At SwimLab, our coaches bring decades of swim education and experience to adult swimmers across Sydney. Meet the SwimLab coaches who guide our programs, support your progress, and help you build confidence and skill in the water.
Claire Owen - CEO/Head Coach of Swimlab
Advanced Swim Mastery Coach | Surf Bronze | Surf Lifesaver | Cert IV Personal Trainer
With over 30 years of experience in teaching and coaching, Claire Owen is the driving force behind Swimlab. She holds degrees in Sports Science and Physical Education, and is also a qualified Personal Trainer.
She is a former Total Immersion™ Master Coach, and now licensed Advanced Swim Mastery™ Coach.
Claire is passionate about creating a high-quality learning experience for every swimmer, from beginners to proficient athletes. Her dedication ensures that both swimmers and coaches are constantly improving and evolving.
Claire’s competitive swimming background includes competing at a national level in the UK. She spent 17 years teaching high-energy Physical Education in Hong Kong, where she also excelled as a competitive triathlete and biathlete. Beyond the pool, she coached, managed, and played for the Women’s 1st XV Rugby team.
Now based in Sydney, Claire continues to inspire others through her commitment to life-long learning and her love for swimming. A successful return to competitive Open Water swimming has seen Claire twice crowned the NSW Leaderboard Age Group Winner for the 5k Ocean Swim Series.
Coach Kerrie – Swimlab Shire
Masters Swim Coach (Swim Australia) | Advanced Swim Mastery Coach
About Kerrie
Kerrie is an experienced adult swim coach at Swimlab Shire, specialising in efficient freestyle technique, adult learn-to-swim, and stroke correction for beginners and intermediate swimmers. With over five years of coaching experience and a calm, supportive teaching style, she helps swimmers build confidence, improve endurance, and develop a smoother, more efficient freestyle.
Kerrie’s coaching is grounded in Swim Mastery principles—focusing on whole-body movement, relaxed breathing, and reducing drag. She works with nervous beginners through to confident lap swimmers wanting to refine technique or prepare for event swimming.
Qualifications
-
Masters Swim Coach (Swim Australia)
-
Advanced Swim Mastery Coach
-
Adult-specific technique and confidence-building expertise
Key Skills
-
Adult learn-to-swim specialist
-
Freestyle technique development
-
Stroke correction for adults
-
Swim Mastery whole-body efficiency
-
Beginner, progressive, and endurance-focused coaching
-
Support for ocean swimming preparation
What Kerrie Offers
-
Calm, confidence-building coaching for adults
-
Step-by-step progressions for freestyle efficiency
-
High-quality feedback and in-water demonstrations
-
Focus on reducing drag, improving breathing, and building endurance
-
Supportive learning environment for nervous or returning swimmers
Programs Kerrie Coaches
-
Swim Foundation Freestyle Series
-
Freestyle Mastery Advanced Stroke Correction
-
SwimFit – Swimlab Shire
Coach Fiona – Swimlab Sydney
Swim Mastery Fundamentals Coach | Swim Australia Teacher | Surf Lifesaver
About Fiona
Fiona brings warmth, experience, and a deep love of the water to Swimlab’s coaching team. A long-time swimmer who rediscovered her passion under Claire’s guidance in 2015/16, she now helps adults build confidence, ease, and enjoyment in the water using Swim Mastery principles.
Her calm style, clear demonstrations, and strong technique make her an anchor for swimmers who are new, nervous, or rebuilding their freestyle. Fiona loves seeing adults transform over a program—gaining confidence, discovering efficiency, and realising that swimming can feel good, not hard. She is an integral part of the supportive Swimlab community that inspires both swimmers and coaches alike.
Qualifications
-
Swim Mastery Fundamentals Coach
-
Swim Australia Teacher
-
Volunteer Surf Lifesaver
-
Freediver in Training
-
(Add AustSwim, Bronze Medallion, PT qualifications if she holds any — happy to update)
Key Skills
-
Adult learn-to-swim specialist
-
Beginner confidence building
-
Efficient freestyle technique
-
Calm, clear technical demonstrations
-
Breath control and early skills development
-
Step-by-step progressions for endurance and ease
-
Supportive coaching for nervous swimmers
Programs Fiona Coaches
-
Swimlab Freestyle Foundation Series
-
1:1 Coaching – personalised technical sessions following program pathways or tailored to individual goals
-
Starter Ocean Bootcamps (support role as needed)
Why Fiona Loves Coaching at Swimlab
Fiona first trained with Head Coach Claire as a swimmer, completely transforming her own stroke and rekindling her love of swimming. Coaching with Swimlab has grown her confidence both in and out of the water, and the lessons she learns in her own swimming directly shape how she helps others.
