COACHES – SUMMER 2021
Alexandra Kouzas
Head Coach & Coach Practice Time 1: SR1 and SR 2
Coach Alex grew up in South Africa and swam competitively for 13 years. In 2013, she moved to Canada to continue swimming, while attending the University of British Columbia. Alex’s best stroke has always been Freestyle (sprints), with the 50m Free being her favourite event. She competed at the National and International level for South Africa and, in 2012, qualified for the South African Olympic Trials.
Her proudest swimming moment, however, was after she took a year off swimming in 2015 and then returned and qualified for the 2016 Canadian Olympic Trials. Shortly after the Trials, Alex partially tore her bicep tendon and supraspinatus which meant, unfortunately, that she had to take some time off training. She attempted to make a return to the pool, but soon after decided that it was time to hang up her goggles.
Alex has coached for the Vancouver Vikings Swim Club for six years. Having worked her way up from the MV2 group, all the way through to the P1 group this Summer. Currently, she is the Head Coach for the Vancouver Vikings and also the UBC Masters Swim Club for adults.
Alex graduated from UBC in 2019, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Special Education. She is now finishing up her second degree at UBC in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP) to teach elementary school education.
Alex prides herself on being a technical coach, who is able to create a fun and supportive environment for all her swimmers. She is extremely excited to be coming back as both the head coach and group coach this Summer and cannot wait to get to know each of the swimmers in her group!
Alexandra’s email address is coachalex@vancouvervikings.com.
Hugh Dauvergne
Assistant Head Coach - floating between groups as needed
Hugh is very excited to be the assistant head coach this summer! Hugh will be floating between groups assisting Alex and the other coaches where needed.
Hugh spent the last 10 years both swimming and coaching for the Vancouver Pacific Swim Club where he was a provincial medalist and an age group national qualifier. Although Hugh never swam or coached with Vikings before this summer, he is no stranger to the coaching team. In fact, Hugh swam competitively with Coach Alex and Coach Mackenzie, and has won high school provincial medals swimming with Coach Sam.
Currently, Hugh is completing a Bachelor of Arts at the University of Toronto with a major in History.
Hugh’s coaching style emphasizes fun and technique and he can’t wait to contribute positively to the already amazing Vikings community.
Go Vikings!!
Mackenzie Gunther
Practice Time 2: Coach Senior 2 and Intermediate 1
Mackenzie joined the Vikings in 2011 as a swimmer in the Junior group, and over the next four summers became a provincial medalist and record holder. She then joined VPSC where she swam for the next three years. Mackenzie swam at UBC where she was a member of the UBC Thunderbird Swim team. She just graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and will be attending a Master’s program in the fall in Global Affairs.
Mackenzie has been a Vikings Winter Maintenance coach for the past five years and was the MV1 coach in the summer of 2019. She has also coached for the UBC Masters Swim team. Mackenzie is so excited to continue to be a part of the Vikings family this summer and pass on her knowledge and passion of the sport to her swimmers.
Mackenzie G’s email address is coachmgunther@vancouvervikings.com.
Hadley Gunther
Practice Time 3: Coach, INT2
Coach Hadley is thrilled to be returning to coach with the Vikings this summer! Having coached MV2 for the past two seasons she is very excited to be coaching INT2 this summer. Hadley has swam from the Vikings for 9 summer seasons. When she wasn’t swimming, Hadley played water polo competitively throughout high school and competed at the 2017 USA Junior Olympics along with earning a silver medal at the U19 Canadian National Championships in 2018.
Hadley is currently attending the University of Calgary majoring in History with a goal to graduate in 2023 and pursue an after degree in Nursing.
In her spare time Hadley enjoys playing volleyball, making awesome playlists on Spotify and watching Jeopardy!
She can’t wait to meet the INT2s and get the season underway!
Hadley’s email address is coachhadley@vancouvervikings.com.
