Meet our Guides
Meet the fantastic team of guides who bring your SwimTrek experience to life.
Kelsey Van Dyke
Swim history before SwimTrek
I was a competitive synchronized swimmer for 10+ years. I also coached the sport for 8 years. While studying abroad in Belgium for a semester I started playing water polo and still play to this day (recreationally now). In 2017, a friend introduced me to open water swimming. I’ve competed in a few open water swim races and was a part of two relay teams that swam across two lakes in my home province of Saskatchewan, while raising money for a local charitable organization. I recently traded fresh water for salt water and finally began a lifelong dream of learning to surf.
Most memorable swim moment
During the relay swim of Diefenbaker Lake, I had a shift in the middle of the night. Everything was dark except for a few lights on the boat, the water was still and it was completely silent. As I was swimming, the northern lights came out and danced in the sky, keeping me company for most of the hour. It was an unforgettable experience.
Top swimming tip
Ear plugs were a game changer for me when I started swimming in open water. And a hot beverage ready post-swim!
Interesting fact
I love languages. I speak French fluently and am currently learning Spanish (I've got a 241 day streak going on Duolingo).
Eabha Cox
Swim history before SwimTrek
From a young age all I wanted to do was be in or on water. From wakeboarding to windsurfing, cliff jumping, SUPing, kayaking and scuba diving, I've given it all a go. For me it always comes back to the swim. I started swimming competitively at the age of 11 with my local swim team and fell in love with the intense training and competitions. I made Regional and National squads and won many middle distance events. At 15 I took to the sea competitively as a surf lifesaver, winning region and national titles. From there the coastal races caught my eye and I’ve participated in open water races and triathlons ever since! Fortunately, my passion opened up many opportunities, enabling me to spend my summers as a lifeguard and water sport instructor, work as a swim teacher through university, and be Waterfront director at a holiday resort in Croatia (serious views!!)
Most memorable swim moment
Catching the most perfect wave in a national surf swim that brought me the whole way to the shore and got me on the podium.
Top swimming tip
Just go for it - Swim when you can and wherever you can. Even if it’s freezing it’ll be lovely once you get down! You never regret a dip.
Interesting fact
When I was 13 me and my family road tripped Southern Africa in a car we called “Noah’s arc”.
Tung Hoang
Swim history before SwimTrek
I'm basically a swimming lover. From the remaining childhood memories, I have loved the sea since I was a kid; everytime my parents brought me to the beach, I ran right away to the water everytime they dropped me to the sand. The first time I learned to swim was in 7th grade summer, then became an amateur swimmer until adulthood. Swimming has been a part of my career since I started out in the water sports industry (paddle sport, swimming and life saving). I have taken IFSTA certified courses through Viet Nam Swimming & Life saving Company since 2017, and was fortunate to be taught by an experienced teacher who has served as technical director of STA / IFSTA and VSLC. Until 2023, I have completed certifications from open water safety, to swimming and life-saving teacher. Since 2018, and have participated in activities such as organizing swimming summer camps for students or training camp for ironman. I will soon complete swimming teacher trainer qualification this year. Currently, I regularly swim 3-5 times a week, with 2-3km technical swimming on weekdays myself, and long distance swimming (about 2-7km) every weekend with other swimmers.
Most memorable swim moment
It was on a summer afternoon when I was a freshman in university. On that special day, I did my first long distance swim with 3 other friends, we rented 2 large floats for 2 weak swimmers. Another friend and I swam, pushing and holding on floats when we needed a break, and we swam together for 4.5 hours and only returned to the beach when the city lights were on. Although this was not a "professional" experience, the emotions of that day ignited in me an invisible excitement about long-distance swimming, and feeling the vastness of the sea. Perhaps it was the emotions of that day that led me to stick with water sports and swimming, to be able to feel the freedom, the connection with nature and the joy with the young soul every day.
Top swimming tip
Safety 1st, keep the "safety bell" in mind all the time. Check the weather before swimming Do risk assessment & Be well-prepared. Understand limits (of myself & team) Should go with others, especially in long-distance swimming. Follow the "leave no trace" principles to protect the swimming areas.
Interesting fact
My wife can't swim well (she's a 1 breath swimmer) . :(
Fabian Bull
Swim history before SwimTrek
I swam for Cardiff as a child but gave up competitive swimming in may later teens and early twenties. After University I started swimming again, focusing on open water distance events. During this time I swam the Solent in 4 consecutive years. In 2011 I joined a Masters club and began the long road back to competitive swimming, focusing on short distance sprints. I have competed in two Fina World Masters Championships and hold a Bronze medal for Long Course National Championships at Masters level in the 100m Butterfly. I currently swim for Brighton Dolphin and Brighton Swimming Club and hold swimming and surf lifesaving coaching qualifications. Basically, If water is involved, I'm not far away from it.
