Danielle Fernandes

Danielle is currently attending Bishop Allen Academy. She has been in the french immersion program for 12 years. She is in her 6th year of synchro, and is a junior on the 13–15 competitive team at the Olympium. Danielle loves working with younger swimmers to help them grow and become young athletes.

Sophie Niehaus

Sophie started swimming with Olympium Atristic Swimming Club at the age of 7, and swam there for 6 years. She was a member of our high performance team from 2017-2020. She has been a CIT for two years assisting many groups ranging from Aqua Squirts to 13-15. She represented the Olympium at the Ontario Winter Games in 2020, winning bronze medals in both duet and team. A highlight of her career was representing Ontario on the 11-12 provincial team in 2018. Sophie is excited to be coaching in the recreational program this year, and helping kids reach their full potential while having fun in the pool!

Quinlin Lawrynowicz

Quinlin was an artistic swimmer for seven years, and competed nationally with Olympium from 2016-2020. After taking a short break from the sport, Quinlin has now returned to Olympium to continue coaching at the recreational level, and is so excited to meet the
newest athletes!

Veronica Devine

Hi! I’m Veronica one of the pre-competitive coaches. I am so excited to get to know all of you! I’ve been swimming and coaching with this club for 9 years now. Last year I coached one of the 10U pre-competitive teams and we had so much fun! As well as synchro, I love playing volleyball and basketball. At school, I’m in model un, debate club, and I’m the director of student wellbeing and equity. Can’t wait to meet you all!

Claire Christie

claire-christieNovice Coach

Claire started swimming with OSSC in the Novice Competitive Program when she was 8. She swam for two years in the Provincial Competitive Program, after which she moved to the National Competitive Program. Claire currently swims on Coach Steph’s 13-15 FINA Team. Claire participated in OSSC’s Coach in Training program as an assistant coach for 2 years. This past fall she began as a lead coach in the recreational program where she enjoyed coaching Aqua Stars. This spring Claire is excited to be lead coaching a 9-10 Novice Team. She likes watching young swimmers grow through sport and develop life-long skills and friendships. Claire has her Bronze Cross and has successfully completed the Swim Synchro Introduction to Competition Course.

Hadas Barabash

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Aquastars Lead Coach

Hadas started swimming at community pool Cedar Park in Montreal in 2011. She swam provincially for two years at Dollard Synchro in Quebec before moving to Ontario where she joined the OSSC High Performance (HP) program in 2013. Hadas is currently in her fourth year of the HP program and in her last year of 13-15 age group. She has been a CIT for two years and is very excited to be a lead coach this year for the Aquastars program. Hadas has her bronze medallion and will be completing the Synchro Ontario Trillium Instructor Course this October.

Lindsay Lukezic

Lindsay headshot13-15 Provincial Coach & National Floater Coach

Lindsay’s love for synchro started at a tiny club in Saskatchewan called the Estevan Mermaids. Not long after her family moved to Ontario, she was introduced to the Olympium where she spent the majority of her swimming career.  She swam nationally for eight years at OSSC, finishing with both her senior team and duet on top of the podium. This will be her second year coaching for the club, the first being with the 10& Under Provincial Team in 2011.  She is NCCP Introduction to Competition “trained” and will complete this certification as well as her NLS this season. She is thrilled to be a part of the club again and she’s looking forward to a great season!

Dr. Emily Danson, BKin, DC, ART, Chiropractor

Elena Podolsky

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13-15 FINA

OSSC Team Coach since 2005
Elena Podolsky came to Canada in 1990, bringing with her a degree in Physical Education from the University of Moscow and 8 years of expertise as Head Coach at the Central School of Sport Excellence in Moscow.

Elena coached at OSSC from 1990-1998. During these years she coached many teams who were successful at a National level. In 1998 Elena moved to Synchro Optima where she coached her swimmers to 1st place wins at Ontario Winter Games and National Competitions. From 1999-2005 she was Head Coach at Optima. Elena returned to OSSC in 2005. While coaching with OSSC Elena has had numerous swimmers named to the 13 – 15 and Junior National Teams as well as Provincial teams over the years, 1st placed team at Nationals in 2007, 2nd placed team in 2006 and 3rd place in 2005.

Elena has a NCCP Level 4 Qualification and continues to participate in Professional Development Courses to update and enhance her coaching experience. In 1996 Elena won the Susan Eon Trophy as the most promising new Coach in Canada and in 2001 she was runner-up for the prestigious 3M Coaching Canada Award. In 2012 she was awarded the Charlotte Tutte-Eyres Trophy. This trophy is awarded to a coach who reflects the philosophy of Charlotte Tutte, in developing Team spirit and enhancing growth of athletes as individuals and competitors. Over the years, Elena has made tremendous contributions to the sport of synchronized swimming, including the design and implementation of new training programs which she has shared with athletes and coaches from a number of different countries around the world including Australia, Cuba, Greece, Hungary, Korea, Malaysia and Slovakia.

Coaching Experience:

National Teams

2015 Assistant Coach, Junior National Team
2014 Assistant Coach, Junior National Team

2013 Head Coach 13-15 National Team

2012 Head Coach 13-15 National Team

2011 Head Coach 13-15 National Team

2010 Head Coach 13-15 National Team

2008 Head Coach, Junior National Team

2007 Head Coach, 13-15 National Team Camp

2006 Assistant Coach,  Jr. Worlds, Foshan, China

2004 Assistant Coach, World Championships in Moscow

Olympic National Team, Canada
2004 Consultant, Flexibility Program

Synchro Ontario

2013 Talent Acceleration Pilot Program
Canada Games 2003, 2007- Head Coach Team Ontario
2006 Provincial Senior Team Assistant Coach
13-15 National Team Trials Camp Conductor

National Team Slovakia
Training Camp

National Synchronized Team of Greece
Summer 2004 Coach Consultant of Greek National Team for Olympic Games in Athens

Jennifer Knobbs

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10 & Under Provincial Team Co-Coach

Jennifer Knobbs is a native Torontonian – her father moving to Canada from England at the age of 17 with the National Ballet of Canada. Jennifer started her synchro career the age of seven with the Olympium Synchronized Swimming Club. Jennifer Knobbs was a Provincial and National champion, and a member of Ontario Provincial and Canadian National Teams (Junior, National B and National A). Jennifer studied for a year at the University of Toronto before centralising with the Canadian team in Montreal. In 2009 Jennifer followed her Olympic dream and moved to Great Britain to train with the Team GB Olympic Synchronized Swimming Team. Jennifer achieved her goal of being an Olympian swimming in both the Team Technical and Free events at the 2012 Olympic Games. She is thrilled to be back at her home club inspiring the next generation of swimmers. Jennifer earned a bachelor of Sport Management at Humber College; is a certified lifeguard and is working on her NCCP Competition Development level.