MEET YOUR COACHES
WHAT MAKES A WRASA COACH?
WRASA takes tremendous pride in our coaching staff. We believe we have cultivated one of the strongest and most dedicated coaching teams in BC Summer Swimming.
We can back up this bold claim because our coaches are also top competitors in swimming and other sports as well. They know how to coach because they know how to compete!
As you might have guessed, it's not easy to be selected as a WRASA coach.
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In addition to being outstanding athletes, every WRASA coach brings their own impressive set of credentials. They are certified through NCCP National Coaching levels, water safety instruction, first aid and life-saving training. They've also distinguished themselves inside WRASA (such as the Senior Leadership program) or have been selected for their exceptional technical skill from many outside applicants.
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Many WRASA coaches begin as WRASA swimmers and spend a few years in the WRASA Senior Leader Program learning to the basics of coaching, organizing and leading.
So, now, let's meet them!
MEET THE WRASA COACHES 2023!
Alan Deng
Head Coach
Hey WRASA!
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I'm super happy to be part of this 2023 season! This will be my 13th year with the club and my first one as
the WRASA head coach. I grew up swimming with WRASA every summer and extremely fortunate to be touched by the family atmosphere cultivated in its community. Accordingly I hope I am able to foster the same positive spirit in the club this season and in all of the following.
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This season, as a water polo and swimming coach, I hope to help athletes develop in both swimming and water polo technically as well as develop their attitudes toward athletics. Additionally, both in my group and in the club,
I look forward to promote positive relationships between athletes and creating an environment in which positive memories can be made.
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Outside of swimming, I have just completed Grade 12 as a full IB student from Semiahmoo Secondary and am looking forward to moving on to university next year at UBC. I have also been playing water polo for over 7 years with FVWP. When I am not by the pool, I like to play other sports, read, and play piano!
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See you at the pool!
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Sunny Yang
Assistant Head Coach
Hey WRASA!
I am super excited to be returning to the WRASA coaching staff as the Assistant Head Coach for the 2023 summer season! This year is my second as a WRASA coach and my ninth at the club!
My experience includes swimming competitively since I was 8, initially with PSW, before joining WRASA in 2014, volunteering as a senior leader for three years, and coaching Winter Training for the past two years. Also, I have experience coaching for the White Rock Wave Masters Swim Team.
As a large part of my life, swimming has helped me to grow as an individual and has created lifelong relationships that I greatly cherish. As a coach, my goal is to help swimmers develop a love for the sport by creating a fun environment emphasizing hard work and dedication.
I just finished my grade 12 year at Southridge School and in the fall, I will be studying business at New York University’s Stern School of Business. Outside of swimming, I enjoy playing basketball and listening to music. In addition to English, I am also fluent in Mandarin.
See you at Sunnyside!
Lizzie
SINT Group Coach
Hey Wrasa !!
I’m beyond excited to be a coach on deck this season!
This is my first year coaching with WRASA and I am super excited to be a part of such a great team. I have been swimming competitively for as long as I can remember. I started swimming with WRASA when I was 5 and I fell in love with the sport and have been happily swimming ever since.
When I am not at the pool, I love hanging out with my friends and family. Not only do I enjoy both of those things, I also really love to draw and paint. I also really enjoy lots of other sports like volleyball and horseback riding.
I am looking forward to sharing my love and knowledge of swimming with all of you this summer! I am super excited to be back at Sunnyside.
See you at the pool!
Jorja Olver
Jr Group Coach
Hi WRASA!
I am very excited to be back for another summer! This will be my second summer coaching, but I started swimming with the club back in 2013. That was when I fell in love with the sport and it has been a huge part of my life ever since. My past experiences include many seasons with WRASA, PSW, and several years in the Senior Leadership Program.
My favourite part of summer swimming is the family-like environment, which I hope to foster. I have made so many memories and lifelong friends from my seasons, and I hope you will too. This season I can’t wait to help swimmers set/achieve their goals, swim fast, and of course have fun! I am very focused on helping swimmers learn personal accountability and healthy habits.
Currently, I am finishing up Grade 12 in the International Baccalaureate program at Semiahmoo Secondary. Outside of the pool, I love listening to music or going to the gym, preferably at the same time. I am also a huge fan of anything thrilling, including horror movies and roller coasters. I can’t wait to get to know you all better this summer!
See you at the pool!
Elvis Wang
Jr Group Coach
Hey WRASA!
