Swymfit Meet Our Swim Staff

Karen Vaillancourt
Aquatics Director

I grew up in Acton and was a varsity swimmer at ABRHS for 4 years and

captain my senior year. I continued swimming on the club team at Lynchburg

College in Virginia. After graduation, I came back to Acton to marry my

husband Peter, also an Acton native, and start a family. For 2 years I was the

Head Swim Coach at Orchard Hills Racquet andFitness Center in Lancaster,

and was on the Board of Directors and coached softball for ABYSB for another
2 years. In 2005, with my two kids (now 11 and 8) in tow, I became the

Assistant Director at Concord Academy Summer Camp and have been in that

position ever since. I oversaw the safety, leadership, and planned activities

for over 300 kids each week of the summer. Watching kids laugh and have fun

while they are making new friends and learning new things gives me such

fulfillment.

I am enjoying my role as Aquatics Director at Swymfit and have taken the Swim Lessons and Swim Team Programs to the next level in terms of skills, instructor training, and scheduling. Please contact me directly at Karen@swymfit.com if you have any questions or concerns.

Greta Bretz (Instructor) Greta is a certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI) and started working at Swymfit in September of 2010. For 5 years she worked at Park School in Brookline, MA teaching swimming lessons to beginners. Years ago, Greta helped to manage college level Biology Laboratory classes for hundreds of students at the University of Chicago. She is now a married mother of two young children.

Elena Garanina (Instructor) Elena has been a competitive swimmer since she was in the second grade. In 2004 she worked at another swim club in Westford until her daughter was born in 2006. In 2007 she became an instructor here at Swymfit. She has taught all different levels of classes and was a co-coach of a swim team. She is fluent in both Russian and English and is able to teach lessons in both languages.

Kristine Hall (Instructor/Asst. Swim Team Coach) Kris brings fifteen years of swim lesson experience and is also one of our talented Assistant Swim Team Coaches who brings a bubbly personality to Swymfit's aquatic programs. Kristine has a Bachelors Degree in Special Education, an Associates Degree in Human Services, and a certification in American Sign Language-Deaf Studies, she has worked in both public and private education for the last eleven years. She taught ASL to kids and staff at the Cotting School. When she is not teaching, Kris is also a nanny and a professional face painter.

Amanda Mrakovich (Instructor/Asst. Swim Team Coach) Amanda is a certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI) and started working at Swymfit in October of 2010. She has been teaching swimming lessons at the Benjamin Hill Pool in Shirley since she was 18. She is a graduate of Westfield State College. She keeps busy working as a paraprofessional teacher within the Shirley and Ayer School Districts.

Julie Nocka (Instructor/Asst. Swim Team Coach) Julie is a certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI), Certified ASCA Level II and US Swimming Coach, US Cycling Coach as well as a USA Triathlon Coach. She was a Division III collegiate athlete in cross country, swimming, and track at Wesleyan University, competed in the Modern Pentathlon, and was the bronze medalist at the 1987 National Championships. After a hiatus to start a family, Julie returned to athletics by beginning her triathlon career at the age of 40 and has been a USA Traithlon Age Group Triathlete and coach for several years. She enjoys sharing the process of learning to swim as well as the training and health benefits gained from cross training in different sports. During the Fall and Spring she works as a Field Hockey and Lacrosse Official. In her spare time she can be found somewhere outside with her husband and four kids.

Matt Northrup (Instructor/ Head Swim Team Coach) Matt is the Swordfish Swim Team Head Coach, as well as an instructor for both group and private swim lessons. He is certified for Safety Training as a Swim Coach by the American Red Cross. In the Fall of 2011 he was an assistant USS Club Swim Coach for the Syracuse Chargers in his hometown of Syracuse, NY. Matt's swimming career began early, and in high school he was a 5 time All-American and 2 time New York State Champion. Matt went on to continbue his swimming career at Boston College and was a four-year varsity member of the Eagles, a captain, and set three school relay records during his tenure. Matt currently ranks 5th all time in wins, top 15 in points, and 1st all time in relays. He is passionate about swimming and is very excited to be Coaching all three Swymfit teams and teachingswim lessons.

Curtis Schulz (Instructor/Asst. Swim Team Coach) Curtis started volunteering to teach swimming lessons at the age of 11. He became certified and has taught swimming lessons professionally since 2000. He has competed in swim meets but finds more joy in successfully teaching a child how to float for the first time. Curtis also teaches Swymfit classes and is a certified TRX instructor as well as being certified in the Burdenko Method. To go along with his swimming endeavors, Curtis enjoys both playing and coaching basketball and soccer.

Mitchell Williams (Instructor) Mitchell is a Certified Water Safety Instructor (WSI) and Lifeguard with the Red Cross. He has been working with children for the past 6 years in Harvard at the Bare Hill Pond Town Beach as a swim aid, instructor and lifeguard. Over the past two years Mitchell has been a lifeguard and instructor at Swymfit. He is a varsity soccer, hockey and baseball player at the Bromfield School in Harvard and enjoys participating in Model UN, Drama Society, and other school and volunteer activities.

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Studio Class Schedule

Pool Schedule