Sam Watanabe
Practice Time 4: Coach JR1
Sam is looking forward to another great season with the Vikings this year! He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s of science degree studying pharmacology and toxicology at the University of Toronto and is thrilled to be returning to Vancouver for the summer.
Sam has spent many seasons as a swimmer with the Vikings, and was coach for the MV3 group in 2019. He has also spent many hours teaching at learn-to-swim programs as well as coaching his high school swim team.
Sam is quite the outdoorsman, so when he’s not on deck, he likes to spend his time at the beach or exploring the mountains! This year, he will be returning as coach for the JR1 group and can’t wait for the season to get underway.
Brett Caswell
Practice Time 5: Coach, JR2
As a long-time member of the Vancouver Vikings since 2011, Brett has always taken great pleasure returning to the summer season and is beyond excited for the 2021 season.
In his first season as a group coach, Brett hopes to make this summer enjoyable and memorable for the JR2 swim group.
When reflecting upon the quintessential experience of summer swimming, Brett is reminded of water gun fights, scores of potlucks, and swim meets that were as exhausting as they were fun. Although these activities may not be possible this year, Brett is confident that the Vikings spirit will persevere!
Brett’s previous coaching experience comes as a Vikings Junior Leader (volunteer coach), an assistant coach, and as a Vikings Winter Maintenance group coach. He is also completing his certification in Swimming Canada’s National Coaching Certification Program. Brett is currently completing his final year at Kitsilano Secondary School, and will be attending UBC in the fall, pursuing a degree in Science. Away from the pool deck, Brett enjoys reading, cooking, and jogging.
Eager for the summer season to start, Brett can’t wait to improve the technique, morale, and speed of the JR2 swimmers!
Maya Kennedy
Practice Time 6: Coach, MV
Maya is ecstatic to be joining the Vikings team for her first summer as a group coach and sixth season overall! Having been an assistant coach for two years and a group coach through two Winter Maintenance sessions, she is looking forward to working with the Mini Vikings this summer and developing young swimmers into athletes.
Having started as an anxious swimmer who was terrified of diving and developing into a two-time Provincial Championship finalist, Maya strives to foster resilience, leadership, and a lifelong passion for fitness in her swimmers.
A current grade 12 student at Kitsilano Secondary, Maya will be attending the University of Pennsylvania in the fall to study economics and life sciences. She enjoys picnics at the beach, road trips with good coffee, and (of course) being at the pool. GO VIKS!!!
COACHES – SUMMER 2023
Hadley Gunther
Head Coach - Intermediate 1
Hadley is thrilled to be taking on the role of head coach this summer. Hadley has been a coach with Vikings since 2018 and part of the Vikings family for over a decade. Her swimming career began at a very young age and developed into a love for all water sports. Hadley has swam at every BCSSA provincials since 2012. While swimming with the Vikings and captaining her school swim team, Hadley pursued a career in water polo earning herself a silver medal at the U19 Canadian National Championships, and a spot playing at the USA Junior Olympic tournament in 2017.
Hadley now attends the University of Calgary and is currently in her final semester. She will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in History. In the fall she will be headed back to Calgary to pursue a Masters of Management.
When Hadley isn't on the pool deck, you can find her watching Formula 1, scuba diving, or playing volleyball with her friends!
Coach Hadley can be reached at coachhadley@vancouvervikings.com
Josie Field
Assistant Head Coach - Senior 1
Josie is super excited to start her first season with the Vikings! She grew up in Langley, swimming with the Langley Olympians for 11 years. Then, she moved to Vancouver to study English literature at UBC. She has been on the UBC varsity team for the past 4 years, helping the Thunderbirds win 2 Canada West titles, and 1 National USPORTS title. At USPORTS, Josie won back to back national titles in the 200m butterfly, as well as multiple other podium finishes. Josie is also a 3 time top 5 finisher at Canadian Trials. Swimming is a huge part of Josie’s life, and she is thrilled to share her skills and passion with the Vikings swimmers.
