Coaches
Carly Ayres - Head Coach
Hello! My name is Carly Ayres and I am the Head Coach of Nova Artistic Swimming. This is my forth season with Nova and I am so excited to be a part of this amazing sport family. Our world has changed so much in the past few years and I am so thankful to be able to provide the opportunity for our young athletes to be active and share their passion of the water with each other.
As a head coach I will lead club development, support all of our coaches, promote swimmer and coach development and continue to build and promote our positive club culture.
I have been coaching for 17 years. I started coaching in Manitoba and am very proud to have been a part of the start of Aquatica Synchro Club. Throughout my coaching career I have worked with provincial and national stream athletes, coached at provincial team camps and lead development programs. I am a Competition Development certified coach. In 2019 I received the Most Promising Coach Award from Alberta Artistic Swimming.
I first started artistic swimming at the age of 9 and had the opportunity to represent Manitoba at the 2007 & 2011 Canada Winter Games, compete at the 2008 & 2009 US Junior Nationals and the 2010 French Open. After competing at a national level I have continued to swim as a competitive masters swimmer. My goal as a coach is to support all athletes to enjoy sport for life.
Outside of coaching I enjoy being a mom to my 2 daughters and spending time at our family cottage in Manitoba.
Liz Scott - Club Manager & 16-20 Team Coach
Hello! My name is Liz, and I am Nova's 16-20 coach this year. I am also our Club Manager so if you have any questions, or need caps & nose clips, I am happy to help! I am thrilled to be back for my 12th season coaching at Nova.
I have been involved with artistic swimming for over 25 years, and this will be my 19th season coaching. I have coached throughout Alberta, and in Dresden, Germany. From 2013-2018, I was part of the coaching team for Synchro Alberta’s Provincial Teams that attended the US Open, UANA Pan Ams, and SYNC. I have a Kinesiology degree and am a Certified Personal Trainer with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. I am also a Competition Development Certified coach, and Alixa Flexibility Level 4 coach. Outside of artistic swimming, I coach at Orangetheory Fitness. Coaching is my passion. I believe that working hard can be fun, and that swimmers are students of artistic swimming.
I am excited for another great season with Nova!
Naomi Grenke - 13-15 Team Coach & Social Media Coordinator
Hi, my name is Naomi Grenke. I am one of Nova’s 13-15 coaches this year. This marks my ninth year coaching, and sixth year in competitive coaching. I have nine-years of experience as an artistic swimmer with Nova, participating at both provincial and national levels. Throughout these years, I found the importance of hard work and teamwork, values I aspire to instill in the next generation of swimmers. I deeply appreciate that artistic swimming cultivates teamwork and lasting connections, embodying a place where athletes collaborate and create long lasting friendships.
I am excited about coaching and working with Nova's 13-15 age group, aiming to demonstrate that artistic swimming and sport can be lifelong pursuits. I eagerly anticipate another season, brimming with changes and exciting possibilities!)
Annaleise Walker - Teen Rec Coach
Hello! My name is Annaleise, and I am coaching Nova's rec team this season. I am a certified Competition Introduction coach, and this will be my seventh year coaching; before that, I swam with Nova for five years. Coaching is one of my biggest passions because it allows me to work with incredible kids through a sport I love. I am also a full-time university student (Bachelor of Social Work), and I really enjoy weight lifting, reading and travelling. My goal as a coach is to create a safe, fun, challenging environment for all athletes. I am so excited for this season!
Paige S - 13-15 & Teen Rec Team Coach
Paige has been coaching competitive artistic swimming for the past 4 years and is currently studying education at the University of Alberta. They swam at both the provincial and national level for ten years. Paige loves sharing their love of the pool with the swimmers they coach.
Sam Hipkin - Extra Routine Coach
My name is Samara Hipkin, though I am referred to as Sam by most. I have been involved with Artistic swimming in one capacity or another for over 20 years now. I was a competitive athlete for 15 years and I have now been coaching for about the same amount of time. As an athlete I was lucky enough to compete and train throughout Canada as well as in the USA and Europe while competing at a national level for many years.
I am currently a competition development certified coach, as well as a level 4 Essentrics instructor which is an awesome program the 13-20 athletes will be partaking in on Monday afternoons before their in-pool practices to help build upon their foundations. I am also currently working towards my 500 hr Yoga Teacher Training certification, and I am a trained Herbalist, though at this point my Herbal practice is limited to myself and my family. As the above information may have made obvious I am passionate about holistic health and fitness and I believe this shows in my coaching. My goal with coaching is to create an environment where work and fun are not mutually exclusive and where the athletes can feel comfortable being themselves while also having their potential for growth nurtured.