Her favourite part of coaching is witnessing transformation—watching confidence build from the first session to the last, and being part of Swimlab’s inspiring, connected community.
Swim Superpower
Fiona has been swimming since childhood and has developed a smooth, efficient stroke that she demonstrates clearly for her swimmers. She helps adults “swim with the water, not against it,” showing them how ease and flow create better results than effort alone.
Golden nugget: sharing what she loves through teaching is one of her greatest joys.
Coach Anne-Lee – Swimlab Sydney
Swimming & Water Safety Teacher | Surf Bronze | Surf Lifesaver
About Anne-Lee
Anne-Lee is a passionate adult swim coach at Swimlab, known for her calm, grounding presence and her ability to help nervous swimmers feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. With a strong background in water safety, surf lifesaving, and adult learn-to-swim, she brings a depth of experience that benefits swimmers taking their very first steps in the water through to those refining their early freestyle.
She is especially skilled at creating a “bubble of calm” for anxious swimmers, helping them slow down, breathe, and progress with confidence. Anne-Lee loves witnessing the breakthrough moments—from the first controlled exhale to the first clean, streamlined stroke—that help adults discover what’s truly possible in the water.
Qualifications
-
Swimming & Water Safety Teacher – Life Saving Victoria
-
Bronze Medallion Holder
-
Volunteer – Coogee Surf Lifesaving Club
-
AustSwim / Swim Australia
-
Cert III in Personal Training
Key Skills
-
Adult learn-to-swim specialist
-
Beginner confidence-building
-
Breath control and calm-water skills
-
Early freestyle technique development
-
Anxiety-aware coaching
-
Strong water safety and ocean awareness background
Programs Coached
- Pre Program Preparation for Nervous Beginners
- Freestyle Fundamentals
- Progressive Freestyle
Coach Britt – Swimlab Sydney
Triathlon Development Coach | Run Coach | Strength & Conditioning | Pregnant & Postnatal Fitness | Open-Water Specialist | Surf Bronze | Surf Lifesaver
About Britt
Britt is Swimlab’s open-water and triathlon specialist, bringing a unique blend of triathlon coaching, strength and conditioning, ocean experience, and science-based training to every session. Her coaching style is warm, confidence-building, and grounded in practical technique that helps adults feel safe, strong, and capable in open water.
She thrives on helping swimmers transition from pool to ocean, guiding them through waves, sighting, breath control, and race-day preparation. Britt loves the Swimlab community—where structured training blends with encouragement, connection, and a shared love of the water. Her goal is simple: help swimmers believe in themselves and enjoy the process as much as the outcome.
Qualifications
-
Triathlon Development Coach Certification (Triathlon Australia)
-
TrainingPeaks Programming Coach
-
Pregnant & Postnatal Fitness Certification – Level 1
-
Personal Training Academy – Certificate III & IV in Fitness
-
Run Coaching Certification – Level 1 (Athletics NSW)
-
Nutrition Essentials Education Certified
-
Impact Training Solutions – Nutrition Program Certified
Key Skills
-
Open-water and ocean swimming coaching
-
Beginner ocean confidence and safety
-
Triathlon swim training
-
Run and strength programming for triathletes
-
Science-based endurance coaching
-
Pregnant/postnatal athlete support (if relevant to swimming enquiries)
Programs Coached
-
Ocean Bootcamp
-
1:1 Open Water Coaching
Why Britt Loves Coaching at Swimlab
Swimlab is more than a training program—it’s a community. Britt loves that adults come together with a shared purpose: learning, improving, and supporting one another. She thrives on blending science-driven coaching with Swimlab’s warm, social environment so swimmers not only improve, but feel part of something bigger.
The SwimLab coaches are committed to helping adults swim with confidence, clarity, and purpose. Whether you're building skills or refining technique, our team is here to support your journey.