Meet the coaching team
At Openswim UK, we pride ourselves in having the most experienced, qualified coaching team in the North West.
In the team, we have world record holders both in open water and in the pool.
Jane McCormick
Marathon distance open water swimmer & Swim England level 2 teacher
Jane is one of the most recognised open water swimmers in the north west having completed a number of prestigious swims both in the UK and around the world. She has swum the English Channel solo and is a member of the team that hold the world record for the fastest two-way and three way Channel crossings.
She has swum around Manhattan Island, raced in New Zealand and swum Windermere over 20 times. She has also swum the length of Loch Lomond, Loch Rannoch and Loch Earn.
Jane is an ASA level 2 qualified teacher and holds her level 2 Open water swimming coaches qualification.
When she’s not swimming, Jane is a mum to Archie her six year old son and Keena, his three year old sister who are often down at the water helping out.
Being a mum, Jane knows how difficult it can be to juggle family, work and sporting aspirations so feel free to contact her for advice on how to build your training plans around your commitments.
Bob Bolton
Swim England Level 2 Swimming Teacher & Coach
Bob has been swimming in lakes, seas, oceans and swimming pools for over 50 years. He has competed throughout most of this time mainly as a swimmer but also as a triathlete and still competes as a Masters swimmer to this day. In his younger days he also played national league water polo.
He is an Swim England Level 2 qualified teacher/coach and one of a handful of qualified Open Water coaches in the country. In addition he is involved with the Swim England tutor programme for open water swimming. Bob is also the Chairman of Trafford Metro Swimming Club in South Manchester, where he coaches the Youth squad. He also coaches and swims with the Masters squad on a shared basis with his swimming wife Jo (herself a level 3 swimming coach and Open Swim UK coach) preparing swimmers for pool based and open water competition. The Masters group is one of the country's top teams boasting numerous World, European and British record holders.
Bob is an elected member of the Cheshire Swimming Executive, sits on the Cheshire swimming committee and is the Cheshire Masters swimming secretary. He is also a member of the North West Region Masters committee and a former President of the Manchester & District Swimming & Water Polo Association. Bob is also an ASA licensed swimming official qualified as a referee and a Level 1 Open Water official. He also has IoS membership.
Craig Ward
Swim England level 3 teacher and Coach
Craig
Jo Bolton
Swim England level 3 Teacher and Coach
Jo swam competitively until age 20. She was a regular at the national championships as a breastroke swimmer and competed at the Olympic trials in 1986.
In 1985 she qualified as a swimming teacher having taught all ages from toddlers to adults over many years.
She holds a powerboat level 2 and sub-aqua open water diving certificate as well as a level 2 in sport and recreation and level 1 athletics coach.
Jo is a Swim England Level 3 coach and also holds the Level 2 Open Water coaching qualification and is a NPLQ lifeguard and member of the IoS.
She was head coach of Trafford Metro Swimming club up until 2011.
Jo still swims and competes as a masters swimmer for Trafford Metro Masters and has been the 50m 100m and 200m short course breastroke champion several times and the 50m and 100m British champion too.
Nat Pepper
ASA level 1 teacher and ex-GB Paralympic swimmer
Natalie Massey is an ex- GB Paralympic swimmer who competed in London 2012.
She began swimming at the age of eight and hasn't looked back since. Natalie was a favorite on the GB team for her positive, can do attitude and won silver in the 2011 European championships.
Since retiring from the international stage in 2013, Natalie made a smooth transition into open water and was a member of the relay team in 2015 who had the fastest crossing of the year.
When she's not working with the team Natalie trains down at Sale water park. Its obviously paid off as with Jane and five other open water friends, they broke the world record for a three way crossing of the English Channel.
Dan Pepper
Swim England Level 2 coach, personal trainer and ex-GB Paralympic swimmer
Dan Pepper is an ex- GB Paralympic swimmer who competed in London 2012 and still holds the 200m breaststroke short course world record.
Dan is County Squad Coach at Stockport Metro and he holds his L1 and L2 ASA teaching and coaching qualifications.
Not only is Dan a double world champion in the pool, he is also an accomplished triathlete and completed his first Ironman in 2017
Dan is also a L2 personal trainer.
Sam Frangupulo
Swim England Level 2 teacher and coach
Sam was a competitive swimmer performing to a high level throughout her teenage years during which she qualified as a Swim England Level 2 swimming teacher.
She is also a NPLQ lifeguard and member of the IoS.
Sam is one of a handful of level 2 qualified Open Water Coaches in the UK.
She has been a valued member of the OpenswimUK team since our second season and regularly is seen delivering lessons and courses down at the lake or providing safety briefings to new swimmers.
