Our coaches
All Nautilus instructors hold internationally recognised swimming instructor qualifications, but we think that you might like to know a bit more about them than that. So here, in their own words, is who they are and why they love swimming and instructing.
As one of our instructors likes to quote "Swimming is not just about learning technique, it's about building a relationship with the water".
Milan Kantor
Adriano Balade
Maciej Mitura
Barbara Krajnik
Aleksandra Jaminska
Margarita Damova
Sanela Nikolic
Victoria Hull
Nikola Akrabov
Luisa Franco
Panagiotis Anastasakis
Johann Brown
Matt Power
Marcin Kostkowski
Michele Giacuz
Ruta Grumovskyte
Beata Gorska
Francisco Garcia
Jorge Puchol
Pawel Lichtop
Navid Golchoobian
Claire Lowry
Gianluca Dettori
Sonia Cheung
Michal Leks
Iosifina Pournara
Sorin Dumbrava
Krizstian Serfozo
Rosario Numerato
Anna Szewczyk
Anna Maria Veres
Milan Kantor
I am a graduate of Sports Science and Physical Education at Brno University, Czech Republic (2006). At the age of ten, I started swimming with my local club and, by fifteen, I was training eleven times per week and competing successfully at the Czech National Junior Championships. Such success in the pool allows me to work really effectively in the water with students by providing technically clear demonstrations which help them visualize what it is they are trying to achieve.
I arrived in London in 2006 and have worked as a swimming coach and instructor with numerous companies. My aim is to put my excellent technical knowledge to best use, so as to help all my students achieve the highest possible level of success in their swimming.
Adriano Balade
I grew up on the coast side of Brazil where, from the age of seven, I competed in surf events around Sao Paulo. It was there that I met and trained with the big stars of the swimming world and, of course, learned a great deal from them. When I was seventeen I started work at a surfing school teaching kids and adults in my town. I am crazy about everything to do with water and, when I arrived in the UK, I started teaching swimming here too. It’s the best job in the world.
Maciej Mitura
I grew up in Poland and started swimming at the age of six. I soon became a member of a local swim club and competed successfully at National level. When my professional swimming career ended, I became an instructor so as to pass on all my depth of experience and knowledge to younger generations. I have taught in a number of swim schools and clubs in London. I am really keen on getting the technique right which enables my students to swim progress smoothly and effortlessly in all four strokes. I also have a degree in Politics and postgraduate studies in PR.
Barbara Krajnik
I’m Barbara. I grew up in Poland just minutes away from the lake district of that country and I have always loved being around water – I even live on a boat in London!
I trained as a Geography teacher and having been working with children for a several years I thought I would combine my love of swimming and teaching and combine the two skills. I now feel so lucky to be working in a field that makes me so happy.
I like to make my lessons as fun as possible and try to ensure that my students get as much enjoyment out of swimming as I do. I want them all to progress to their fullest potential.
Aleksandra Jaminska
Sport is my greatest passion in life! As a child I always wanted to spend as much time on my various sporting activities as I could, and my interest in swimming grew over the years. So much so, that I decided to pursue it as a profession, and graduated as a P.E. teacher from the Academy of Physical Education in Wroclaw, Poland. As a student there, I specialised in sports management and swimming coaching courses at every level, from toddlers through to adult swimmers, including those with special needs.
I get huge enjoyment from working with kids and seeing their smiling faces when they are succeeding and having fun at the same time is great. I want to share my enjoyment of sport and inculcate healthy attitudes and enthusiasm for life-long active recreation.
Margarita Damova
My name is Margarita and I come from Bulgaria when I started swimming at the age of 6.
I have been a competitive swimmer and part of the Bulgarian national swimming team for many years. I participated in many national and international championships, including open-water swimming world cup competitions achieving a 4th place ranking
My higher education was in sports journalism and swim coaching. As swimming and communicating with people are my two favorite activities, my job as a swimming coach enjoyably combines both these very well! As well as Bulgarian instructor qualifications, I also have the GB teaching and coaching certificates as well and, overall, I have more than 15 years experience in teaching/coaching. I love my job and believe that giving my students individual attention, even in a group, is one of the key ways for them to reach their goals.
