Hello there, my name is Tessa! I am so happy to be a new addition to the team!

I am 17 years old and have been competitively swimming for as long as I can remember - Brittany was actually one of my first coaches! I have held several club records for breaststroke, and have also competed provincially. I have always had a passion for teaching and swimming. I became a certified as a lifeguard and instructor in 2024 and have been teaching for over a year; I have enjoyed every second!

When I’m not at the pool, you can also find me skiing! I became a coach for the Manning Park Race Team in 2022 (if you can’t tell, I love racing). Some of my other hobbies including horse riding, oil painting, and reading.

From this experience I am hoping to strengthen my teaching skills, build meaningful connections with swimmers, and create a safe, fun, inclusive environment for everyone!

At The Swim Collective, we’re passionate not only about supporting swimmers - but also about mentoring new instructors. A key focus of our program is helping emerging instructors grow in skill, confidence, and their own unique teaching style. Every swimmer’s progress is supported and monitored by Brittany, either directly or in close collaboration with the instructor.

Hello there, my name is Tessa! I am so happy to be a new addition to the team! I am 17 years old... Read More

Hi there, I’m Brittany! I am so glad that you are here looking for the right swim instructor! Below is a summary of my background and approach so you can see if we might be a good fit!

I grew up swimming competitively and first became employed as a swim coach in 2007. Soon after, I became a certified lifeguard and began volunteering as one at an oncology-based summer camp, launched my own business teaching Red Cross swim lessons, and swam for my university swim team (I was a butterflyer!). I also began coaching an introductory group for a winter club where I was provided incredible mentorship and was able to fine-tune my coaching strategy; by the end of my time there in 2016, I was running a program location and supervising small swim meets in addition to coaching my regular 11 practices a week. At this time I returned to my home club where I developed my own curriculum focusing on introducing swimmers 6 & under to competitive swimming, and then had the opportunity to implement it: I oversaw the entire program: swimmers, volunteers, and coaches. Later in 2019, I became a Co-Head Coach of another summer team in the valley and continued mentoring young coaches and volunteers. In March 2020 I took a hiatus from teaching, but I restarted teaching private lessons in the fall of 2023.

I have experience teaching all ages from 1-80, but specialize in ages 4-6 and 14-18. I strive to empower my swimmers to feel safe, supported, and enthusiastic about swimming. I’ve taught so many kids in aquatics over the years that my last recertification course was taught by one of my former students - a true full-circle moment for me!

Outside the pool, I studied Psychology, Sociology, and Human Services in university, and went on to hold a number of mental health and social support positions. I love working with clients who experience barriers to their success, whether that be due to physical or cognitive disabilities, chronic illness or pain, a history of trauma around water, or other mental health concerns; between my education, professional background, and own lived experience of chronic illness, I am particularly passionate about giving these swimmers realistic adaptations and support that can lead to their success, enjoyment, and safety in the water. Competence around water is imperative and should be accessible to everyone; that’s why I love private lessons - I can tailor my teaching to help you progress much more efficiently, and with support that will meet you wherever you are at to help you thrive!

Hi there, I’m Brittany! I am so glad that you are here looking for the right swim instructor! Bel... Read More