ESWIM Coaching Staff

Head Coach/Director of Swimming Operations

Marc Spackman

Competitive swimming has been Marc Spackman's personal and professional passion since he was young.  As an athlete, he swam for Great Britain at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and won two major games medals at World Championships in Hong Kong (1999) and Athens (2000).  He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Design from Nottingham Trent University in 2006 and, while enrolled, started coaching with the Lincoln Vulcans Swimming Club.  He was promoted to Head Coach, and subsequently moved to the Borough of Harrow Swimming Club, the Maxwell Swim Club, and in 2014 as Head Coach of the Royal School Wolverhampton.  Marc has served as a Coach for Great Britain at Major Games, as Head Coach on England Talent Camps, and was a British Olympic Association Mentor at the London Olympics.  He was selected as a coach on the New York Breakers team in the International Swimming League (ISL) for two seasons:  Hungary (2020) and Naples (2021).  Across these experiences, he developed and maintained a coaching philosophy grounded in cultivating each athlete's sense of purpose and personal standard of excellence. 

Coach Spackman's record of success at the highest levels of competitive swimming are impressive;  specifically, he has coached Robert Welbourn (Paralympic gold medalist, World, European and British record holder); Sophie Allen ( Olympian, European Junior silver medalist, British age-group record holder); Elizabeth Simmonds (Olympian, World Championship and European medalist, European Junior Champion, British and European record holder); Alice Dearing (Olympian, European Junior bronze medalist, Senior World and European Championship qualifier); Tom Derbyshire (Commonwealth Youth Champion, European Junior Champion and European Junior silver medalist, British age group record holder); and, Matthew Richards (Olympic Champion, European Junior Champion, European Junior silver medalist,British and Welsh record holder).  He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the BSCA Youth Coach of the Year Award, and the Terry Dennison Award for Coaching Excellence

For over seven decades, ESWIM has served as a consistent, reliable pipeline for exceptional swimming talent in Canada.  Coach Spackman is excited to build on that legacy, noting that he "is incredibly proud to be joining

ESWIM, a club renowned for its commitment to excellence." He added that, "I believe that there are no limits, and that with the right mindset, your capacity to improve is infinite. I'm looking forward to meeting ESWIM's exceptional athletes and working together to achieve their goals."

Performance 1/Junior B Group Coach

David Painter

David had a successful swimming career as a National-level age group swimmer competing in multi events at a national level. David returned to the pool in 2011 as a Masters swimmer, winning a bronze medal at the British Championships in 2013. David ran a successful business in Wolverhampton city for 20 years before making his career change back into the sport of swimming in 2013. He served as the Head Coach at Wombourne Swimming Club, which afforded him the opportunity to develop his own coaching style and club-wide program. The success of the program lead to his appointment asthe National Development Coach at the Royal Wolverhampton School. There, David helped develop multiple swimmers from provincial level to British Championship finalists. 

Coach Painter was promoted to the Head Coach role at Wolverhampton in 2023. Over this past season, David continued to develop athletes to a high level producing many national medallists, champions, and swimmers selected for Team Great Britain. In recognition of this success, David was selected to coach as part of the England Coach Development program which targeted coaches for development and participation in the 2028 Olympic Games. David was also appointed as a Great Britain coach for the 2024 European Junior Championships held in Lithuania. 

David is extremely driven to provide athletes with the opportunities to reach their full potential. His coaching philosophy focuses on skill and technique development, elite performance behaviours, and for all athletes to enjoy their career. "I feel extremely proud to have the opportunity to be a part of one of the top swimming programs in Canada. I look forward to working with the team to create the next generation of Canadian swimmers and add to ESWIM's storied legacy!"

Performance 2 Group Coach
Darren Ward

Darren is a highly experienced Coach and swimmer, being involved in the sport for most of his life. Darren’s swimming achievements are numerous, including competing for Canada in the 1987 Pan American Games, where he won a silver and bronze medal as part of Canada’s relay Teams. Darren also represented Canada at both the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, and in 1991 was a medal winner at the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand. Darren’s career highlight was winning the 1992 World Cup, where he broke the Canadian record in both the 100 IM and 200IM events, enroute to being ranked number #1 in the world in both the short course 200IM and 400IM.

Darren began his coaching career in 1995 with the Red Deer Catalina swim club in Alberta, as an assistant coach. Since then, Darren has held several Head Coach positions, at the Saskatoon Lasers, the Scarborough Swim Club, the Markham Aquatic Club, and most recently, as the Performance Coach at Toronto Olympian Swim Team.

Darren’s coaching has been influenced by the many world class coaches that he swam under, including the legendary Deryk Snelling, who was Head Coach at Etobicoke in the early years of the club. Darren believes that individual swimming success can be achieved through personal accountability to one’s goals and an unrelenting desire to be the best you can be. Darren is looking forward to being part of the amazing history and commitment to excellence that ESWIM represents.

