Meet the Instructors
Maureen
Owner & Sr Instructor
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With over 10 years of aquatic experience, Maureen founded CWSS with the goal of providing high-quality swimming lessons tailored to each student. She recognized the challenges families face when registering for public swim lessons and saw that the quality of instruction often fell short. Maureen believes that swimming is an essential life skill that everyone deserves to learn and hopes that the team at CWSS can teach the entire Lower Mainland how to swim! Whether you're a beginner learning the basics or a seasoned swimmer looking to refine your technique, our highly trained instructors have a wide range of tools to help you reach your goals!
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Fun fact: Maureen used to compete at a
National level for Olympic Weightlifting!
Hannah
Instructor | Richmond,​
Delta, Vancouver
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Hannah is a bubbly instructor that brings energy, patience, and a love of the water to every class. Having grown up swimming in both the pool and ocean, she was inspired to share that passion through teaching. Hannah has experience working with swimmers of all ages, ranging from tots and preschoolers to teens and adults, and adapts each lesson to the needs of the individual. She has also worked with children with diverse physical and cognitive abilities, creating inclusive, supportive environments where every swimmer can thrive. Her top priority is ensuring that learning to swim is fun, safe, and confidence-building. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your techniques, Hannah is excited to help you reach your goals!
Fun fact: Hannah is trained as a paramedic!
Mia
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Ashley
Instructor | North/West Vancouver & Vancouver
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Mia recently moved to Canada from the UK, bringing with her a lifelong love of swimming. She first dove into the world of competitive swimming at the age of 9 and later discovered a passion for open-water swimming through triathlons.
When she hung up her competitive goggles, Mia wasn’t ready to leave the water behind. She earned her lifeguard and swim instructor qualifications to stay connected to the aquatic world and has now been teaching for over five years while completing her university studies. During that time, she has taught swimmers of all ages and abilities — from first-time paddlers to club-level athletes — and has even worked with rookie lifeguards starting their own water journeys.
Mia believes swimming is far more than a sport — it’s a vital life skill, an excellent way to stay fit, and, most importantly, incredibly fun. Her goal is to help every swimmer build confidence, develop new skills, and fall in love with the water, just as she did!
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Instructor | Vancouver (Summer)
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Ashley has been in aquatics for over 7 years working as a swim instructor, lifeguard, and deck supervisor! She has worked in both the public and private sectors delivering high quality, engaging lessons for all participants. She has experience teaching adapted lessons for wheelchair users, neurodivergent individuals, and people ages 4 months to 60 years old. With her diverse experience, she understands how to cater her lessons to each person's unique needs and learning styles. As someone highly passionate about making time in and around water safer, she hopes to be a part of you or your child’s journey to achieve that! Outside of the aquatic world, she loves to boulder, hike, and get crafty :)
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Fun fact: Ashley is double majoring in Environmental and Indigenous Studies at UVIC!
Jurrell
Sophie
Sr Instructor | Vancouver, Burnaby
North/West Van
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Jurrell has been coaching swimming for over 15 years, working with swimmers of all levels across Toronto and Vancouver. He has led numerous Aquatic Leadership courses in the Bronze Medal Award system and coached several competitive swim teams. In his youth, Jurrell trained alongside athletes who later swam for Swimming Canada. He holds a degree in Outdoor Recreation and Leisure Studies from Brock University, which supports his well-rounded, inclusive approach to programming. With over 20 years of experience in childcare, he has worked in non-profits, community centres, and private institutions, supporting residential camps, day camps, and sports programs like tennis and soccer. Known for his active and engaging style, Jurrell brings energy and enthusiasm to every program, creating environments that foster confidence, growth, and a lasting connection to movement and play.
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Fun Fact: Jurrell is a part time musician and is starting to DJ as well!
Instructor | Vancouver (Summer)
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Sophie started her swimming journey as a competitive swimmer at age 10 and went on to earn gold and silver at the BCSSA Provincial Championships. While still competing, she began teaching swimming and lifeguarding in early 2022. Since then, she has worked with swimmers of all ages and skill levels, combining her experience with a thoughtful and engaging approach. She’s currently at university studying to become a teacher and brings that same passion for learning into every lesson. Her teaching style focuses on creating a fun, supportive, and safe environment where swimmers feel confident to make mistakes, try new things, and build strong swimming skills. She loves helping each swimmer progress at their own pace and develop a positive relationship with the water!
