Coaches – 2022-2023
Head Coach: Niallan Collier
headcoach.kootenayswimclub@
We are excited to have Niallan back as our head coach this season!
Niallan began swimming in Nelson in 2004 with the Nelson Neptunes and was deeply involved with the sport since then. He was one of the first swimmers to join the Kootenay Swim Club when it was founded for the 2008/2009 season. After swimming with the Kootenay Swim Club, he spent a bit of time in Victoria with Pacific Coast Swimming before moving to Edmonton to swim with the Edmonton Keyano Swim Club and with the University of Alberta Golden Bears varsity team. During Niallan’s time as a swimmer he attended high level meets such as Western Nationals and Senior Nationals.
Niallan’s coaching experience began with coaching in BCSSA in the summer of 2016. He coached in the lower mainland with the Burnaby Barracudas and North Shore Winter Club as a group coach and head coach until summer 2020 when he took a year off to finish his master’s degree. He has been coaching part time with the Kootenay Swim Club since January 2021 and is excited for this opportunity to be head coach for the 2021/2022 season. Niallan looks forward to seeing the new and returning swimmers on deck for this upcoming season.
Assistant Coach: Julia Morris
Growing up with a pool in her backyard led Julia to develop a love for the water starting at a young age.
Julia joined the Richmond Kigoos Swim Club in 2004 and began coaching with the club in 2010. Julia coached both the winter maintenance and the summer competitive seasons while being a provincial level swimmer herself, working with swimmers ranging from the ages of 4 to 12. In 2015, Julia transitioned to the role of Junior Development Program supervisor with the Richmond Kigoos, acting as a mentor to the younger coaches. She also began coaching Masters, the Richmond Kigoos adult swim program, and continued onward with that role until the end of 2017.
Alongside her membership to Kigoos, Julia was hired as a Lifeguard/Swim Instructor with the City of Richmond in 2013. She continued to work that position until moving to the Kootenays in May 2020. Julia was also an assistant coach to the Steveston Athletic Society, an adult triathlon group, from 2016 to 2019.
Julia has a Bachelor of Arts in French and Psychology and last year she completed her Bachelor of Education. She is now working as a TTOC and is excited to be a part of the Kootenay Swim Club!
