Coaches

Let’s tell you about our coaching staff, Cokie Lepinski & Susie Powell. Cokie and Susie have been friends since 1999 when they met on their first swim team, the Rolling Hills Mud Sharks. In 2007, Cokie & Susie got the bug for coaching and began designing and coaching swim clinics for adults. They both realized that they really, really enjoyed doing this, and both got involved in coaching in different ways. Cokie founded a new masters team, the Marin Pirates Masters, and became very involved with Pacific Masters Swimming, serving as Coach’s Chair for two years and also serving on the USMS Coaches Committee. Meanwhile, Susie started giving swim lessons to adults, first one-on-one, and then with a swim exercise program, SwimFit, at Rolling HIlls Club. In SwimFit, Susie taught adults swim technique, how to read the pace clock, how to do swim sets and much more! Her SwimFit has been going strong since 2010 with many loyal followers. In the fall of 2010, she joined Cokie on deck as an Assistant Coach with the Marin Pirates Masters and then continued the journey together with the advent of the Swymnuts team.

You can read individual biographies of Cokie and Susie below. Feel free to use the “Contact our Coach” form in the right side bar to contact either Cokie or Susie. Meanwhile, here are some photos of Cokie and Susie.

Coach Cokie Lepinski

 

Coach Susie Powell

Cokie’s Bio:

Cokie is a USMS-ASCA Level 3 certified masters coach and a seasoned masters swimmer, competing in local, regional, national and even worldwide masters swimming events. She loves to compete and is a Top 10 USMS & World ranked swimmer. Along her swimming journey, she discovered that she loves to coach! Cokie was the head coach for the Marin Pirates Masters, a new team she helped form in July 2009. In just 2.5 years the team grew from a small handful to 133 swimmers.

With a move to AZ in December 2011, she had to leave her beloved team. However, the desire to coach remained incredibly strong and she decided to launch the Swymnut Masters to help those swimmers who don’t have access to a coach. In October 2012, she and her husband, Tim, returned to Northern California because she sorely missed her swim community, friends and family.

While coaching with the Pirates, Cokie was the recipient of the 2010 USMS Kerry O’Brien award; was awarded the 2011 Pacific Masters Coach of the Year; was one of four coaches to serve as the National Team Coach for the 2010 FINA World Masters in Sweden; and authored a $5 e-book “There’s A Drill For That”. She has also authored technique articles for USMS Swimmer Magazine and the USMS e-newsletter Streamlines. She is actively involved with both US Masters Swimming and Pacific Masters Swimming where she serves as Coaches Chair.

In 2013, Cokie will be the lead coach at the 3rd annual USMS High Performance Training Camp in Greensboro, NC August 24-29. In addition to that Camp (she also coached there in 2012), Cokie regularly coaches swim clinics in Northern California with Pac Masters.

As of April 2, 2013, Cokie is also the head coach of the Lucas Valley Aquatic Masters, a team based in San Rafael, CA. Practices are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings from 0530-0630.

Susie’s Bio:

Coach Susie Powell is a USMS-ASCA Level 2 certified coach and an accomplished pool and open water swimmer, with Top 10 USMS rankings in several events and relays. An incredibly versatile athlete, Susie has competed in running and triathlons, did mountain biking and is a former Jazzercise Franchise Owner and Instructor.  Now her activity passions are swimming, hiking and kayaking. Oh, and there is that coaching thing, too!

Susie continues to coach SwimFit, a swim technique and practice group she started at Rolling Hills Club in 2010, turning many non swimmers into swimmers and helping former swimmers return to the water and learn new techniques.

Susie has an extensive background in nutrition as a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist with a B.S. degree from UC Berkeley and a B.A. degree in Spanish from the University of Miami. While attending U of M, she had the privilege of being on the very first U of M Women’s Swim Team. She enjoys pool competitions and open water events.