2023 -24 Coaching Staff

Our coaching staff is dedicated to providing a safe sport environment and encouraging our athletes to discover a life long commitment to being active in sport.  All staff are members of the Canadian Swim Coaches Association and commit themselves to its values and code of conduct. Code of Conduct

Mikayla Tyrrell

Head Coach

coach.mikayla.tyrrell@gmail.com

Mikayla is entering her 10th season as a coach and her first season as a head coach. She began coaching with the Halifax Trojans before returning to Ontario where she worked as a Registered Kinesiologist while also coaching senior athletes with the Barrie Trojans. While coaching in Ontario Mikayla was heavily involved with Swim Ontario and developing para swimming, this included running regional and provincial training camps.

Mikayla has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Dalhousie which has strengthened her knowledge and understanding in exercise physiology and biomechanics and supports her coaching. While attending school Mikayla worked as an athletic therapist for the Varsity teams including Swimming, Basketball, and Rugby in addition to working with the Halifax Hurricanes Basketball team. Through both coaching and volunteering Mikayla has had the opportunity to work with novice athletes although through to professional athletes.

Mikayla is very excited to be returning to Nova Scotia and the Dartmouth Crusaders. She believes that swimming should be accessible to all and will look to create a fun and inclusive environment. Mikayla hopes to help each swimmer achieve their personal goals by facilitating learning and growth and encouraging excitement in swimming.

Michelle Wilson

Lead Age Group Coach

coach.michelleltm@gmail.com

Michelle joined Crusaders as Head Coach in August 2008. After 14 seasons Michelle is changing her focus to a supporting role, to concentrate on performance development with the Junior squad and with coaching development.  Prior to coaching in NS, she was an assistant coach in Ottawa, Ont. and Richmond, BC and then took the Head Coach position with Sungod Swim Club in Delta, BC, a position she held for 21 years before moving to Crusaders.  


Michelle is a graduate of Western University, London, Ontario, MA Physical Education and has completed Level 4 NCCP. She was an apprentice coach with the National Youth, Commonwealth Games, and World Championship Teams in 1994; on the coaching staff for the Sydney Australia Youth Olympic Festival in January 2001; and was an assistant coach with the Team BC at the 1993 and 1997 Canada Games, and with Team NS at the 2013 and 2017 Games. As a founding Director for the BC Swim Coaches Association she served on the Board for 4 years. She was a Director with the Board of the Canadian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association for 8 years, and Chair of the CSCTA Education/Certification Committee for 4 years.  

Michelle seeks to challenge each Crusader through the sport of swimming to set goals personally and professionally that inspire them to a level of commitment and determination that enables them to persevere until success is achieved. She believes that success in sport is not a path of instant gratification and that rewards are found in the effort. Failures must be embraced as part of the learning as much as successes are celebrated as part of the reward. Whenever the end of their career in sport arrives, while the successes are exhilarating, it will also be the challenges shared with the team that will combine to be foremost in defining the quality of each person’s swimming experience.

Lauren Ching

Lead Gold Coach

gold_squad@dartmouthcrusaders.ca

Lauren hails from New Zealand and has been coaching since 2013.  She has assisted with age group programs, was Head Coach at Canada Games Centre where she helped to build the fledgling program that was part of the competitive swimming landscape in NS for four years.  In the 2022-2023 season she will lead the Gold squad, and assist with Novatech squad.

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Leila Bautista

Co-Lead Gold Coach

gold_squad@dartmouthcrusaders.ca

Leila has been in and around the pool from a young age - beginning with the NS summer swimming program where her decade-old records still remain, then joining the Crusaders where she reached the level of podium performance at NS Provincial Championships. She graduated from the Kinesiology program at Dalhousie and is now studying Health Promotion. Leila joined the Crusaders coaching staff in the 2015-16 season after first volunteering for a year.  She is certified NCCP Level 1 and is trained for Level 2. With her academic background she has strengthened her understanding of biomechanics and human performance. Leila is the Co-Lead Coach for Gold Squad for 2023-2024 and together with Coach Lauren will create a rewarding and fun training and competition environment. 

Victoria chandler

Blue Coach

blue_squad@dartmouthcrusaders.ca

Victoria originally got her start with swimming with the BC-based Hyack Swim Club, which is where her passion for coaching began. She has been coaching since 2014 in BC and NS where she has worked with winter, summer, and masters swimmers. Victoria is Swimming 101 Certified and Swimming 201 Trained. Victoria has a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology as well as a Master of Science in Occupational Therapy from Dalhousie University. Outside of coaching, Victoria presently works as an Occupational Therapist with Lifemark

Christina Riley

Lead FUNdamentals Coach

FUNdamentals@dartmouthcrusaders.ca

Christina has been swimming since she was young, she loves being active and enjoys the sport. She swam for the Dartmouth Crusaders Swim Club competitively for 8 years before moving into a coaching role. She is NCCP Level 1 certified and is joining the team for her fourth coaching season. Christina loves to share her passion for swimming with athletes and believes that building a strong foundation at a young age is the key to success. Her pet peeve is to always have fun and encourage one another in and outside the pool. Christina is currently in her second year of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Dalhousie University. Her favourite stroke is backstroke!

Karley Grimard

Assistant FUNdamentals Coach / Try-8 Coach

FUNdamentals@dartmouthcrusaders.ca

Karley has been competitively swimming for 8 years first in Saskatchewan and then most recently for the Dartmouth Crusaders Swim Club.  She then made the move to coaching after completing NCCP Level 1 Certification.  Karley is in her second year of coaching for the Crusaders and for various summer swim clubs around the province.  She has a passion for building foundational skills in younger swimmers and encouraging a positive team atmosphere.  Karley is currently attending Saint Mary’s University for a Bachelor of Commerce.  Her favorite stroke is Butterfly!

Olivia Jodrey

Playground / FUNdamentals Coach

Olivia started swimming at an early age with the summer swim team the Colby Sailfish. She continued swimming with the summer team until 2019 when she joined the Dartmouth Crusaders’ Junior squad. She swam on the Junior squad for two years before moving up to Senior in 2021.
Olivia completed her Swimming 101 course in September 2022 and coached the Crusaders’ Playground and FUNdamentals 2 squad. She continued coaching through the summer an assistant coach for the summer swim team, the Colby Sailfish. Olivia is excited to continue coaching Playground and FUNdamentals 2 this year.
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Alex Jonsen-Humble

Playground / FUNdamentals Coach

Alex has been an avid swimmer from a young age - having been a Playground swimmer himself, he continued lessons and started competitions while living abroad.   When he returned to Dartmouth, he competed with the Cole Harbour Hurricanes; he moved to winter swimming and eventually joined the GOLD squad of the Crusaders.  He has spent the past 5 years working his way up to Seniors where he continues to train.  Alex began coaching last year with PG and this will be his first year working with the FUNdamental swimmers!   He is keen to help younger athletes love the sport the way he does!