Meet the Coaches
Our Coaches are here to help all of our swimmers to get the most out of our Club and their own personal swimming journey.
Kate Offord - Head Coach
Kate joined Altrincham Swimming Club as a Coach in 2013. She has been Head Coach since September 2021, initially focusing on rebuilding the club after Covid.
She is now is focused building the profile and success of the club and it’s swimmers on a larger scale. Since becoming Head Coach, Altrincham Swimming Club has made some huge achievements including increasing numbers of swimmers getting to Counties, Regionals and Nationals each year and being crowned “Swim England Club of the Year 2023” which was a huge honour.
Kate is always looking for ways to learn and improve. She has built really valuable local coaching networks, and has worked extensively on the Swim England Talent Pathway as a Skills Coach on the Regional Development Programme, Head Coach on the Regional Development Programme and a Skills Coaching on the National Age Group Development Programme. She has also been a regular Coach and Team Manager for the Cheshire County Team.
After having her own family, in 2012, Kate gave up the Corporate treadmill to pursue her passion for coaching. Alongside being Head Coach at Altrincham SC, she runs a full-time successful triathlon coaching business and works as a Tutor in the Coach Education Team at British Triathlon delivering the Level 2 Diploma Personal Coach Courses and the Level 3 equivalent High Performing Coach Programme.
Kate has a 2:1 in Politics from the University of Nottingham. She is a Swim England Level 3 Senior Coach, a British Triathlon Level 3 High Performance Coach, a Level 2 Teacher of Aquatics, and also has her Personal Trainer qualifications.
Kate found her own love of swimming aged 6 years old when she was asked to do her 400m badge and she refused to stop swimming - going on to complete her 2000m badge when the leisure centre closed the session - a little bit like Forrest Gump. When she was 7 she joined Chalfont Otters Swimming Club, her local club and later moved to Amersham Swimming Club. Kate was a fly and freestyle swimmer and swam regularly at Counties and Southern Counties, representing Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire on a regular basis, and won a number of National Schools medals along the way. She still swims and runs regularly for fitness.
She is now is focused building the profile and success of the club and it’s swimmers on a larger scale. Since becoming Head Coach, Altrincham Swimming Club has made some huge achievements including increasing numbers of swimmers getting to Counties, Regionals and Nationals each year and being crowned “Swim England Club of the Year 2023” which was a huge honour.
Kate is always looking for ways to learn and improve. She has built really valuable local coaching networks, and has worked extensively on the Swim England Talent Pathway as a Skills Coach on the Regional Development Programme, Head Coach on the Regional Development Programme and a Skills Coaching on the National Age Group Development Programme. She has also been a regular Coach and Team Manager for the Cheshire County Team.
After having her own family, in 2012, Kate gave up the Corporate treadmill to pursue her passion for coaching. Alongside being Head Coach at Altrincham SC, she runs a full-time successful triathlon coaching business and works as a Tutor in the Coach Education Team at British Triathlon delivering the Level 2 Diploma Personal Coach Courses and the Level 3 equivalent High Performing Coach Programme.
Kate has a 2:1 in Politics from the University of Nottingham. She is a Swim England Level 3 Senior Coach, a British Triathlon Level 3 High Performance Coach, a Level 2 Teacher of Aquatics, and also has her Personal Trainer qualifications.
Kate found her own love of swimming aged 6 years old when she was asked to do her 400m badge and she refused to stop swimming - going on to complete her 2000m badge when the leisure centre closed the session - a little bit like Forrest Gump. When she was 7 she joined Chalfont Otters Swimming Club, her local club and later moved to Amersham Swimming Club. Kate was a fly and freestyle swimmer and swam regularly at Counties and Southern Counties, representing Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire on a regular basis, and won a number of National Schools medals along the way. She still swims and runs regularly for fitness.
Leah Patterson - Assistant Head Coach
Leah is the latest addition to the ASC coaching team, taking on the Lead Development Coach role in August 2024.
Beth Mackellar - Coach & Co-Cordinator
Beth joined Altrincham Swimming Club when she was 7 and worked her way through the training groups with Coach Jade!
Throughout her GCSE’s, Beth volunteered at ASC working with the Development squads under the watchful eye of Coach Kate, completing both her level 1 and 2 coaching qualifications during this time too. During Beth’s A-levels, she became one of the Development Coaches, loving to teach young swimmers key skills such as diving. After A-levels, Beth left ASC to study midwifery at university, returning to the Club when she came back home for her career.
When not delivering babies, Beth now has a role as one of the Development Coaches within ASC, where she continues to enjoy helping the younger swimmers develop their skills and find a love for swimming.
