HEAD COACH

11-12 FINA Coach

In 2014, OSSC appointed Julie Thaden to the position of OSSC Head Coach, overseeing all aspects of the HP and evening programs. Julie leads our talented staff of coaches in providing an incredible, well-rounded program for all of our swimmers. She coaches in both the High Performance and Evening Competitive programs. Since coming to OSSC she has coached the 11-12 HP athletes to gold and bronze at the 2015 Espoir Championship and to two silver medals in 2016.

Julie comes to OSSC with a wealth of experience and credentials. Before coming to Canada, she was Head Coach at Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, Oregon and held that position for over 11 years. Prior to that she developed Indy Synchro Club in Indianapolis, Indiana where she was Head Coach for 16 years. She started out coaching in Ohio, where she grew up swimming synchro. Julie holds a Bachelor of Science in Recreation and Leisure Services from Kent State University. Her master level studies include sports psychology, pedagogy and physiology through Human Kinetics and the American Sports Coaching Education Program.

Julie was a member of the US National Team pool of coaches from 1993-2013. In that time she’s held multiple US National Team coaching positions at all levels including:

Head Coach, 2009 & 2010 12-under Teams

Figure Coach, 2008 13-15 Team

Head Coach, 2000 Junior Team, 1998 Senior Team 2

Assistant Coach, 2001 Senior Team 2, 1997 Senior Team 2, 1995 Jazz Splash Team

Many of her club athletes were appointed to US national teams at all levels from the 12-under Team to Senior Team 1.

Julie is an original faculty member of the US Coaching Certification Program. She holds the highest level of certification the US currently grants, CCP level 6 and has conducted certification courses for other coaches around the US. She has been a frequent presenter at US Synchro’s annual Coaches College and has often conducted national and zone-wide clinics and camps in the US. In addition, she has served as a FINA Developmental Clinician, helping to foster synchro in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

Morning – Claire Christie

Claire has always loved the water and being in the pool. She has been sharing her smile and her positive attitude with Olympium Synchro for the past 6 years. Claire started in the novice program when she was in Grade 3. The year after, she joined the provincial program where she swam for two years. This is Claire’s third year in the HP program. She loved swimming on Coach Steph’s 13-15HP team this year, and is very proud of her success in figures at Canadian Espoir Championships in Winnipeg. Along with her own swimming, Claire has also been part of Olympium’s Coach in Training program for the past 2 years, where she shares her love of synchro with swimmers in the evening program. She looks forward to the possibility of coaching her own team next year.  Coach Vanessa shares that through her strong leadership, Claire has been instrumental in the success of the novice 11 & over program. She is a positive role model to all the swimmers she works with.

Outside of the pool,  Claire enjoys singing, travelling with her family, and spending time with her friends. She recently completed her Grade 4 voice exam at The Royal Conservatory of Music. She is looking forward to seeing the Grand Canyon with her family this summer and to spending three weeks at Camp Tawingo in Huntsville, where she earned her Bronze Cross last summer.

Coach Steph says:

Claire made significant improvements to her figures in the month of May and was able to maintain her corrections at every practice. Her performance at Espoir was excellent. She was consistent, applied her corrections, and achieved many of the focuses she had been working on during practice. Great job!

Her smile is infectious and can always brighten the day around the pool. Thank you for sharing your positive energy with us Claire, and congratulations on your achievements.