Performance 3/Top A Group Coach

Petra Huve

Petra began her swimming career with ESWIM in the Intro program at the age of 8. Entering the competitive  program, she worked her way through the groups over the following years. Having developed an interest in coaching, she transitioned out of the pool and onto the deck in 2011, when she joined the ESWIM coaching staff, and has remained as an important member ever since. Petra has coached various groups within the club, ranging from the Intro program up to the Provincial group. She has also spent many of her summers coaching the ESWIM Camp, which has allowed her to train swimmers from around the world.

Having felt firsthand the positive effects that competitive swimming can have, Petra is keen to pass on both her knowledge and love for the sport. She believes that sport plays a crucial role in teaching both dedication and discipline, which are important fundamentals that every young athlete should have and are valuable lessons they can take with them into their futures.

With each new season, Petra is looking forward to the next chapter in her coaching career, as she continues to learn alongside the swimmers she coaches.

Youth A/Youth B Lead Coach 

Arman Sanei

Arman has been involved in swimming for over 20 years. He began swimming at a young age and eventually became a  professional swimmer, representing Iran in both national and international competitions. One of the highlights of his career  was competing in the 2016 Swimming World Cup, an experience that deepened his commitment to high performance and international sport.

After his competitive career, Arman transitioned into coaching. He began coaching in Canada with The Thunder Bay Thunderbolts , where he spent two years as an age group coach, helping young swimmers develop their skills and confidence. He then took on the role of Head Coach at the Cornwall Sea Lions, leading the program and focusing on athlete development and team culture. 
 
Now, Arman is incredibly grateful and excited to be joining Eswim for the upcoming season. He looks forward to  supporting the next generation of  swimmers in reaching their potential.

Youth A/Youth B Assistant Coach

Aidan Korithoski

Aidan is a recent graduate of ESWIM. Before joining the program, he spent the majority of his swimming career  with the Gator Swim in Gainesville, Florida. Over the past two seasons, he has taken on the role of academy coach, sharing his  knowleage and enthusiasm with our younge swimmers. 
 
This fall, he will be the Assistant Coach of the Youth Group and attend Humber College to pursue a career as an electrical technician. Aidan is enthusiastic about continuing his journey with ESWIM, giving back to the community, and helping to shape the next generations of swimmers as a part of the ESWIM legacy. 

Junior A Group Coach 

Felixe Cote 

Felixe Cote is a passionate and dedicated coach, athlete, and Registered Massage Therapist who has spent over 20 years immersed in the world of competitive swimming. Having trained both in the USA and Canada, Felixe’s depth of experience spans across multiple facets of the sport. As an accomplished swimmer, she has honed her expertise in technique, mindset, and goal setting, which she now instills in athletes of all ages and skill levels.
 
Her coaching journey includes working with intro-level swimmers, as well as Provincial and Age Group National-level athletes. With a strong belief in the power of a positive and focused mindset, Felixe helps swimmers reach their full potential by emphasizing technical precision and setting achievable goals.
 
Alongside her coaching, Felixe is a skilled and compassionate Registered Massage Therapist, specializing in sports massage. This additional expertise allows her to work holistically with her athletes, helping them optimize their performance, recover from injuries, and maintain peak physical condition.
 
A proud “swim mom,” Felixe knows the challenges and joys of raising athletes and shares her enthusiasm for the sport with the families she works with. Her passion for coaching is renewed with every swimmer she guides, and she is thrilled to be back in the coaching role, ready to inspire the next generation of swimmers.
Top B Group Coach

Bianca Fazzari

Bianca, another ESWIM alumnus, is no stranger to the pool. She started swimming in Top B at a young age, working through the groups and competing at the national level until she was 17. She began coaching the Academy Program in 2016 and has been an integral member as co-head coach of the Academy Program for the last two years. 

Bianca has gained valuable experience coaching the Top B group and assisting in coaching the Top A and Performance 3 level groups. She holds a degree from York University, majoring in Children, Childhood, and Youth Studies and minoring in Psychology. Bianca is also a dedicated, certified Primary and Junior teacher in Ontario. 

With the approaching season, Bianca is excited. She is eager to apply her expertise in coaching, extensive swimming background, and education to mentor and inspire young swimmers in Top B at ESWIM, making the season a memorable and rewarding experience for all young athletes. 

Strength & Conditioning Group Coach 

Greg Lewandowski

Greg is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and is also a High-Performance Certified Member of Sport Scientist Canada. Over the past 10 years, he has gained extensive experience working with various sports at the provincial, national, and international levels, including swimming, sailing, figure skating, and cycling. 
 
Currently, Greg serves as a strength and conditioning coach at the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, where he works with the National Track Cycling teams of Cycling Canada.