COACHING STAFF
Mike Cole - Head Coach & Lead Senior Section Coach
Mike is a Level 3 coach with over 8 years of coaching experience, joining CoStA in December 2014 from Stratford Sharks. He has led numerous swimmers to Regional Youth and Age Group success and National Age Group finals. Mike had previously been a coach with Worcester ASC while studying for his BSc (Hons) in Sports Coaching & Conditioning at University of the West of England.
Mike has had great success swimming Medley, achieveing Great Britain and Scotland representation between 1994-2002 (4x European SC; 2x European LC; 1x World SC; 2x Commonwealth Games)
Mike is looking forward to building on the recent successes of the club and is looking forward to getting to know the swimmers and the squads.
Daniel McDonald - Lead Junior Section Coach, Lead Reception & Foundation Sections Coach
Daniel joined CoStA March 2016; he is an experienced Level 2 swimming coach and teacher who has worked with swimmers of all ages, from 7 year olds to Masters. Among other things, Daniel also holds qualifications in fitness instruction, indoor cycling instruction and first aid. As the Head Coach at Stevenage Swimming Club, he led a team of poolside helpers and assistant coaches who delivered his coaching strategy. Daniel is passionate about development and about finding ways to help all athletes achieve their potential. An ex-swimmer himself, he enjoys participating in triathlons.
Alex Walker - Junior Development & Senior Development Squad Coach
Alex is a Level 2 qualified swimming teacher and was a competitive swimmer. He participates in triathlon and is a music teacher by trade.
Sian Brice - Junior Competitive Squad Coach
Sian has competed in swimming for as long as she can remember - from club galas at 9yrs, to Nationals as a teenager and onto Masters now. She was also a Junior National Champion at 1500m on the track and Senior National Champ & European Bronze Medallist at Olympic Distance Triathlon as well as competing and being GB Captain in Sydney 2012.
During her sporting career she has been lucky enough to be coached by many different coaches from all over the World. She loves swimming, both the training & competing, and enjoys every minute that she can spend trying to help the kids improve and fulfil their potential, no matter what their level. She hopes to inspire each and everyone of them and look forward to increasing her knowledge of coaching as she goes.
Branwen Lommelen - Club Swim Coach
Branwen started competitive swimming later than most at age 11, and throughout her teens competed on county, regional and national level, and the Commonwealth Games Trials (2005). She went on to study at Loughborough University, where she decided to leave the pool for a while and play netball for the University team.
Taking up Lifesaving in her final year of University, Branwen was a member of the UK Performance squad and England team. She competed internationally including at the Commonwealth Championships (South Africa 2011, Australia 2013) and World Championships (Australia 2012, Holland 2016), breaking British and Commonwealth Records. In 2012, she received a Citation of Merit from the International Lifesaving Federation for her contribution to the sport.
Branwen joined CoStA in 2015 and has coached senior and junior squads. She is a level 1 swimming teacher and Rookie Lifeguard Instructor. She looks forward to introducing Lifesaving at CoStA, and she hopes to share her passion with our swimmers.