Chris Cormier

Head Coach | Elite

cormier@htac.ca

Now in his third season as Head Coach of the Halifax Trojan Aquatic Club, Chris brings over 14 years of coaching experience spanning pre-competitive to national levels across Ontario and Nova Scotia. His career has also included roles with Swimming Canada and Own the Podium.

Driven by a passion for excellence, Chris envisions a bright future for swimming in Halifax. His coaching philosophy emphasizes technical skills, teamwork, and a strong, positive club culture - values that continue to shape the Trojan identity.

Outside the pool, Chris lives in Bedford, Nova Scotia, with his wife Ashley, their sons Maxwell and Leo, and their Basset Hound, Beau.

Eben Tebay

Assistant Head Coach | Junior Elite

tebay@htac.ca

Bio Coming Soon!

Lauren Ching

Office Manager | Senior Atlantic

office@htac.ca | laurnc@htac.ca

Lauren started teaching swimming lessons in 2008 and coaching in 2009 and has coached swimmers every season since! Lauren started coaching diving with her high school and swimming with her home club team in New Zealand - QE2 and then Tasman Magic before moving to Canada in 2016.

Lauren coached with the Trojans in the 2016-17 season as the lead coach for Beta before spending a few years as the Canada Games Centre head coach overseeing year round swimming, summer swimming, masters, diving, lifesaving and waterpolo teams. Lauren also coached with the Dartmouth Crusaders for a few seasons as the Gold lead coach before returning to the Trojans in 2024. Lauren has experience as both a competitor and a coach in a variety of aquatic sports and loves spending time in, on and around the water!

Lauren's coaching philosophy revolves around developing athletes as constant learners of the sport. She believes in a strong foundation of skills to set swimmers up to be lifelong swimmers who love the sport they are in. Lauren aims to create a positive, fun environment where swimmers learn to find fun in putting in the work, pride in their skills, and understanding the process of constant improvement.

This year Lauren has also taken over the part time Office Manager role and is excited to be involved in all things HTAC to help our swim families have the best club experience for a strong season!

Logan Sparkes

Academy Director | Dryland Lead | Junior Provincial

sparkes@htac.ca

Logan is thrilled to be back with HTAC for his third season.

Logan has been coaching for 5 years now, getting his experience started in BC with a summer swim club. Since then he has worked with other Halifax teams including the Dalhousie Tigers, Chronos Masters swimming and the Waeg Waves summer swim club.

To inspire his coaching, Logan draws from his 15 years experience as a competitive swimmer and his Bachelor's degree of Science in Kinesiology. He is looking forward to sharing his experience with the people of HTAC, and continuing to learn throughout the season!

Tessa Sneddon

Senior Provincial

sneddon@htac.ca

Tessa is looking forward to beginning her third season coaching with the Trojans!

After swimming with the Trojans for 9 seasons, Tessa joined the Trojans' coaching staff in 2024, working as an assistant coach, lead coach of Silver and Competitive Development, and now lead coach of Senior Provincial. Outside of coaching with the Trojans, Tessa has also been a coach for the Bedford Beavers, a private and group swim instructor at multiple pools across the province, and a head lifeguard at Canada Games Centre.

Tessa's philosophy on coaching is that the skills swimmers learn in the pool teach them to be resilient, strong, and brave individuals in their lives outside the pool.

Tessa is going into her third year at Dalhousie University, studying Classics and Creative Writing. When not at the pool, Tessa enjoys reading, hiking, and playing board games with her siblings.

Daniel Sutherland

Junior Atlantic | Coordinator, Brand & Social

sutherland@htac.ca

Daniel is very excited to be entering his fifth season coaching with the Trojans!

He began coaching with the Bedford Beavers in 2021 and has worked with athletes aged 4–18 at varying levels. In addition to his work with the Trojans, Daniel has been involved with several different clubs, including coaching with the Waeg Waves and serving as one of the Head Coaches of the Bedford Beavers Swim Team for the 2024 season.

Daniel’s coaching philosophy is anchored in his values of respect, support, communication, and learning. He strives to create a positive training and competition environment that emphasizes technical excellence, hard work, creativity, and fun.

Daniel is currently a full-time student at Dalhousie, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Statistics. Outside of swimming, he enjoys skiing, playing the piano, and listening to music.