Throughout her GCSE’s, Beth volunteered at ASC working with the Development squads under the watchful eye of Coach Kate, completing both her level 1 and 2 coaching qualifications during this time too. During Beth’s A-levels, she became one of the Development Coaches, loving to teach young swimmers key skills such as diving. After A-levels, Beth left ASC to study midwifery at university, returning to the Club when she came back home for her career.
When not delivering babies, Beth now has a role as one of the Development Coaches within ASC, where she continues to enjoy helping the younger swimmers develop their skills and find a love for swimming.
Andrew Walton - Coach
Andrew began at Altrincham swimming club many years ago when he was eight years old. He progressed through Altrincham’s swimming squad to the top squad and went on to represent Altrincham swimming club at county, Regional and National competitions. Andrew then went on to represent his university swimming team Sheffield Hallam at British University Championships and he swam for City of Sheffield Swimming Squad. Andrew’s favourite stroke was front crawl. However, he would even enter Butterfly races just for fun when competing.
Andrew started his coaching career when he was sixteen gaining a level 1 and 2 in teaching Aquatics and then gaining his level 1 and 2 in Coaching swimming. Andrew first helped to develop swimmers from the SwimWell program into the swimming club. Andrew would continue to do this through University while travelling back each weekend. After university, Andrew took on a small number of swimmers who wanted to make regional swimming times and eventually move onto the boroughs top swimming club ‘Swim Trafford’. Andrew managed to get a number of swimmers to the borough's top swimming squad with some of them going on to achieve national success.
As well as coaching at Altrincham swimming Club, Andrew helped out and worked along side James Stannard Coaching National and regional swimmers at swim Trafford. Andrew still maintains a love and passion for swimming and continues to pursue this at Trafford Metro Master swimming squad and has represented them in Master swimming events. This therefore allows him to understand the pressures and challenges on what swimmers go through on a daily basis.
Andrew started his coaching career when he was sixteen gaining a level 1 and 2 in teaching Aquatics and then gaining his level 1 and 2 in Coaching swimming. Andrew first helped to develop swimmers from the SwimWell program into the swimming club. Andrew would continue to do this through University while travelling back each weekend. After university, Andrew took on a small number of swimmers who wanted to make regional swimming times and eventually move onto the boroughs top swimming club ‘Swim Trafford’. Andrew managed to get a number of swimmers to the borough's top swimming squad with some of them going on to achieve national success.
As well as coaching at Altrincham swimming Club, Andrew helped out and worked along side James Stannard Coaching National and regional swimmers at swim Trafford. Andrew still maintains a love and passion for swimming and continues to pursue this at Trafford Metro Master swimming squad and has represented them in Master swimming events. This therefore allows him to understand the pressures and challenges on what swimmers go through on a daily basis.
Jade Ong - Coach
Jade joined ASC when she was 9 because she loved swimming and wanted to swim more. Jade was never a competitive swimmer, but did enjoy the team galas! Jade started volunteering on poolside about 3 years ago and since then she has done both her level 1 and level 2 teaching courses and really enjoyed being on poolside more. She loves coaching and seeing the swimmers progress and develop, as well as how much they all love to swim.
ASC is a great place to be as both a swimmer and a coach and has been a massive part of Jade’s life for the last 10 years.
ASC is a great place to be as both a swimmer and a coach and has been a massive part of Jade’s life for the last 10 years.
Emily Inns - Coach
Emily joined Altrincham Swimming Club at age 7, having worked her way through the Learn to Swim stages and completing her Bronze, Silver and Gold awards. Emily is a keen competitive swimmer and has competed across the Region representing Swim Trafford and Bolton & Manchester teams and of course Altrincham.
With an interest in coaching from early on, Emily has volunteered with Altrincham Swimming Club for some time, using her volunteering towards both her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Having already achieved the Swim England Young Volunteer Award, through which she qualified as a British Swimming Timekeeper, Emily qualified as a Lifeguard and then went on to complete the Level 1 and Level 2 Coaching qualifications.
Emily has been proud to be the Club’s Girls’ Captain and aims to continue to encourage other swimmers to develop a lifelong love of swimming, to achieve their goals and enjoy the journey.
With an interest in coaching from early on, Emily has volunteered with Altrincham Swimming Club for some time, using her volunteering towards both her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Having already achieved the Swim England Young Volunteer Award, through which she qualified as a British Swimming Timekeeper, Emily qualified as a Lifeguard and then went on to complete the Level 1 and Level 2 Coaching qualifications.
Emily has been proud to be the Club’s Girls’ Captain and aims to continue to encourage other swimmers to develop a lifelong love of swimming, to achieve their goals and enjoy the journey.
Kristina Wright - Assistant Coach