Edey to help drive performance goals while providing additional technical coaching leadership to Quebec-based athletes

Ottawa – Canada’s high-performance swim athletes based in Quebec received a boost of support and leadership in their continued pursuit of excellence thanks to the addition of Mike Edey, who was named by Swimming Canada as the new interim Assistant Coach at the High Performance Centre – Quebec on Thursday.

Edey brings nearly two decades of experience in a variety of coaching support roles from the club to provincial level in Alberta and British Columbia, including extensive experience guiding para-swimmers to leading performances at national and international competitions.

“I’m excited to join the staff at the High Performance Centre – Quebec. The program is unique for para-swimming in the country, and the work Mike Thompson and the athletes have done there is exemplary, said Edey. “Our country has a decorated history in para-sport and having the opportunity to support this push forward is deeply important to me. I look forward to bringing my passion for the sport to the Centre, and playing a role in developing the NextGen programming and athletes who will continue this tradition well into the future.”

Bringing an analytical approach to the delivery of training programs for all athletes, Edey has experience in all facets of the coaching game. He has served as head coach at swim clubs in Western Canada, has trained other coaches to guide para-swimming programs of their own, and has served as a chief classifier and technical advisor.

In addition, Edey brings familiarity working in a multi-sport games environment. He has coached para-swimmers at Canada Summer Games, and was co-lead of the Canada Summer Games enrichment camp in Prince Edward Island. He was also part of Canada’s coaching squad at a World Para-Swimming World Series event in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Most importantly, Edey brings extensive experience leading para-swimmers to medal-winning performances at the provincial level, and has experience taking athletes in Canada’s High Performance Centres to the next level.

“The High Performance Centre Quebec will play a key role in helping us to deliver on our performance goals in this quadrennial leading to Tokyo 2020, and beyond,” said James Hood, Senior Manager, High-Performance Para-swimming Programs. “Recruiting a coach with the experience in athlete development and physical literacy, and someone who is a domestic classifier in the sport, will help build on the world class environment that has been created there. This role will also have a key focus on the development of the next generation of swimmers in Quebec and Eastern Canada.”

The addition of Edey, will allow both coaches to provide a more individualized daily training environment for the swimmers in the program and increase the number of athlete that have access to programming at the High Performance Centre Quebec

“Mike has a passion for coaching and love for the province of Quebec that is unmatched, making him a perfect selection to fill this role,” said Mike Thompson, head coach, High Performance Centre – Quebec.

“He has proven to be a great asset to me and my athletes. He has an extensive background in para-classification and coaching which made him an ideal person to help me grow CHP-Québec. Our skills compliment each other well and I’m looking forward to having my new colleague at my side on the pool deck to help shape the future of these athletes in Québec and the rest of Canada.”

Edey will support Thompson in a wide range of responsibilities in his new role including: providing on-deck coaching to the full time athletes in the High Performance Centre – Quebec with a clear focus on achieving performance objectives; developing and executing on a long-term performance plan; collaborating with provincial and national sport partners; provide the technical coaching leadership to the Next Generation of swimmers; lead the development and activation of a recruitment plan; and attend all national team and camp selections.

“World-leading coaching, and a strong support team are core to Canada’s swimming athletes’ pursuit of excellence across the country,” added James Hood. “With these two professionals leading the way in Quebec, we are confident our high-performance coaches will deliver a high level of instruction and motivation that will ensure our athletes are fully prepared to win against the world’s best.”