Sanela Nikolic
I have been involved in swimming all of my life and have a very wide background and knowledge of aquatic sports including swimming, synchronised swimming, and waterpolo. I was a competitive swimmer from a young age and subsequently a gold medalist and record breaker in 100m and 200m backstroke between 1986 - 1991.- in Former Yugoslavia - 13 - 19 years old group.
I was nominated for the London Award 2013 in the category Coach of the Year 2013 across the UK. I have also had a chance to work with one of our county's Olympians, David Wilkie.
I am qualified as swimming and synchronised swimming teacher and a coach and I am a FINA synchronised swimming judge for National and International competitions with over 30 years of experience and well over 7,000 students World Wide.
My greatest satisfaction always comes from seeing my clients enjoy their progress. Whether working with nervous beginners who need to conquer their fear of water, or with more advanced swimmers who want to reach triathlon or other swimming goals. I am certain that I can help you improve results through supportive and experienced instruction.
Victoria Hull
I have been helping out and shadowing swimming instructors since I was 10 years old. As soon as I was old enough, (5 years ago), I became a qualified swimming teacher. I have competed as a swimmer since I was seven years old and I still really enjoy training and competing. I try to keep my lessons fun and interesting and get my students to learn something new in every lesson.
Nikola Akrabov
I am Nik and I have been swimming since the age of six. I was a National Champion in Bulgaria for 7 consecutive years mainly in free style and butterfly. Swimming is a vital life-skill as well as great fun thing to do and I love teaching both children and adults alike, aiming to get them to share my enthusiasm for this amazing sport. I like to think I am particularly good at motivating swimmers and bring out their full potential in a fun and enjoyable way.
Luisa Franco
I am a passionate swimming instructor who loves teaching swimming. My love for swimming started when I was very young. I grew up in a town in Colombia where the average temperature is 26 degrees throughout the year. There is no winter and outdoor swimming pools are available everywhere. I had my first swimming lesson at the age of 4 and since then, it has been my favourite sport. I’ve been teaching swimming for over eight years now and I love the competitive side of the sport. I have experience working with all age groups (swimming schools and triathlon clubs) from toddlers to competitive swimmers – teenagers and adults. I also have experience working with special needs students, and I hold a certificate in the Halliwick approach, where the main focus is the biophysical principles of motor control in the water.
Panagiotis Anastasakis
I coming from Sparta, the warm weather of Greece coupled with the close distance of my house from the sea, was the main that spent a lot of time in my life around water sport, open sea swimming, and martial arts. In 2017 I moved to London and qualified as a swimming teacher. My passion for education and my enthusiasm for teaching children was the factor that drove me to make this life-changing decision. My main purpose is to transfer my dedication and cognitive skills to the next generation.
Johann Brown
In 1985 my parents moved to Spain from Argentina. My father’s first job there was as a lifeguard and swimming teacher. He soon gained a good reputation and founded his own swimming school. A year later I was born, and he knew instantly that he needed to teach me to swim.
My love of swimming and water-sports started then, and it continued to grow until 16 years later when he helped me become a swimming instructor myself. Since then there has never been a day of regret for following my father’s path.
I worked for my him as a swimming instructor for over 13 years in Spain. I taught all ages and skill levels in all kinds of classes from large groups to 1:1 private lessons. In 2014, I moved to England to further my career as a rower, and after a short while I felt the need to teach burning inside me again! I gained the necessary UK ASA level 2 qualifications so I could go back to my passion!
I like to tailor my lessons to the needs of the pupil. I use my experience as a teacher and as an athlete to create a good balance between fun and discipline. I always encourage the swimmer to not give up and to share any doubts and worries with me. This helps builds a bond between me and my pupils which helps me to teach this lifesaving skill.
Matt Power
I have been a swimming teacher for four years. Before becoming a teacher, I managed swimming pools and sports centres in central London, as well training/ assessing lifeguards in the London Boroughs of Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea. Since starting to teach swimming, I have worked for inner city schools and community sports centres, as well doing private client instruction.
I love working with kids, helping them to improve and motivating them to be the best they can be.
Marcin Kostkowski
Prior to coming to London, I was a professional swimmer and water polo player. I have more than ten years of experience in swimming instructing both in Poland and London.
I started swimming at the age of seven at my local pool and soon became a member of the swimming squad. Subsequently I joined a water polo team and we went on to win the Polish Water Polo Championships several times. I also swam for University of Economics in Poznan, from which I graduated in Finance and Banking.
