| Synchro Canada announces its 2011 coaching staffs for the national junior and national 13-15 teams |
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Ottawa, May 11, 2011 – Synchro Canada is pleased to announce the coaching staffs for the national junior and national 13-15 teams for the 2011 season. For the national junior team, Jenn Tregale (Calgary AB, Calgary Aquabelles) was named head coach and her assistants are Johana Vasquez (Terrebonne, QC, Montréal Synchro) and Maude Pelchat (Laval, QC, Dollard Synchro). Elena Podolsky (Toronto, ON, Olympium Synchro) was named head coach of the national 13-15 team. Her assistants are: Nathalie Lagrange (Saint-Léonard, QC, Montréal Synchro) and Kara Kalin (Richmond, B.C., Vancouver Pacific Wave). The national junior team, which will be selected following a training camp at the end of June, will represent Canada at the U.A.N.A. Pan American Synchronized Swimming Championships scheduled for August 17-21 at the Olympic Park Sport Centre in Montreal. In 2010, the national junior team collected three bronze medals at the FINA World Junior Championships in Indianapolis. The national 13-15 team will compete at the Comen Cup set for August 3-7 in Italy. The team will start their selection process at the 2011 Canadian Espoir Championships June 1-5 in Gatineau, Que. The final team will be selected following a training camp at the beginning of July. At the 2010 Comen Cup in Greece, Jacqueline Simoneau won gold in solo and silver in duet with Anne-Marie Chouinard. Canada was fourth in the team event. Kara Kalin (Richmond, B.C., Vancouver Pacific Wave) Kara Kalin brings 12 years experience in synchronized swimming as an athlete and coach. She has been with the Vancouver Pacific Wave since 2007 and is also their high performance consultant. She was an apprentice coach with the national junior team in 2010. Kara Kalin is an NCCP Level 3 certified coach and is soon to complete her Level 4. She has a Masters in psychology and is currently working on a thesis on the personal and performance effects of inner work with a high performance athlete. Nathalie Lagrange (Saint-Léonard, QC, Montréal Synchro) Nathalie Lagrange brings more than 15 years experience as a synchronized swimming coach including 10 at Montréal Synchro. She is an NCCP Level 4 certified coach. She led Quebec to all three gold medals in synchronized swimming at the 2011 Canada Games. In 2010, she was Team Quebec’s head coach and a national junior team assistant coach in 2009. Maude Pelchat (Laval, QC, Dolllard Synchro) Maude Pelchat of Laval is currently a coach at Dollard Synchro. She has also coached at Alliance Synchro and Montréal Synchro. She is a former synchro swimmer with Montréal Synchro and was a national junior team member in 2002. Maude Pelchat is an NCCP Level 3 certified coach and has a university degree in communications. In 2009 and 2010 she was an assistant coach with Quebec’s 13-15 team. She was also an apprentice coach with the national junior team in 2010. Elena Podolsky (Toronto, ON, Olympium Synchro) Born in Russia, Elena Podolsky was the synchronized swimming head coach at the School of Sport Excellence in Moscow from 1982 to 1990 where she guided young athletes to junior and senior national teams. She moved to Canada in 1990. Her vast knowledge in synchronized swimming, including an expertise in flexibility, earned her coaching positions on several national teams including with the Canadian national team in preparation for the 2004 Olympics. Elena Podolsky is now the head coach of the Olympium Synchro Club in Etobicoke and is currently completing her level 4 and 5 N.C.C.P. certification. She was head coach of the 2008 Canadian National Junior Team and an assistant coach with the junior squad in 2004 and 2006. She was also head coach of the National 13-15 Team in 2010 and 2007, and an assistant coach in 2005 and 2009. Jenn Tregale (Calgary, AB, Calgary Aquabelles) Jenn Tregale of Calgary has more than 20 years coaching experience in the sport and has been head coach at the Calgary Aquabelles Club since 2004. She is currently completing her level 4 N.C.C.P. certification and she also brings an impressive international resume. She was one of the assistant coaches for the 2010 National Junior Team who represented Canada at the FINA World Junior Championships. She was also the National Junior Team head coach at the Pan Am Junior Championships in 2009, the National B Team head coach at the 2008 Swiss Open as well as the National Junior Team head coach at the 2007 U.S. Open Championships. Jenn Tregale participated as an apprentice coach at the FINA World Junior Championships in 1993 as well as the Commonwealth Games and FINA World Aquatic Championships in 1994. Johana Vasquez (Terrebonne, QC, Montréal Synchro) Johanna Vasquez of Terrebonne is on the Montréal Synchro coaching staff. After founding and being the head coach at the elite Marquette club in 1998 she was also a coach at the Dollard Synchro and Rosemont clubs. Johana Vasquez is currently completing her NCCP Level 4 coaching certificate and she is also has a degree in psychology. She was Synchro Quebec’s coach of the year for the 2000-2001 season. She was an assistant coach with the 2010 national 13-15 team. About Synchro Canada Synchro Canada is the national organization governing synchronized swimming in Canada. It represents 10 provincial associations, a territorial association, as well as some 150 clubs and 12,000 members across Canada. A member of FINA, the world’s governing aquatic sports organization, Synchro Canada promotes the quest for excellence by developing the athletes, citizens and ambassadors of the sport of synchronized swimming at every level. Synchro Canada would like to thank its sponsors: Official partner: Epiderma Program partners: Sport Canada, Own The Podium, B2ten, the Centre national multisport-Montréal Official suppliers: Speedo, AdUp, MKI Travel, National Car Rental Official Charity Partner: Plan Canada’s Because I am A Girl initiative For further information, visit Synchro Canada’s Website at www.synchro.ca or follow Synchro Canada on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
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For more information: Patrick Godbout Synchro Canada Communications Manager Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Cell.: (514) 213-9897 Website : www.synchro.ca Facebook: Synchro Canada Twitter : www.twitter.com/synchrocanada |
