Marianne was born in Mexico City and moved to Canada in 1987. Marianne brings to North Vancouver Cruisers the achievement of having coached a Para swimmer to finals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

As a swimmer her personal achievements include being the first Mexican woman to swim the English Channel and participating in the FISU Games 1979 for 100 and 200 breaststroke. In fin swimming Marianne held national records and participated in: World and European Championships; Latin Cup; and open water European Championship, in which she won open water European Champion in 5 km.

As a coach Marianne established the summer swim team in Lumby, BC in 1987. She also coached and developed the Vernon, BC Kokanee Grassroots program. After moving to Vancouver she coached Age Group for 5 years with the Canadian Dolphin Swim Club and developed the CDSC Tri/Masters program. She coached for 2 years with Chena North Shore. Currently Marianne is in her 6th season coaching English Bay Masters and has she developed her own Para swim team. Under Marianne’s coaching her swimmers have achieved: a 10 & Under Canadian record; World Masters record; and a Para swimmer to 3 years Canadian National Para Swim Team, Canadian record holder, and Paralympic finalist.

Marianne truly believes in hard work and discipline and will always go as far as she can to help her swimmers achieve their goals. Friendship, full trust, and respect are the keys to a successful swimmer / coach relationship. ‘Believing is Achieving.” She has a true passion for coaching and will be a certified NCCP level 3 Senior Coach 2013.  

This will be Jordan's second year as the Head Coach for the North Vancouver Cruisers. Jordan started playing water polo in the BCSSA as a member of the Port Coquitlam Marlins and continued from there to play for Pacific Storm, where his team won several national championships. He then went on to represent Canada as a member of the national team for 6 years. As a coach,  he has experience working for a variety of BCSSA and lower mainland water polo clubs including Port Coquitlam Marlins, Abbotsford Whalers, Port Moody Aquarians, Coquitlam Lions, North Delta Sunfish and most recently the Surrey Orcas. He also coached Pacific Storm for the 2004-2005 season before leaving for the national team and now again for the 2011-2012 season. He is also, currently, one of the coaches for Team BC. Jordan is extremely excited to be joining the Cruisers this summer and looks forward to seeing you all on the pool deck.  

Lorin Jones is no stranger to the pool. Growing up with an Olympic diver for a mother and a University level swimmer meant she spent more time under the water than above it. She dove all throughout her childhood but really fell in love with coaching when she was in Highschool. Now a 24 year old University of Victoria student, Lorin has coached for numerous clubs including White Rock Divers and Boardworks. This is Lorin's second season Coaching for the Cruisers and she is really looking forward to it. She was so happy to have been welcomed so graciously to the cruiser family last summer. Lorin hopes you can all make it out to at least give diving a try! 

Jacqueline Tiplady: Synchro Head Coach 

Jackie is an NCCP Level 1 synchro coach who has been involved with Cruisers for almost a decade. She began swimming with NVC in the summer of 2003, and since then, she has performed 7 team routines, 4 duets, and 2 solos with Cruisers. She competed at the BC Summer Games in 2006, and has been part of the UBC Synchro team since 2009. When she's not at the pool, Jackie studies English Lit at UBC and helps run the UBC Synchro team. This will be her third summer coaching with Cruisers, and her first season as head coach of Synchro; she's looking forward to working with some new and some familiar faces, and to watching the swimmers grow and improve as the season progresses. Cruisers is always one of the best parts of Jackie's summer, and she is excited to share her passion for synchro with this year's teams. It's going to be a great season!

Stephanie Wood: Splash Head Coach 

Stephanie is currently in her first year at the University of British Columbia. She has been a part of the North Vancouver Cruisers since she was 6 years old, and she is excited to be coming back for her 14th season. She has participated in many speed swimming meets and provincials over the years, as well as competed in diving for two years, and synchronized swimming for six. Steph has volunteered with Splash since the 2008 season, and became a coach in the 2011 summer season. She is thrilled to be coming back to coach the program for the third year this summer! She will bring a high level of energy and enthusiasm to the pool, and develop the skills of new swimmers as well as create a fun and exciting environment. Spending her summers at the pool have been some of her fondest memories, and she is excited for another great season! 