Josie loves photography, video editing, and motorsports. When she isn't at the pool, she’s usually with her engineering design team, building an electric race car. As well, Josie loves coffee and breakfast so you may find her trying out a new café or breakfast spot in Vancouver.
Josie has coached with the Langley Olympians, UBC Masters, UBC Performance Camps, and WRASA in the past, but she is pumped to work with the Vikings this season.
Coach Josie can be reached at coachjosie@vancouvervikings.com
Dima Lim
Group Coach - Senior 2
Dima has been competitively swimming since 2007. He grew up in Kazakhstan and then moved to Burnaby, BC with his family in 2012. Throughout high school, Dima represented Simon Fraser Aquatics and medalled at various national and international competitions. After graduating from Burnaby North Secondary, Dima enrolled at UBC to study microbiology and immunology. He has contributed to winning 4 consecutive national titles for UBC Men’s Swimming and represented the Canadian National Team at World University Games in 2019. His most recent accomplishment was winning the silver medal in 50m Butterfly at Canadian World Trials in 2022. Currently, he is in his fifth-year at UBC and is one of the UBC Thunderbirds Team Captains.
Dima’s coaching history includes coaching UBC Masters since 2019 and UBC Performance Swim Camps in 2020. Dima is very excited to about share the knowledge he gained from racing at a high level with the Vancouver Vikings!
Coach Dima can be reached at coachdima@vancouvervikings.com
Aamiya Sidhu
Group Coach - Intermediate 2
Aamiya is returning for her 2nd year as a group coach for the summer season!
Aamiya has been a part of the Vancouver Vikings since 2013 where she raced in Division 1. Her best stroke is butterfly and she especially enjoys 50 fly. She currently holds 2 club records in 50 fly! Over her time in Vikings, she accumulated many provincial medals and even a provincial record in a relay. She moved to winter swimming with VPSC where she competed in provincials.
Aamiya started her coaching career as a junior leader with Vikings. She then coached for her high school, helped with her winter club and became an Assistant Coach with Vikings. She began group coaching for the club during winter maintenance in 2021 and was a group summer coach for the first time last year. She spent the winter coaching for the Special Olympics Kingston Turtles club. She is super excited to be a group coach again this year!
Aamiya is finishing her first year as a Health Sciences student as Queen’s University. She enjoys spending time with friends, Harry Potter marathons and studying in cafes!
Coach Aamiya can be reached at coachaamiya@vancouvervikings.com
Jocelyn Chambers
Group Coach - Junior 2
Coach Jocelyn is very excited to be returning to the Vikings this summer!! This will be her second year as a main group coach, but it is not her second year with the Vikings! Jocelyn started swimming with the Vikings at the age of 6 in 2009 and continued until 2017 during which time she obtained several club records. As she got older, Jocelyn decided to explore other opportunities and joined the Vancouver Pacific Swim Club (VPSC) and later attended the University of Victoria, where she swam for her first two years. She is currently studying in the Faculty of Education and hopes to become an elementary school teacher.
Jocelyn is a sprinter. Her favorite events are 50 Free, 50 Fly, and 100 Fly!!! In addition to swimming, she loved track and cross-country and played volleyball at a national level throughout high school.
Over the past few summers, Jocelyn has enjoyed working with the kids and helping them develop their swimming skills. She could not resist coming back for another fun-filled summer of fast swimming and team events. Jocelyn can’t wait to meet all the new swimmers and have a successful season of hard work and personal bests!
Coach Jocelyn can be reached at coachjocelyn@vancouvervikings.com
Mira Jamal
Group Coach - Junior 1
Mira is very excited to be returning to coach with the Vancouver Vikings swim club. She has been an assistant coach with the Vikings for the past 2 years and is very excited to continue her coaching journey as a group coach.