Most memorable swim moment
Having a chunk bitten out of my fin by a very aggressive and determined trigger fish in the Great Barrier Reef.
Top swimming tip
Everyone floats, so just relax. If you can float in a streamline position, you are only a few small steps away from becoming an efficient swimmer.
Interesting fact
I own a banana plantation on the Island of St Vincent
Cliff Golding
Swim history before SwimTrek
In the autumn of 1991 I decided I wanted to swim the Channel. This was an odd decision as I was a skinny marathon runner with no previous experience as a swimmer save for a bronze certificate. Six attempts and five years later I finally succeeded. I did it again in 2003 and, in the six years until that second swim, I swam round Jersey three times, Lake Zurich three times and Windermere twice. I seem to have a thing for hat tricks! I have a third Windermere swim now and two Jersey to France (J2F) swims in the portfolio. To complete five hat tricks I need another J2F and a Channel solo. Hmmm, we’ll see! I am running marathons and ultras again but have dusted off the Speedos and am back in the pool.
Most memorable swim moment
Walking out onto Wissant Beach in France 13 hours and 17 minutes after I had walked into the sea off Shakespeare Beach in Dover to finally become a Channel swimmer. It remains my most memorable and most empowering moment in open water swimming.
Top swimming tip
1) Get a good coach who understands open water swimming. I should have done that at the beginning of my swim career.
2) If you aspire to do one or more of the big open water swims, when it gets tough (it always does at some point) and you think you can’t carry on, you can. It is mostly always that space between your ears that can dictate an outcome. When you think you are at the end of your ability and endurance, you aren't. Are you fully responsive to command from your pilot or crew? Can you recite your phone number, date of birth without hesitation? If you can, and your pilot and crew concur, you can almost certainly put one arm in front of the other and prevail. Then you can bask in the glory of your achievement. .
Interesting fact about you
I write, I make art, I juggle, I used to ride a unicycle for fun, whilst juggling (but I fell off a lot - so I don't do it anymore!)
April Marshall
Swim History Before SwimTrek
I was actually born in the bath - came out swimming! From a young age I joined part of Voluntary Lifeguard group in Eastbourne, started as a nipper then progressed to help coach. I trained to become a pool and beach lifeguard as soon as I could, where I started working summer seasons lifeguarding on the beach. After working a summer lifeguarding in America, I got the travel bug which lead me to working as Cabin Crew. I was very fortunate to visit and swim in some tropical locations. Thought I'd then combine both my love of travel and swimming with my safety cover experience by becoming a guide!
Most Memorable Swim Moment
Being part of the 2023 'SwimTrekkin to France' English Channel relay team and swimming in the middle of the shipping lane - an experience I will never forget.
Top Swimming Tip
Remember to breath, relax and enjoy the swim.
Interesting Fact
I took a phone call on my 18th Birthday, I thought it was work... turns out it was Gethin Jones! He was down the beach with the lifeguards presenting for a new television show!
Orla Bredin
Swim history before swim trek
I grew up on the west coast of Ireland and swimming has always been a huge part of my life since I was very young. As a child and teenager I swam competitively with Ennis Swimming and Lifesaving Club and competed with our local Surf Life Saving team. Winters were for swimming laps on cold mornings in a pool and summers were for sea swimming. I gave up competitive swimming in my late teens but at that stage I was lifeguarding on the beaches in Co. Clare and teaching swimming lessons most days. After university I returned to live by the sea so I could continue to swim and explore our beautiful ocean and coastline.
Most memorable swim moment?
It is very difficult to choose just one stand out moment, however, in September 2021 there were large groups of basking sharks off the coast near where I lived. They had been there for weeks and it was thought that they came together for mating season. One afternoon at the end of the season, I was in Kilkee and got chatting to a diver at the pier who was going out on a boat to see them. I smiled and chanced my arm asking if I could tag along and low and behold they let me! We headed out about 3 km from shore in search of these sea giants. We were looking for maybe 30/45 minutes when we saw some fins. Suddenly the driver stopped the boat and said “everyone in the water now”. Before I knew it I was in the water next to 5 or 6 basking sharks, the second biggest shark in the world. We kept our distance but now that mating season was finishing they were less distracted by each other and a few in particular took an interest in us circling around us. Despite their size, they are incredibly docile and gentle creatures. It’s hard to describe the feeling of being in the ocean next to these gentle giants. This was definitely a pinch me moment, and for it to have happened so close to home made it all the more special.
