Meet Andrea Courtney, the Head Site Coach at EVO’s competitive Gilbert swim school, RIO Swim Club. We recently sat down with Andrea to learn more about her and help our students get to know her better, too.
David Tait, owner of EVO and RIO: Hi, Andrea. Thanks for chatting with us! For those who don’t know you, tell us about your role at RIO Swim Club.
Andrea: As the Head Site Coach at the Hamilton pool, my primary role is running practices every night for four different groups, helping our competitive swimmers with their technique on all of their strokes, and working with them on their turns and dives. I also run monthly evaluations to see what they could improve and determine if they are ready to move to the next group.
David: You’ve coached some of our best students, and I know you were a competitive swimmer, too. How long have you been swimming and coaching?
Andrea: I started swimming competitively when I was 6 years old and continued swimming through high school. I hurt my knee and wasn’t able to continue swimming, so coaching allowed me to stay with the sport. Once I got involved with coaching, I fell in love with being able to help others improve in a sport that I enjoy so much.
Now, I have been coaching for almost 13 years! I have coached high school swimmers since I graduated, led a swim team at a local gym, and I have been coaching at RIO for three years.
David: We’ve loved having you as part of our team. Out of all of your time in swimming, what has been your fondest memory?
Andrea: I started swimming in Colorado during the summer while I was visiting my grandparents. I remember the first time I won the 100 backstroke at a championship meet. It was the same meet where our co-ed relay took first! It was a huge accomplishment for me and pushed me to continue. It also was awesome to do it with my friends that I had been swimming with for so long.
David: Wow, I bet that was an amazing moment! Outside of swimming, do you have any special talents or fun facts that most people don’t know about you?
Andrea: I don’t really have any special talents, but one thing that a lot of people don’t know is that I am a survivor of cancer. It has helped me be who I am today and given me a huge appreciation for my family and friends. We spend a lot of time together going to sporting events, concerts, and camping whenever we can.
David: We’re so glad you’re healthy now and thankful to have you as part of our Gilbert swim school.
Andrea: Thanks, Dave. It’s been so much fun helping kids reach their goals, and I love working with the EVO/RIO team. They feel like part of my family!