Izzy van den Broeck

Gold | Silver

vandenbroeck@htac.ca

Izzy is very excited to be starting her first season coaching with the Trojans!

She began coaching with the Fredericton Aquanauts Swim team in New Brunswick in 2022, coaching mainly 12 and under. In addition to FAST, she was also a swim instructor for 3 years, coaching swimmers aged 3-14 at varying levels.

Izzy wishes to create an environment where athletes feel comfortable making mistakes, asking questions, and learning from challenges. Her goal is to help each athlete grow not only in their skills and confidence, but also as a teammate while having fun!

Izzy is currently in her 3rd year at Dalhousie University, pursuing a Bachelor in Medical Sciences. Outside of swimming, she enjoys running, listening to music, and reading!

Aerowyn Roe

Bronze

roe@htac.ca

Aerowyn is thrilled to join the Halifax Trojans for her first season! Originally from Ontario, she spent the last four years coaching and swimming with the Region of Waterloo Swim Club, where she loved helping young swimmers build confidence, develop strong fundamentals, and discover a genuine love for the sport.

Aerowyn’s coaching philosophy centers on creating a positive, encouraging team environment where every swimmer feels supported to try their best and learn new skills.

Aerowyn is studying at Dalhousie University, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts. Outside of the pool, she enjoys hiking, reading and spending time with family and friends.

She is super excited to bring her passion for coaching to the Trojans and can’t wait for a fun and rewarding season ahead!

Anna Mercer

mercer@htac.ca

Anna is thrilled to be entering her first season coaching with the Trojans!

Anna is from Moncton, New Brunswick, where she swam for 10+ years with CNBO. Previously, she was a YMCA swim for life instructor, and is in the process of completing her NCCP 101 "Fundamentals Coach."

Anna hopes to bring her love of the sport to the next generation of Trojans. She plans to give her athletes her highest standard of coaching and meet the individual demands of them, as well as foster a safe and healthy environment to allow them to feel part of a team as well as to feel seen as an individual.

Anna is a full-time student at Dalhousie, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. Outside of swimming, Anna has a cat named Tuuli, and enjoys hiking and drawing.

Meredith Coolen

coolen@htac.ca

Meredith is excited to begin her journey here with the Halifax Trojans!

She is entering her fourth year at Dalhousie, studying a Bachelors of Health in Therapeutic Recreation, Meredith is also a part of the Dalhousie Varsity Swim Team. During her time here she has volunteered a lot of her time helping younger swimmers feel more comfortable in the water.

She has also worked with Swim Nova Scotia for the past two summers, learning more about the behind-the-scenes work or swim meets, as well as attending coaching clinics to help younger athletes with their technique.

Meredith is eager to get to know the swimmers and help them strive to be the best version of themselves!

Mia Stein-Blumberg

stienblumberg@htac.ca

Mia Stein-Blumberg is entering her first year as a coach with the Halifax Trojans Swim Club, bringing extensive experience as a competitive swimmer and a passion for helping young athletes develop in the sport. She is a third-year varsity swimmer with the Dalhousie Tigers and spent her age-group swimming career with the Toronto Swim Club. Throughout her career, Mia has ranked both provincially and nationally in her favourite events, the 200 butterfly and 200 freestyle.

Her years of competitive swimming have given Mia a strong understanding of the technical, physical, and mental aspects of the sport. She understands the dedication, discipline, and perseverance required to train and compete at a high level.

As a coach, Mia is excited to share her experience and knowledge with the next generation of swimmers. She hopes to create a positive and supportive environment where athletes can build confidence, develop their skills, and enjoy swimming.

Mia is looking forward to her first season with the Trojans and becoming part of the coaching team.

Owen Newsome

newsome@htac.ca

Owen is excited to start his first-year coaching with the Trojans.

He began coaching in 2023 with the Sackville Waves Aquatic Team working with young athletes aged 6-8. Owen then coached with Bedford Beavers over the past summer coaching children 8–12-years of age.

Owen is currently a full-time student at Dalhousie and is working on a Bachelor's Degree in Management with a major in Managing Data and Information.

Outside of coaching and school Owen enjoys photography, skiing, and biking.

Olivia Langley

langley@htac.ca

Bio coming soon!