Michele Giacuz
I have been teaching children and adults of all levels for more than eighteen years, both in Italy, where I come from and, for the last ten years, here in London. I pride myself on an ability to work with everyone from the most inexperienced, timid swimmer to aspiring tri-athletes looking to improve their performance.
My lessons for younger students are made to be fun while pushing them to explore and improve their abilities. With a sound understanding of the underlying mechanics and physics of swimming, I am able to provide more structured, technical lessons to advanced swimmers.
Ruta Grumovskyte
I started swimming at the age of eight years old whilst growing up in Lithuania. Even then I was highly motivated and set myself extremely tough goals. By the age of thirteen I was training ten or eleven times a week with Ltihuania’s top team to be an elite professional swimmer competing in Lithuanian National Championships in distance freestyle and butterfly. Whilst competing professionally, I graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Sports Science and Physical Education. It gave me an excellent insight into how to apply strength and conditioning training to swimming, and an understanding of the mechanics of swimming.
Since graduating, I have gained many years of experience teaching children and adults at all levels in London and Dubai. Teaching has become my great love and my lessons are both fun and focused whilst taking place in a relaxed environment. I believe that I help my students achieve their goals and I do get great feedback. Never wanting to stand still for long, I love learning new things from salsa to snowboarding and therefore I really understand the learning curve and the level of teaching input needed to acquire new skills.
Beata Gorska
Francisco Garcia
From a very early age I had an unquenchable passion for all kinds of sporting activities, my favourite of which was always swimming. I would spend hours in the water and it was never enough for me! Following this desire, at the age of 19 I started my degree in Sport Education and Science at the University of Segovia in Spain.
My journey as a swimming teacher began when I was just 19, teaching at schools while studying and I continue to teach with the same enthusiasm that I had when I started.
I am very enthusiastic about teaching swimming to children and adults of all ages and skill levels. I assess everyone individually and give them clear, practical instructions and tasks; breaking it down and putting the stroke back together again. But my lessons are not only about drills. I try my best to incorporate fun and an enjoyable atmosphere into every single lesson, whilst ensuring the swimmers are progressing with their skills and techniques.
One of the most rewarding things in my life is the world of swimming, and seeing how both children and adults learn, develop and achieve their goals. At the end of the day, nothing is more important than happy smiles on swimmers’ faces!
Jorge Puchol
Pawel Lichtop
Pawel got his athletic start on land growing up in Poland where he spent his youth playing his favorite sport basketball but he always had a love for the water. He begun swimming at the age of 4. When he was 7 years old, he joined his local swimming team. As he remember swimming has always been a part of his daily regimen, enhancing both his training and peace of mind. He competed as a swimmer for many years and he also swam with the competitive swim team at the University. Pawel has a Masters degree in Education and many years of coaching experience. Whether a student is 3 years old or over 60, he strives to show how much fun the water can be. When not working you might still find him swimming in the pool or on the court excelling at basketball.
Navid Golchoobian
I spent most of my childhood involved in the world of swimming watching my father coach professional swimmers. These experiences inspired me to take up swimming teaching myself whilst also studying nutrition at university. Since relocating to the UK from my native Iran, I have achieved a masters in Sports Nutrition and taught swimmers of all ages and abilities. I am a keen sportsman and I have played water polo with Ealing club and competed in and coached amateur tri-athalons.
Claire Lowry
My love of the water has been passed down from my Dad who was a great surfer and national competitor in Australia. I know that my sister and I learnt to swim by holding onto his legs as he kicked us off so we could paddle back to him.
I took to competing in the open water many years ago when the city was becoming too hectic for me. Submerging myself under water always brought me a sense of great peace. It is gentle and quiet and this is how I would like all children and adults to experience the water.
I am so grateful for all my competitive training, because I know that many parents struggle to keep their children safe at the beach during holidays. In my youth I was on swim teams, learnt to body surf on the Victorian coast with my friends, and went on to coach children when I was at university. Since then I have gained over 8 years of experience in teaching and training beginners to advanced learners and Masters swimmers. I am interested in applying my knowledge of water safety and swimming skills in order to equip my students to be both safe and happy in the water.