George Hill: Speed Swimming Group Coach 

George Hill, having swum for 14 years, is truly excited to be returning for his 9th consecutive year with Cruisers and his fourth year returning as a coach. Turning 19 this July, George is currently in his first year at the University of British Columbia. He is a fully certified lifeguard and has had the opportunity to meet and learn from many experienced coaches and swimmers who train around the clock to slice best times by thousandths of a second. George has two younger brothers, both who transferred to Chena after 6 years with Cruisers to try to become one of those high level swimmers. In George’s past with Cruisers, he has qualified for provincials all but his first year, racing in his strongest strokes: backstroke, IM, and his personal favourite, breaststroke. His experience with Cruisers has been better than he could have ever imagined and truly exceeds that of any other sport in which he had participated. He is proud to say that because of these experiences, swimming will forever be one of his passions. A passion he hopes to invoke in every single swimmer he meets. With bright hopes for the season ahead, he can’t wait for the thrill to begin!   

Jolee is very excited to be returning to Cruisers for her 9th season this summer. Having swum with the club since she was six years old, Jolee has qualified for provincial finals every year. Over the course of her swimming career, she has broken a number of meet records and club records. Jolee began volunteer coaching with Cruisers in 2011 and was a winter maintenance coach for the past eight months. She is a trained NCCP Level 1 swim coach and is currently working on her lifeguard certification. Coaching, for her, is a way to become further involved in the sport she loves most. This past year, Jolee also took on being the meet manager for her school’s first ever junior invitational swim meet as part of her IB Personal Project. Outside of the pool, Jolee can be found finishing her Grade 10 year at Mulgrave, playing volleyball, basketball and having impromptu music sessions with her friends. Her summers at the pool have taught her many valuable life lessons and have easily created some of her fondest memories. As a coach, Jolee is hoping to instill a passion for the sport into every one of her swimmers this year - much like what her coaches did for her. 

Alex is thrilled to be joining the Cruisers summer coaching staff for his sixth season with the club. Over the past 5 seasons, he went from barely being able to swim a length of the pool, to a provincial finalist. Alex was a volunteer coach for two years, and has been coaching with the winter maintenance sessions since September 2012. He is bronze cross livesaving ceritfied, and a trained level 1 NCCP swim coach. When not at the pool swimming, coaching, or playing water polo, you can find Alex on a field playing football or rugby. Alex has thoroughly enjoyed his time with Cruisers, he's had great coaches, made strong friendships, and is looking forward to helping the kids he's coaching have a similar experience. Above all, Alex is looking forward to a fun-filled summer with lots of excitement around every corner! 

John started his water polo career as a Cruiser at age 7 and is very excited to be returning now as a member of the coaching staff. After years with the Cruisers John joined The Pacific Storm Water Polo Club and then at age 17 the Canadian Junior Men’s National Team where he had his first experience with international competition at Junior World Championships in 2007. Following that John moved to Calgary to join the Senior Men’s National Team where he spent two years training and competing. After retiring from the National Team in 2009 John returned to Vancouver and began to coach. Since then has been both head coach and assistant coach for various different clubs and programs including the North Shore Titans, NSWC Marlins, Pacific Storm, and Team BC. John is happy to have the opportunity to share his water polo knowledge and experience with younger generations of Cruisers in his home town of North Vancouver.  

Meghan Lappan: Water Polo Coach  

Meghan is very excited to be coming back to North Vancouver for her 4th year as a water polo coach and her 15th as a Cruiser. She has competed in swimming since she was 6yrs old and was hooked on water polo at age 10. Meghan was also a member of Pacific Storm water polo for 6 years. She has just completed her junior year at Indiana University where she plays NCAA Div I water polo for the Hoosiers and studies Sociology and Psychology. Meghan is looking forward to teaching her favourite sport to a whole new group of eager athletes and hope they learn to love it as much as she does. 

When she isn't at the pool or at the gym, Meghan likes to eat lots of sushi and indulge in naps. 