I’m ecstatic to be a part of WRASA 2023 year as a coach! I've been competing with the club since 2012 when I was 9. This will be my 11th season swimming and my 2nd season coaching though I've been a senior leader for many years prior to that. Swimming and coaching have had a huge impact on my life, helping me form friendships, make memories, and grow as a person.
This season I'm looking forward to helping swimmers develop their athletic abilities, practice goal setting, form friendships and have fun being part of this club!
Outside of swimming, I've just completed my first year of studies at the University of Toronto majoring in physics and mathematics. I enjoy playing the guitar, writing fiction, and spending time in nature.
See you all at the pool!
Andrew Qiu
Jr Group Coach
Hey WRASA!
I look forward to meeting familiar faces and new faces this year, not as a swimmer but as a coach. This summer will be my sixth year in the club and first year joining as a coach.
I am currently studying Math, Physics, Chemistry, English and History in the partial IB program at Semiahmoo Secondary. If you have any questions about my abnormal schedule please don’t ask me as I myself have no idea how my schedule ended up like this.
Outside of swimming, my other most time consuming hobby is competitive chess. So if anyone wants to challenge me to a match, I’m always open and happy to play a game of chess. I’m also the founder of Canadian Chess Society, a chess non-profit that aims to promote this sport/game to the public so if anyone is interested, feel free to ask me more information on this!
As this is my first year being a summer coach, let’s stand beside each other and fight through the next two months with endless possibilities of pain, joy and excitement while creating lasting memories together.
Peter Qiu
JD Group Coach
Hey WRASA!
I am very excited to be a part of the coaching staff for the 2023 summer season!
This will be my 7th season with the club, and my first time as a summer coach. I have been
coaching the Winter Maintenance program this fall/winter and am excited to share my
knowledge/experience of swimming with all of the swimmers this summer!
This season, I am hoping to help all of my swimmers reach their fitness and personal goals, while having a fun and rewarding experience. Apart from swimming, I look forward to maintaining a warm and hard-working environment at the club.
I am currently a grade 11 student at Elgin Park Secondary, and besides swimming, you can find me playing recreational basketball and lots of chess. If you are feeling lucky, you can
challenge me to a game of chess!
See you at Sunnyside!
Olivia Lu
JD Group Coach
Hi everyone!
I’m so excited to be coaching this summer season! I’ve been swimming with WRASA for 11 years and this season will be my first year as a group coach.
Summer swimming has allowed me to make lots of friends and memories as well as push myself physically and mentally. It has been a part of my life for so long and I’m very happy to have been given the opportunity to share my love for swimming with my swimmers.
Outside of swimming, I enjoy photography and listening to music. I am finishing grade 11 at Grandview Heights Secondary where I play basketball and rugby. I am also a lifeguard at Grandview pool and Sunnyside so make sure to wave if you see me!
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I hope to see all of you this summer!
Jaya Burns
Guppies Group Coach
Hey WRASA!
I am so excited to be coaching this 2023 summer season. This will be my third season coaching with WRASA and I can’t wait to see you all race fast and have fun! I am currently finishing my second year in Kinesiology at University of Calgary and hope to pursue medicine in the future.
Swimming has been and always will be a huge part of my life! I have been swimming since I was 4 and absolutely love seeing my swimmers succeed! Besides swimming, in my free time I love to row with the Dino’s at UofC with the varsity rowing team, traveling and spending time with my family.
For this season, I really want to focus on swimmers pushing themselves out of their comfort levels while having lots of fun. No matter the outcome of races and practices, my only goal is that swimmers have tried their hardest and come out of the pool with a huge smile.
See you at Sunnyside!!
Sara Burns
Water Polo Coach
Hello everyone,
I am thrilled to announce that I will be joining the WRASA coaching team this summer season! I will be coaching the water polo team and the Junior developmental swim group, and I can't wait to get started.
I bring over six years of experience playing water polo with FVWP and have volunteered with Sunfish Waterpolo for over two years. Additionally, I have been swimming competitively since I was three years old and have had the privilege of training with various swim clubs, including WRASA.
I am currently a grade 11 student at Southridge School and plan to study fashion when I graduate. I am eager to become a role model for the younger generation and help them reach their full potential.
When I'm not on the deck, I can be found sewing, listening to music such as One Direction, or hanging out with my friends .
My main goal this summer is to ensure that everyone has fun while working hard. I can't wait to see all of the progress and accomplishments we will make together!
Thank you and I'm looking forward to an amazing season!
Maddy Olver
Water Polo Coach
Hi WRASA!