Top swimming tip.
Being consistently good is better than being amazing on occasion. Stay consistent, you might not see progress everyday but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t progressing. But overall - have fun and don’t forget to play.
Interesting fact
When I'm not in the ocean I can be found on a mountain or in a forest. I used to live in Nepal and since then I've organised multiple yoga retreats to the Himalayas with the intention of connecting people to themselves and the land
Fulvio D'Alessandro
Swim history before SwimTrek
Unlike many swimmers, I don't have a background in pool swimming as a child, in fact I started swimming seriously at the age of 26. I started swimming following serious knee surgery after a motorbike accident, when swimming was basically my rehab. After the first few months, the walls and lanes of the pool began to feel cramped, and since I was born and raised near the sea and with a love for it and for nature, I began my journey into open water swimming. In a very short time I literally fell in love with open water swimming and developed a great passion for it, so much so that I started training with consistency and seriousness and started taking part in numerous events around the world, specializing in long distance swims. Today I train with a group of Master swimmers in the pool and swim in the sea non-stop throughout the year. In the last two years I started my professional training to try to transform this passion of mine into a job, and here I am today to be part of this beautiful company that is SwimTrek!
Most memorable swim moment
There are many moments that I remember with joy, perhaps the most memorable of them dates back to the second stage of an event in Morocco, a beautiful open water swimming competition divided into four stages on the coasts of the Sahara desert. That day the sea conditions were very harsh, waves and wind, and I remember this moment in which I saw a flock of pink flamingos flying above us in the sky, with the dunes of the Sahara desert in the distance. I remember at that moment having felt the deep sensation of being alive!
Top swimming tip
The more tired we are, the more our technique deteriorates, dragging us into a spiral from which it is difficult to escape. Only calmness and concentration allow us to maintain our technique in the hardest moments!
Interesting fact
As mentioned before, I started swimming seriously at a fairly advanced age, but despite this, thanks to the commitment and passion I have put in over the years, I find myself achieving results that I thought were unattainable.
Scott Schroeder
Swim History before SwimTrek
I have always loved swimming. I swam competitively through high school and college, and then off-and-on with various masters swim clubs. Swimming has always been my go-to activity, and having it in my life has brought me joy, and helped me bounce back from the occasional low point. In recent years I have embraced open-water swimming and have participated in a number of awesome events including Alcatraz Sharkfest, Vancouver Around the Bay Challenge, and the Au I Nā Mokupuni ‘Ekolu Hawaii Channel Crossings.
I’m always looking for new ways to encourage others to swim, and to embrace swimming as a fun and healthy activity. I was fortunate enough to take part in a SwimTrek tour in the Greek Islands, and it was an exceptional experience! I wanted to become a SwimTrek guide because it's a unique opportunity to promote an activity that I love.
Most memorable swim moment
There are so many, but one definitely happened at the start of the Alcatraz Sharkfest swim when 900+ swimmers were off the ferries and in the water. I looked around me and as far as I could see were literally 100’s of yellow bathing caps bobbing in the deep, rough water, and couldn’t help but think how crazy it was… and then the race started, which was crazier.
Top swimming tip
There may be moments when swimming open water that seem a bit scary, when the waves or currents feel too big or too strong, and the conditions may not be in your favour. Take a moment to relax, breathe, and then just keep swimming.
Interesting fact
I have a passion for long-distance motorcycle trips.
Margaux Verger Gourson
Swim history before SwimTrek
I've been swimming for as long as I can remember. I am the youngest of two and first entered a pool as I was following my sister around. I've always been fascinated by water. I swam competitively for many years, representing France on youth teams for both pool and open water, and then moving to the US to swim in college. I then also started teaching and coaching and rediscovered my love for the sport through those I was helping. Swimming has enabled me to travel and meet people from all backgrounds who inspire me. I love the connection that exists between people who love to swim and care for the element that gives us so much passion.
Most memorable swim moment
When I went to World Junior Championships for open water, it had been a very long season and the preparation for it had been rough. I remember being there after the race and being in one of those suspended in time moments where I could really realize and enjoy the present moment. After the meet was over I went back to the starting line and did a massive cannonball that I knew I wanted to remember forever. I can still feel everything about it today.
Top swimming tip
Embrace the element, utilize it to get to know your body and mind better and never underestimate either your abilities nor the power of the water. Technique-wise, optimize your glide.
Interesting fact
After Covid, I quit my day job and went to Mexico to bartend. I then also sort of started an ice cream business that was never very profitable because I was eating too much of it myself.
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