Head Coach Rick Walker

Rick has been an active masters swimmer since 1985 and started coaching in 2002, after many years in business. As an ASCA Certified masters coach, Rick has seen his program grow from three swimmers in September 2002, to nearly 200 currently. In the pool and in open water swimming, Rick has been ranked nationally and worldwide and has been recognized as All-American multiple times in various events.

Coach Bill Brenner

A Level 2 ASCA certified coach, Bill brings a wealth of coaching and swimming experience to the team. He was a senior age-group and high school state champion sprint freestyler. In college, Bill swam for the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. During that time, Bill was also the head age-group coach in Concord, N.C. Between 1988-1991, Bill returned to UNC-CH as an assistant swim coach. Bill has also coached club soccer and high school football. After taking time off to raise four children with his wife Pamela, he returned to swimming in 2007. He has ranked consistently in the Top 10 since his return. Bill coaches the evening group and enjoys helping swimmers hone their stroke technique with individualized attention and innovative practice drills.

Coach Laura Hamel

After a 30-year hiatus from swimming, Laura returned in late 2006. She has been working hard to regain lost ground and is living proof that it is never too late to come back to the sport! In spite of the missing years, she managed to place in the Top 10 in her age group her first year back. She also won All-American honors for the 200M Breaststroke in 2008. Laura has been instrumental in growing the evening masters program significantly during the past few years and she enjoys helping new swimmers and triathletes develop their skills. She also leads the Saturday morning open water practice. Laura is certified by ASCA as a Level 2 Masters coach. In addition, she serves at the team’s webmaster.