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Gary van der Meulen
Age: 37
Years in coaching: 9th season started in September 2002
Home town: Vernon, BC, Canada
Current Position: Head Coach Duncan Stingrays swim team; Head Coach Cowichan Valley Masters Swim team
Previous Positions: Head Age Group Coach University of Calgary Swim Club, Assistant Head Coach University of Calgary Swim Club and Varsity team, Hanna Seals summer club
Coaching Qualifications:
Canadian: National Coaching Certification Program Level 3 qualified.
"I CAN SWIM" course conductor.
'High Five' Principles of Healthy Child Development course conductor.
Bachelor's Degree in History (minor degree Psychology).
7 years Canadian National swim team (represented Canada in: 100 & 200 backstroke, 200, 400, 800, 1500 freestyle, 200 butterfly, 4x200 freestyle relays). Current Canadian record holder 800m freestyle (7:47.00 sc).
British National Champions coached: Alison Sheppard
Other National Champions coached: Canada: Lori Melien, Jason Brockman, Allison Zarich, Emile Veroni
Major Championship Medallists coached: Alison Sheppard
Other International swimmers coached: Lori Melien, Alexandra Lys, Jonathan Miller, Brian Hill (Disability), Jason Brockman, Allison Zwarich, Alasdair Pullan (Scotland), Pauline McLean (Scotland), Anthony Howard (Great Britain), Kerry Martin (Scotland), Cora Campbell (water-polo), Kim Campbell (water-polo).
Other Coaching Achievements:
BSCTA Scottish Coach of the year 1999
Canadian Swim Coaches Association Gold medal 2000
BSCTA Coaching Excellence award 2002
Representative Coaching Honours:
Alberta Canada Games team 1997
Scottish Commonwealth Games team 1998 (personal coach)
GB Olympic team staff 2000
GB World Short Course Championships team staff 2002
Scottish Commonwealth Games team staff 2002
Coaching Influences: Deryk Snelling, Nick Thierry, Dr.Steve Norris, Dr. David Smith, Herb deBray, Pierre Lafontaine, Dr.Monica Schloder, Cliff Barry, Dr.Jeno Tihanyi, Bill Boomer, Alison Sheppard
Favourite Coaching Resources: Former Canadian national team swimmers currently in coaching; Darren Ward, Tom Ponting, Steven VanderMeulen. Swim Technique magazine, the internet, coaching conferences, any book on swimming.
Favourite Coaching Venues: Intuition and creativity.
Most important coaching qualities: Observation and understanding what you have seen. Setting the horizons high and planning the programme for the swimmers to believe they can achieve them.
Best British swimmer of all time: David Wilkie.
Best Swimmer of all time: Duke Kahanamoku.
Ambitions as a coach: To be respected by my peers, to be innovative and to enjoy it.
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