Gianluca Dettori
My passion for swimming led me to take up the career of swimming teacher. I come from Sardinia, an island off Italy, so I started swimming from a very young age. Then, later, as I grew up, I fell in love with the sport and I started training regularly and I have never stopped since. Now, after more than 15 years of training, I am excited to be sharing my knowledge with Nautilus students and I hope my enthusiasm comes through in my lessons. My aim is to create strong, happy swimmers and to achieve this, I am both thorough and patient in ensuring that each swimmer has the finest technique. I want to bring out the best in each student, whether they are a beginner or a competitive swimmer.
Sonia Cheung
I have always loved swimming! I trained as an actor in London and spent my twenties working in hotel entertainment teams abroad. I fell into swimming that way as part of keeping fit. I did my STA beginners qualification in 2010 and one year later I did my full teachers course qualification. I have been teaching for over seven years and love seeing the students progress and knowing I have taught them a life skill!
Michal Leks
I am a qualified PE teacher with an additional five years experience of working as a swimming teacher. I am an enthusiastic educator who enjoys working with children and is committed to developing their physical skills. Having spent the last few years teaching swimming to children at all levels, I have formulated a very good relationship with them and found I can instil in them a real enthusiasm for sports, health and fitness. I believe that my dedication and involvement in sports activities and healthy lifestyles will encourage and contribute to children’s swimming education.
Iosifina Pournara
I started swimming at the age of 10 and consistently competed successfully throughout my teenage years in the Greek National Junior Competitions. I was offered the chance to become a professional swimmer at the age of 15, but instead, I chose to pursue an academic career. During my studies, I worked as a swimming my life. Over the past five years, I have been teaching swimming to both children and adults with an emphasis on technique over speed especially in the initial stages. One must first learn to walk before one can run.
I have a PhD in Bioinformatics and work as an operations manager at Imperial College. I spend most of my weekends teaching swimming which is one of my greatest passions.
Sorin Dumbrava
My passion for sport started at the age of eleven when I joined a local water-polo team in Bucharest. After a year of hard work and determination I won my first water-polo National Championship. I won the National Championship of Romania four years in a row and received awards such as Most Various Player and the Top Scorer of the season. My determination, will and perseverance gave me the opportunity to represent Romania in international championships in countries such as Russia, Turkey and Germany. Whilst competing professionally, I finished high-school and decided to broaden my knowledge of sports by applying to study at university in London. During my first year in London, I joined the water-polo team Ealing Crabs. This gave me the chance to compete in the National League and London League. Whilst at university, I joined the university swimming team and participated in events such as BUCS.
My passion for water sports shaped me into the man I am today. The knowledge that I have acquired has helped me and my students to strive, improve and correct any imperfections related to swimming. Through my own experiences, I have gained a great insight into how to work with different students and how to deliver my information in a clear and concise manner whilst at the same time keeping my lessons both focused and fun!
Krizstian Serfozo
I have been involved in sporting activity all in my life. My favorite ones always include water. I want to share this wonderful sport with as many people as many possible. Not everyone is born to become an Olympic champion, but I would like to help people to reach their maximum potential and, through the lessons, show them how to really enjoy regular exercise and increase their knowledge and understanding of swimming and water polo.
Rosario Numerato
I come from Naples (Italy) and I am a swimming coach and teacher. I started to swim at the age of 7. When I was 11 I won a regional championship in Italy and a silver medal in the Italian Southern Championships. Subsequently, due to the very long distance between home and the swimming club, I had to give up go to another pool. There, water-polo was the main activity; a sport at which I reached professional level by the age of 21. Injury prevented me pursuing a career in the sport and I started to work as teacher. My lessons are fun, but I also make sure that children learn the correct swimming techniques that provide the right foundations for the future.
Anna Szewczyk
I am an experienced swim teacher with a background in teaching all levels of swimming from baby through to high level coaching. I have a particular interest in teaching swimming to people with disabilities and I used to work as a Trainee Medical Classifier with the International Paralympic Committee. In this role I took part in the National and International Classification and Competition for disabled swimmers. I have a Masters degree in Physiotherapy.
Anna Maria Veres
I started swimming at the age of 4 and competed until my late teenage years in Hungary, Eger. I am passionate about water and the sport of swimming and I try to pass on this enthusiasm to all my pupils. I have been teaching since 2011 across all age groups from babies to adults. During my lessons I make sure my swimmers have a lot of fun while focussing on improving their skills and technique. I love my job and enjoy motivating and seeing the progress of my swimmers.