Mira began her swimming career in 2014, she swam with the Vancouver Vikings for 5 years until 2019 when she transitioned to winter swimming, where she swam with the Vancouver Pacific Swim Club for 3 years.
Mira’s coaching history with the Vikings includes working as a junior leader, assistant coach, and as a group coach during the Winter maintenance seasons. Outside of the Vikings, Mira has also coached for the Vancouver Pacific Swim Club.
Off of the pool deck, Mira is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Nursing at Queens University. In her spare time, you can find her hanging out with friends, studying in the library, at the gym, or grabbing coffee on campus!
Coach Mira can be reached at coachmira@vancouvervikings.com
Hayley Lim
Group Coach - Novice 1
Hayley is thrilled to join the Vikings as a coach this summer! She joined the Vikings in 2014 as a Mini Viking and in the past two years, Hayley has volunteered as a junior leader and became an assistant coach during the fall/winter season. Her favourite event to race is 100 backstroke but also loves relays with her teammates.
Currently, Hayley is a grade 12 student at Eric Hamber Secondary School and is also a part of the swim team there. You can find her walking at the beach, baking, or watching Netflix in her spare time.
Each year she looks forward to the start of the season and can’t wait to share her eagerness and give the younger swimmers the fun memories she was given throughout her years in the club! She cannot wait for the barbecues, water gun fights, coaches’ beauty pageant, and the tiring but exciting swim meets this summer.
Looking forward to seeing you all on deck!
Coach Hayley can be reached at coachhayley@vancouvervikings.com
Tea Gilberg
Group Coach - Novice 2
Téa Gilberg has been swimming with the Vancouver Vikings for 13 years and with her school, West Point Grey Academy, since grade three. She is graduating this summer and will be going to Queen’s University in the fall. Although her best stroke is breaststroke, she also loves butterfly and the 200 IM. Téa is passionate about swimming and has grown up in and around pools. Recently, she has been working as an assistant coach with the Viking’s and is incredibly excited to continue passing on her knowledge, experience and passion to the younger swimmers in the club as a group coach this summer.
Coach Téa can be reached at coachtea@vancouvervikings.com
Ryder Ilich
Assistant Coach - Junior 2
Nicky Penz
Assistant Coach - Intermediate 1
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 11, 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 IM and breaststroke. Last summer, he volunteered as a junior leader, and is excited to pass on some of his knowledge again this summer. Nicky is also competing with his school's track and field team in hopes that he makes provincials this year.
In his free time, you can find Nicky playing Pokemon, basketball with his brother 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!
Sophie Diard
Assistant Coach - Novice 2
Sophie is delighted to join the Vikings as an Assistant Coach this summer! She joined the Vikings in 2017 as a Junior and is now a Senior 1 swimmer. During the past two summers, Sophie volunteered as a Junior Leader. She has been working with PedalHeads Swim as a swim instructor for a year and a half.
Her favourite events to race are 100 backstroke and 50 Butterfly but she also loves social kicking with her teammates and practicing dives/turns. Currently, Sophie is a grade 11 student at Crofton House School. During her spare time, you can find her baking, biking with friends, and re-watching all the seasons of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix. She can’t wait to create long-lasting and fun memories for the swimmers!
I look forward to seeing you all at the pool!
Mia Barrault
Assistant Coach - Junior 1
Mia is very excited to join the Vikings team as an assistant coach!
Mia’s love for the sport began in the Yukon where she swam for the Whitehorse Glacier Bears for 12 years. She broke several club records in breaststroke events. She has medaled at BC provincials in the 100 and 200m breaststroke and was in finals at the national level. This past year she moved to Vancouver and joined the UBC Thunderbirds varsity team and is studying Kinesiology. Mia recently competed at the 2023 Canadian Swimming Trials, swimming the breaststroke events. Swimming is her passion, which she loves to share with others.
Outside of the pool you can find her on a paddleboard or on a golf course. She also loves to indulge in some fiction reading when not in school.