Marianne Tout: Water Polo Coach 

Marianne is happy to be coaching water polo with the Cruisers this year.  She really enjoys working with the younger athletes helping them learn new skills and improve upon their existing abilities.  She also gets pleasure from instilling the love of the game in the players. Marianne joined the North Van Cruisers when she was 9 years old as a speed swimmer.  Two years later she started playing water polo and has never looked back. She has competed in the BCSSA summer water polo provincial championships for 4 years helping the team win two silver medals and two gold medals. She has also competed in 2 National Championships with the Pacific Storm Water Polo Club and is currently training for both the U18 and U16 National Championships this May. This is Marianne's second year of being a part of the B.C. provincial team and has just completed her first year with the Water Polo Canada National Development Centre. Having been with the Cruisers for 8 years, Marianne is looking forward to a fun filled 9th season.

Jocelyn McQuade: Water Polo Coach 

Jocelyn has been a Cruiser since she was 6 years old. She has competed in 8 provincial championships and won medals in relays as well as individual events and as a part of the water polo team. She has been the captain of the Bantam and Cadet Pacific Storm Water Polo team for the last three years and was awarded last year with BC Water polo's athlete of the year. She has been very busy in the past couple years training 5 to 6 times a week with Pacific Storm Water Polo, and the National Development Center, as well as Team BC in the summer. She has competed in 2 National Championships, and is set to compete in the U18 nationals as well as the U16 nationals both in May. In addition to playing, Jocelyn has been a volunteer coach for the past 4 years, in both swimming and water polo. Out of the water Jocelyn is looking forwards to starting her grade 11 year at Argyle secondary school, she excels at art class where she can paint as well as her art metal course where she has learnt to make jewellery. Jocelyn hopes to provide for every athlete the fun and excitement for water polo as was provided for her when she was a cruiser. She is super excited for this summer and can't wait to see everyone at the pool!

Melissa Chui: Synchro Coach 

Melissa is delighted to be coaching Synchro for Cruisers.  She loves working with the younger swimmers and helping them to improve and refine their skills.  Ever since she was a little girl, she has always been amazed by the synchronized swimming routines performed at the Olympics.  She started swimming at a very young age and took on synchro in 2003 through the STAR program.  After her discovery of her love for the sport, Melissa joined Cruisers in 2005. She has received several medals since then, including gold medals for the past two years.  Every summer, great memories are made as Melissa swims and volunteer coaches with Cruisers. It’s a time for everyone to bond and share their passion for the sport with one another. Melissa is delighted to be back, coaching with her former teammates Azin, Jackie and Megan, and she can’t wait to see everyone’s smiles again! 

Megan Steffens: Synchro Coach 

Megan has been doing been both speed swiming and doing synchro since she was 8. Since she was eleven, she been a part of cruisers and has participated provincially in synchro as well as speed swimming and water polo. This will be her second year coaching with cruisers and is thrilled to once again be an assistant coach with her friends and former team mates, Melissa, Jackie and Azin. She had a great time last year and has a great time helping young swimmers learn and succeed throughout the season.Megan loves Cruisers and keeps coming back each summer because of the Cruisers family that is built and hopes to help build the same community for her swimmers. Cruisers has provided so many opportunities as well as formed some of her closest friendships.When Megan's not at the pool you can find her finishing her grade 10 year at Mulgrave, playing volleyball, singing, or playing other sports. Megan is thrilled to be back for another year with Cruisers and can't wait for the season to start!  

Hi I'm Rachael! I love coaching diving because I enjoy seeing the kids succeed in the sport. Them having fun and learning is my priority. Coaching is great for me because it allows me to remain an integral part of the sport without competing anymore. In my spare time I enjoy playing volleyball, cooking, participating in school activities, volunteering in my community, and spending time with friends and family. I'm looking forward to this year and I hope it is the best yet!

Number of years competing - 5

Number years coaching in this area - 4

Number of years coaching with cruisers - 2

level of certification - NCCP Learn To Dive, level 1 in progress

Alexa competed with the North Shore Dolphins Dive Club from 2007-2010. She dove at a Provincial and National level on the 1 and 3 metre springboards. Alexa is a certified NCCP Learn to dive instructor. She has volunteered with the District of West Vancouver in their gymnastic programs and volunteers with the North Shore Dolphins. Alexa plays club volleyball, field hockey, and also horseback rides. Alexa is an honour student and has received awards for academic and sport achievements. Alexa enjoys coaching because she wants to pass on her love of sport, and it is rewarding to watch kids improve over time.