U.S. Masters Swimming Kerry O'Brien Coaches Award

Recipient:	Lisa Ward
Year:	2014
LMSC:	Pacific

Lisa, of the Pacific LMSC, had been a member of Walnut Creek Masters (WCM) since 1996. In 2010, her swim coach, Kerry O’Brien, asked her to start a Masters team in the nearby senior community neighborhood of Rossmoor. Most of the members were in their 70’s and 80’s, and most of the members had never competed. Lisa had been an age group coach since 1984 and in 2013, she became a USMS Level 2 Certified Swim Coach. Lisa also started a summer team at a local recreational pool for parents of swimmers who were on the summer recreational team. In addition to coaching swimming, Lisa was a yoga and fitness instructor and she introduced yoga and strength conditioning classes to the WCM team. With Lisa as their coach and swim instructor, the team thrived. One member learned how to swim the butterfly and then 2 years later became a 200 Fly National Champion. Another member, Ann Hirsch, was successful and was internationally ranked.