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Fun Fact: Sophie loves camping and spending time outdoors!
Caitlin
Instructor | Vancouver
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Caitlin has over 5 years of experience as both a swim instructor and lifeguard, teaching swimmers of all ages—from infants to adults. With a background as a competitive swimmer for 8 years, she brings strong technical knowledge and a passion for the sport, having medaled at provincial-level meets. Caitlin is known for her high energy, positive attitude, and ability to make lessons both fun and effective. She tailors each session to help swimmers build confidence and reach their goals in a supportive environment! Whether it’s a first-time swimmer or someone refining their stroke, Caitlin creates a safe and engaging space to learn.
Fun fact: Caitlin loves spending her summers backpacking and exploring the natural beauty of BC!
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Alexa
Instructor | Vancouver
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Alexa has a strong background in aquatics, with experience as both a lifeguard and swim instructor. She began as a synchronized swimmer at the age of 9, and now shares her passion for the water by teaching others. Alexa has taught swimmers of all ages, from toddlers who are entering into the water for the first time, to adults who are overcoming fear of the water. She is known for her patience, creativity, and ability to make lessons both fun and safe. By tailoring each session to her swimmers’ ability, Alexa helps build confidence, independence, and lifelong skills in the water. Her goal is to create a positive environment where every swimmer feels supported and motivated to succeed!
Fun fact: Alexa enjoys exploring the outdoors and traveling around the world, with one of her favorite experiences was hiking in Honduras!
Tasneet
Instructor | Richmond,
Vancouver, Surrey, Delta
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Tas has been a swim instructor for over 5 years and loves working with swimmers of all ages—from little ones just getting their feet wet to adults wanting to build confidence in the water. Her lessons are fun, welcoming, and full of encouragement. With a background in competitive swimming, Tas brings her expertise to each session while keeping things engaging and personalized to your swimming journey. Being a swimmer herself, she has various drills up her sleeve to help her students improve in all their strokes. She is also passionate about creating games with aims to build a lesson of quality and fun. Tas is known for creating a space where swimmers feel safe to challenge themselves, try new skills, and keep improving!
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Paige
Instructor | Vancouver
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With over 8 years of experience as a certified swim instructor and lifeguard, Paige has taught swimmers of all ages and skill levels in the public sector. Her extensive knowledge and passion for swimming allow her to tailor each lesson to meet the unique needs of every student—ensuring progress, safety, and most importantly, fun. She creates a supportive environment where children and adults feel comfortable and motivated to reach their personal best. Her lessons are dynamic, engaging, and filled with positive reinforcement to help build both skills and confidence in the water! A strong advocate for safety, Paige is deeply committed to first aid and always promotes water safety in and around the water. Whether you or your child are just starting out or looking to refine their technique, Paige brings energy, expertise, and care to every lesson.
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Fun fact: Paige is working to become a firefighter!
Ella
Instructor | New West, Burnaby,
Surrey, and Vancouver
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Adorned in fabulous water wings, Ella began swimming at a young age in her Nona’s backyard pool. She even tried the swim team one year! Her love for the water stayed strong that she became a lifeguard and swim
instructor in her hometown, Trail, BC! After moving to the city, she’s excited to offer personalized lessons for every swimmer. Her goal is to make each lesson fun and full of laughter. Using creative games, she teaches swim skills naturally, so swimmers learn while having a great time. Ella works well with nervous swimmers, using patience and purposeful techniques to build confidence. She can’t wait to see you in the water!
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Fun fact: Ella is in school to be an Esthetician!
Anastasia
Instructor | Burnaby (Location)
& Vancouver
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Anastasia has been part of aquatics for over 5 years, as a swim instructor, life saving instructor, lifeguard and swimmer at a competitive level! She has taught both in private and public settings in Toronto and is excited to share her skills in the Lower Mainland! She loves the water and has been swimming since she was just a tiny tot. Having recently graduated with bachelors in Film Studies and English, Anastasia is a very creative person who loves to bring that side of her to all the lessons she teaches. Her teaching style is focused on having fun, being safe and making sure each student feels valued in her class. Anastasia is determined to help her students develop and reach their personal swimming goals whether it be getting your face in the water for the first time or improving your stamina so you can make the distance. She is dedicated to building each student's confidence and working with their individual needs!
Fun Fact: Anastasia is a screenwriter and has written and produced several short films.
Images used on this page were created by freepik on flaticon.com