Chris Ellul enters his 16th year coaching competitive swimming. This is also his 9th year with the Scarborough Swim Club, and 3rd as Head Coach. Chris has spent his time growing and restructuring both the pre-competitive lessons program (now the Scarborough Swim Academy), as well as the Development and Age Group programs as the Head Development Coach and Swim School Coordinator over his first six years with the club. 

Prior to joining SCAR, Chris spent fourteen seasons with the Oshawa Aquatic Club. His first seven years were spent as an athlete, quickly becoming a regional champion and provincial swimmer at the junior/senior championships. The final seven years were as Head Age Group and Assistant Head Coach. In that span he also directed the team’s Olympic Way swim lessons program. 

Chris has direct experience coaching swimmers at all ages and skill levels including development, age group, para, senior, varsity, and masters. He has developed and worked with athletes at the Regional, Provincial and National levels, having multiple swimmers place in the national top-5, 10 and 20 rankings in their respective age groups. Chris has led multiple Central Region Fundamental Camps, taken part in many Provincial invitational camps, as well as a Swim Ontario Youth Men's camp as a mentor coach.

His swimming philosophy has always been prioritizing the process, and the development of strong fundamentals for long-term success. He has extensive knowledge of swimming mechanics and understands the benefits of swimming posture and the elimination of drag and resistance. The key is in the developing of independent student-athletes, that will serve swimmers well in both swimming and in life. Chris preaches to his swimmers: Accountability, Reliability, and Coachability.

Chris' own coach described him as a swimmer who always wore his heart on his sleeve.  Now, as a career coach, it's that same passion that drives him to help his swimmers become the best they can be.

Coming from a big family with many boys, Patrick has always been competitive, whether it be in sports, school, music, or life. This has helped Patrick in many different sports when he was younger such as in hockey, soccer, volleyball, and tennis. Patrick has been working with youth for over five years in sports camps, swim instruction, and other activities integrated with his church. Currently Patrick’s passions are piano, music, spending time with family, and of course the world of swimming.

Patrick began competitive swimming with TORCH at the age of 15, and within two years placed top-10 at the Provincial Championships, also qualifying for Eastern Canadian Championships, however, had recently retired from the sport at the end of the 2016-2017 season.  Aside from his own swimming, Patrick made himself available to teach within TORCH’s Learn-To-Swim program, later also coaching with their pre-competitive program consisting of swimmers between the ages of 8 and 13. It is there he first learned of coaching, learning from coworkers and coaches along the way. He now finds himself in a new and exciting role and is eager to learn and work alongside SCAR’s experienced coaching staff. Patrick is very much looking forward to making a positive impact with his new team.

Laura Watts is both the Scarborough Swim Club’s Age Group Coach and Swim Academy Coordinator. She comes to us from the North York Aquatic Club, bringing with her 13 years of competitive coaching experience. In those years she has had the opportunity to coach swimmers ranging from entry level to provincial qualifiers. Although Laura enjoys the challenge each age group offers her particular interest has always been in developing the younger swimmers.

Laura's dedication to swimming began at an early age when she joined her grade-2 school swim team and continued through three years of college. She swam with NYAC’s national group for four of those years. 

Aquatics has spilled over into her day-time role where she is an aquatics instructor for the TDSB, encouraging classes of students with special needs.

Recently moving to Scarborough and starting a family, Laura is looking forward to starting her new role with the Scarborough Swim Club! 

Christina Ramsay is a former Scarborough Swim Club swimmer and swam with the club for six years. After three years with SCAR, she qualified for both Provincials and Eastern Nationals in multiple events and went on to compete at those levels throughout her last few years with the club. She credits her time with SCAR for developing her competitive, hard-working, and driven nature that is still greatly valued and utilized to this day. 

Christina has been a swimming instructor and Lifeguard for the past 9 years with both the City of Toronto and the YMCA, where she has had experience teaching swimmers of all ages and abilities. She has a passion for swimming and will not only inspire swimmers to fall in love with the sport but will also lay the foundation to become the best swimmers they can be. Christina knows from first-hand experience just how valuable a career in competitive swimming can be, for the skills needed to be successful in the sport such as strength, confidence, a positive attitude, and resilience, will also bring success in other aspects of life.

Christina is currently working towards completing her undergraduate degree in Psychology. In her spare time, she still enjoys swimming to keep up with fitness, as well as spending time outdoors enjoying nature by going camping, hiking, and paddling. She also enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her pet cat and dog. She is incredibly excited to be coming back to Scarborough Swim Club as a coach.