Submitted by the Columbia Valley Swim Club
The Columbia Valley Swim Club (CVSC) is pleased to announce the hiring of our new head coach, Katie Millns.
Katie comes with a wealth of knowledge, a passion for coaching, and a deep love of the sport. Most recently, Katie has been an assistant head coach with the Campbell River Killer Whales on Vancouver Island.
Katie was born to be a swimmer. Her parents actually met through swimming, and Katie grew up on pool decks across the country as her dad took various coaching positions around Canada.
“My family moved a lot during my childhood, so I got to be part of a bunch of different clubs,” says Katie. “My dad took clubs from virtually nothing, and I watched him build them up. It taught me so much.”
Swimming is still a family affair for the Millns. Her mom, Cheri, runs the administrative side of the Campbell River club while her dad, Richard, is the head coach. Her older brother runs the summer programs while her three younger siblings still swim competitively.
Katie started swimming at a young age, moving up in the competitive ranks to eventually compete at both the eastern and western nationals, along with various other national level meets. She began coaching young swimmers when she was an early teen.
“Connecting with all the younger kids, I loved it right off the bat. My coaching career started when I was still a swimmer as a hobby, and quickly turned into my passion,” she reflects. “I absolutely love coaching; it’s the best job in the world.”
Katie has already felt incredibly welcomed to the community. While the Radium pool is still undergoing renovations, the CVSC is excited and grateful that Fairmont Hot Springs Resort will host the club starting the week after Thanksgiving. Up until then, Katie plans to meet with the swimmers and their families, get some dryland exercises underway, and start planning for swim meets. But above all the competitive goals, she wants to get to know her new students and create a strong, unified team of swimmers who love the sport and care for each other.
“I bring a love of swimming, and it’s something I love passing onto my swimmers. I want to inspire them to be as passionate about swimming as I am,” says Katie. “I am full of excitement and optimism for what this team has in store for the coming seasons. I look forward to seeing you all on deck soon!”
Karen Farhni retired as the CVSC head coach this past season after numerous years of hard work and dedication to her swimmers and their families. A very heartfelt thank you to Karen! Katie began her new position with the club on September 10.
Club President Laura Kipp says the board is pleased to welcome Katie to the position.
“We anticipate a great 2023/24 season, and are looking forward to seeing the energy and enthusiasm Katie brings to all our swimmers here in the Columbia Valley.”