I am incredibly grateful that I can continue to work with these wonderful athletes this year and I am looking forward to seeing everyones progress throughout the season, especially as we are able to slowly emerge from the limitations of the last 2 years.
Meg Hipkin - Extra Routine Coach
My name is Meaghan Hipkin (Meg) and I have been involved with Artistic Swimming for over 2 decades now as both an athlete and a coach. I am so excited to be back with Nova Artistic Swimming this season as an extra routine coach because this club feels so much like home. From the athletes to the coaches to the parents and board- the support, presence and kindness infused into the bones of Nova makes it a joy to be on deck, in either a small or large capacity. I can’t wait to watch this season unfold and witness our kids continue to blossom into great athletes and even better people. Let’s go Nova!
Meghan Hughes - AquaGO & Extra Routine Coach
Hello there! My name is Meghan. I was a competitive swimmer with Nova for 11 years! And This is my third year coaching. I am so excited to continue to share my love of the sport in a safe and positive environment. My goal as a coach is to inspire all my athletes to form a lasting love of the sport and encourage them to express themselves through artistic swimming. This season I will be coaching both Little AquaGo and AquaGo programs as well as an competitive extra routine! I am currently in my first year of university at the U of A, studying to be an elementary school teacher.
I can’t wait to share all the love and support that Nova has given me over the years!
Avery Neufeld - AquaGO Coach
Hi, my name is Avery! This is my ninth year with Nova, and I am so ecstatic to be coaching for the first time! I am beyond excited to share my love of artistic swimming with new swimmers, foster creativity within sport, and help athletes find their passion in life. Outside of the pool, I am immensely passionate about theatre and the arts and hope to persue a BFA in musical theatre after I graduate. I cannot wait to meet all the new swimmers this year and help them build lifelong skills and friendships!
Jane Henderson - AquaGO Coach
Hi! I’m Jane. This is my second year coaching and previously I swam with Nova for 8 years. I’m very excited to get back into coaching! My goal as a coach is to help foster the love of artistic swimming and inspire kids to be creative and active! Outside of swimming, I’m a first year student at MacEwan University for Studio Arts.
Lucy Lemermeyer - AquaGO Coach
Hi, my name is Lucy. I have been an artistic swimmer for 4 years now but I have been an athlete my whole life. This is my first year coaching and I’m very excited to help others share the same appreciation I do for the sport!
McKinley Deering - AquaGO Coach
Hi, my name is McKinley Deering. I have been swimming with Nova for 9 years and this will be my first year coaching! I have helped coach AquaGo in the past. I am super excited to be able to coach new young swimmers and to be able to see them grow as athletes and as people. I am only coaching one session until winter because I am leaving for Spain later in the year and experiencing life in Spain for 2 1/2 months on an exchange. I can't wait to share my love for the sport and help inspire a new younger generation.
Maretta Walker - AquaGO Coach
Hello, my name is Maretta! I will be coaching one of the AquaGo groups this session. I started doing artistic swimming when I was 10, and loved it! I’m super excited to be coaching this year. One of my passions other than coaching is fostering rescue animals. I have fostered puppies, dogs, and even orphaned kittens. I’m looking forward to having an amazing year, and watching my swimmers grow as athletes and people!
Isabel Henderson - AquaGO Coach
Hi, my name is Isabel and I am so excited to be a Nova AquaGo coach this year! I am currently a high school student and swimming myself as I have loved the sport of artistic swimming since I was eight years old and in the AquaGO program as well. This year I hope to share that same love I have for the sport with aspiring athletes and provide a safe, encouraging, and fun environment for all swimmers. I Look forward to seeing you all around the pool!
Alexis Squire - AquaGO Coach
Bio to come!
Asha Nelson - AquaGO Coach (Sub)
Hello, my name is Asha. Nova has been family throughout 9 years of swimming and this will be my sixth year of coaching. As a coach, I want to create a safe, supportive space for athletes to grow and develop as artistic swimmers and people. Outside of the pool, I am working towards my BSc in Nursing, and I’m constantly trying to stay active in as many ways as possible, including hiking, canoeing, and climbing. I am so excited to see what this season brings!
Katja Lemke - AquaGO Coach (Sub)
Hi, my name is Katja Lemke. I have been a swimmer with Nova Artistic Swimming for 7 years and this will be my first year coaching! I am so excited to work with our Little AquaGo this season and help inspire these young athletes to have the same love for the sport that I have!