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I am very excited to join the WRASA coaching staff this summer! This is my first year as a coach. I began my journey as a swimmer in 2014 at WRASA. In addition, I have spent 8 years as a winter swimmer with PSW. My experience includes coaching for the North Delta Sunfish’s Fall/Winter Maintenance program, as well as volunteering as a Senior Leader.
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This summer, I am hoping to share my knowledge with all of the athletes. WRASA has given me the opportunity to create connections within our community that have greatly influenced my life starting over a decade ago. In addition, I would like to help our club become a closer and stronger community by fostering a positive and inclusive environment.
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I am currently finishing my 9th grade year at Semiahmoo Secondary. Aside from swimming, I enjoy designing graphics, photography, journalism, and watching hockey.
Vonzelle
Water Polo Coach
Carys
Water Polo Coach
Hey WRASA!
I am really excited to be a part of the coaching team this summer. This is my first summer coaching and 5th year swimming with the club. I swam competitively with PSW for many years. Swimming has been a huge part of my life and I have learned a lot from it. Aside from swimming I play water polo with FVWP. I also enjoy playing other sports such as field hockey. When I'm not at the pool I enjoy trying new things, hanging out with friends and cooking. This season I am looking forward to contributing and playing a bigger part with the WRASA community.
See you at the pool!
Hana
Assistant Coach
Hi WRASA!
I am so excited to be a part of the WRASA Coaching Staff this summer! This is my first season as a coach but this club is where my love for swimming began in 2015. It has allowed me to branch out, which has led me to playing water polo with FVWP, which I have been doing for five years now. I am currently attending Southpointe Academy and will be in Grade 12 in the coming year.
Swimming and water polo have allowed me to learn so much about myself and form relationships with my team and coaches that I would never find elsewhere. My goal for this season will be to establish these relationships with some of the athletes who want to try water polo, and help them love the sport as much as I have over the years.
In addition to these sports I also enjoy playing soccer, making art, reading and traveling with my family. I love to take time to socialize with others and spend time outside. I am really optimistic about this season and I can’t wait to share my excitement with you.
See you on deck!
Vonzelle Venter
Assistant Coach
Hey WRASA!
I am very excited to join the coaching staff of WRASA for the 2023 Summer Season! Although
this is my first year with the club, my passion for swimming has been a part of me for as long as
I can remember. My journey began with water safety lessons when I was only 4 months old, and
I started competitive swimming at the age of 9, as a member of Aqua Warriors Swim Club in
South Africa. Upon moving to Canada I joined the Pacific Sea Wolves.
These experiences have led me to playing water polo for Fraser Valley Water polo Club for over
two years now, and during this time, I have developed a deep passion for the sport. Through my
dedication and hard work, I have not only gained knowledge but have also formed lasting
friendships with my teammates and coaches. I currently attend Elgin Park Secondary School and
will be going into the 12th grade in September. When I am not at the pool, I enjoy spending my
time playing other sports as well as going out with my friends and family.
My goal for this season is to help our athletes enhance their skills and develop as individuals and as a team within the sport, by encouraging hard work, creating a love for the sport, and making
memories.
See you at the pool!
Andrew Lawson
Assistant Coach
Hey WRASA,
I can’t wait to get my first summer season under my belt. I have been a part of WRASA for 11 years and after 2 years in the senior leadership program, I made the jump to coaching. After being a coach during winter maintenance, I know I will enjoy every part of this summer season.
When I am not at the pool I enjoy listening to music and playing football. An interesting fact about me is that I know a lot about football stats, I can tell you anything and everything about the NFL. I am very excited to get this season underway!
Paul
Assistant Coach
Hello WRASA,
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I am thrilled to join WRASA for another season, and I can’t wait to work with the awesome coaches and swimmers here. I have been a competitive swimmer for the past 6 years. I have had the opportunity to work with many teams and have coached at Delta Sunfish, PSW, and in WRASA’s winter maintenance program. Although I have only been at WRASA for one season, it was one of the most memorable summers I have ever had.
I am in grade 11 at Semiahmoo Secondary and am planning to pursue a career in the sciences. Outside of swimming, I love running, hitting the gym, biathloning, and making/eating good foods. I also love reading, listening to music, and taking photos of cool things I see.
Throughout my time in the sport, I have been fortunate enough to be coached by some truly amazing and inspiring individuals. I wish to share the same passion that these amazing coaches have shared with me. This season I am looking forward to working with all the different unique swimmers and coaches here at WRASA and making this season as memorable to these swimmers as the last season has been for me!