Pokemon, basketball, or reading a book. He is really looking forward to the water gun fight and the barbeque, and especially the swim meets that last forever.
Looking forward to a great summer!
Alex Penz - Jr 1
Assistant Coach
Alex is fired up for this Summer Swim Season as an Assistant Coach.
He started out swimming for the Richmond Kigoos in 2011 and joined the Vancouver Vikings in 2015. He has volunteered as a Junior Leader for two years and is looking froward to this year as an assistant coach. His favourite parts of the season are always the swim meets where he spends time competing and connecting with friends. Since Grade 3, Alex has also been a member of the St. George’s swim team. Alex also plays Water Polo on his high school's team and has been captain of both the Water Polo and Swimming teams in his time at the school. His favourite event is the 50m Freestyle, which he placed first in at the BC high school swim provincials in 2023.
His most common hobbies include playing games with friends and family along with watching movies. Next year, he is looking forward to going to the University of British Columbia for Engineering.
Alex is looking forward to a season of fast fun!
Derek Lim - Jr 3
Assistant Coach
Derek is super excited to join the Vikings as an Assistant Group Coach this season! He has been a junior leader with the Vikings for three years, and coaches his high school swim team at Eric Hamber.
Derek started his swimming career with the Vancouver Vikings in 2014, and has swam with the club for 10 consecutive seasons. During his time at the Vikings, he has earned multiple provincial medals in various events, and currently holds the Division 3 club record in 50 Breastroke from 2019. He then started winter swimming, where he’s been training with Vancouver Pacific Swim Club for 3 years. Derek’s favorite stroke is Breastroke, but he also likes racing Backstroke!
Outside of swimming, Derek enjoys hanging out with friends, and trying new foods. Derek is thrilled to help the Junior swimmers swim fast and have fun!
Minou Ono
Assistant Coach
Minou is so excited to join the Vikings as an assistant coach!
Minou grew up in California and started swimming competitively there when she was 6. She was on a team there until 2023 when she moved to Vancouver. She has been coaching a summer swim team for the last two years and is so happy to get to coach at Vikings! She also swims for the Vikings and loves swimming with her new teammates. Her favorite strokes are butterfly and freestyle.
Outside of the pool, she loves to crochet and spend time with her two cats.
