Ottawa, April 26, 2012 – Synchro Canada is pleased to announce the hiring of Kara Kalin (Richmond, B.C., Vancouver Pacific Wave) and Elena Podolsky (Toronto, ON, Olympium Synchro) as assistant-coaches of Head Coach Nathalie Lagrange of Saint-Léonard, QC, for its 2012 National 13-15 National Team.

This Canadian team will represent the country at the 2012 Mediterranean Cup, July 19-22, in Spain.

The coaching staff is the same from 2011 who won two silver medals in solo and duet and a bronze medal in team at the COMEN Cup.
 
“Many of the athletes who will be part of this National 13-15 Team may also be representing Canada at the next Olympic Games”, said Synchro Canada’s Chief Executive Officer, Catherine Gosselin-Després.” This competition is then very important in the preparation of the future of our National Team program as we will start a new quadrennial on the road to the next Olympic Games.”

Kara Kalin of Richmond, B.C. brings 13 years experience to the sport of Synchronized Swimming, both as an athlete and a Coach. She grew up in Calgary and was a member of the Calgary Aquabelles.  After she retired she coached for the Aquabelles for five years before moving to Vancouver to pursue her education. Kara has been a high performance coach with the Vancouver Pacific Wave since 2007 and is presently the Head coach of the club.  Kara was the assistant coach for the 2011 National 13-15 team and was an apprentice coach with the National Junior team in 2010. She is an NCCP Level 3 certified coach and is soon to complete her Level 4. She has her Bachelors Degree in Psychology a Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology and is a Chartered Professional Coach with Coaches of Canada.

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 NCCP. 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 2007, 2010 and 2011, and an assistant coach in 2005 and 2009.   

Nathalie Lagrange, currently one of the coaches of the Montreal Synchro club, has more than 15 years of experience as a synchronized swimming coach including 11 at Montréal Synchro.  She is an NCCP Level 4 certified coach. In 2011, Nathalie Lagrange was one of the assistant coaches of Synchro Canada’s National 13-15 Team. As the head 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.

Synchro Canada’s 2012 National 13-15 Team athlete pool will be selected following the 2012 Canadian Espoir Championships, which will be held May 24-27 in Etobicoke, ON.

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:

Program partners: Sport Canada, Own The Podium, B2ten, the Centre national multisport-Montréal
Official suppliers: Speedo, Knox Gelatine, AdUp, MKI Travel, National Car Rental
Official make up: MAKE UP FOR EVER
Official hotel: Hilton Hotels Canada
Official Charity Partner: Plan Canada’s Because I am A Girl Program

For further information, visit Synchro Canada’s Website at www.synchro.ca or follow Synchro Canada on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.