Meet the Team

At the Calgary Aquabelles, our strength is our coaching staff. With a mix of national champions, international experience and specialists in strength and flexibility, our coaches bring out the best in every athlete. From AquaGO! to National Stream, the Aquabelles tradition of excellence continues year after year.

Dark circular background with text about the Calgary Aquabelles, an artistic swimming team founded in 1966, highlighting their role in Canadian aquatic sports, history, achievements, and medals won at World Championships and Olympic Games.

What is artistic swimming (synchro)?

Artistic swimming is an Olympic sport that combines the athleticism of swimming with the dynamics of gymnastics and the grace of dance. Athletes showcase their skills to a choreographed routine in the water as a team, duet, or solo. Strength, flexibility, musicality and synchronization shine through in every moment.

Why artistic swimming (synchro)?

This is a sport for kids who love swimming, dance, or gymnastics – or all of them! Artistic swimming builds endurance, power, speed, flexibility, and grace. It also builds amazing team skills, a respect for practice and discipline, and everlasting friendships.

Why the Calgary Aquabelles?

The Calgary Aquabelles have a long-standing history of excellence in the sport, producing top-level and well-rounded athletes. We offer programs from the pre-competitive to the national competitive level. Fostering fun and friendships, swimmers learn skills together and support each other. We are a club of athletes that feels like one large family!

A Proven History of Success

History

Sept 1966: Calgary Aquabelles founded by Mary Ann Reeves.

1967: Debbie Humphrey wins first AQB national medal.

1967: Ken Newans writes about AQB and synchro on the sports page, a move from the women’s page.

1971: AQB’s win silver at Pan Am Games and are welcomed back by the City of Calgary as the first sports team to bring back an international medal!

1972: Senior and Junior Team hold simultaneous National Team Medals. Repeated 3 times (not repeated by any other club to date).

1977: Helen Vanderburg and Michelle Calkins win Elaine Tanner Canadian Athletes of the Year, winning Gold at Pan Pacifics in Mexico City and Gold at the World Aquatic Championships in West Berlin.

1981: Debbie Muir named Head Coach.

1981: AQB’s Cowboy routine beats the USA in Team for the first time ever during the Pan Pacifics.

1984: Synchronized Swimming joined the Olympics.

1984: Aquabelles win silver in solo and duet the first time Synchro is in the Olympics (Carolyn Waldo, Kelly Kryczka and Sharon Hambrook).

1988: It is a sweep at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul – Gold in Solo for Carolyn Waldo, Gold in Duet for Carolyn Waldo and Michelle Cameron with Alternate Karin Larsen.

1994: Another sweep (Solo/Duet/Team) at FINA World Junior Synchronized Swimming Championships in Bonn Germany.

1998: US Open in Santa Clara, Aquabelle athlete Raphael Jablona used Knox gelatin for the first time in hair during a competition and word spread to be the norm.

2001: Canadian Team (including Aquabelle Sarah Alexander & Erin Chan) win Bronze at World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.

2008: Beijing Olympics Team places 4th with Aquabelles' Jennifer Song and Alison McKenny.

2011: Junior UANA – The Canadian Junior team takes gold in figures, solo, duet, and team. Aquabelles representation included Gabriella Brisson (duet), Claudia Holzner (duet) and Kaylene Scheil (team) coached by Jenn Tregale (head coach).

2014: Mary Ann Reeves recognized by ISOF (International Swimming Hall of Fame) with Paragon Award for Leadership in Synchronized Swimming.

2015: Junior UANA - The Canadian Junior team takes solo, duet and team with Aquabelles’ Jayd Kasprick and Halle Pratt (solo & duet) coached by Jenn Tregale.

2017: Mark Tewksbury named honourary member of the Aquabelles, celebrating his underwater training with the club prior to his gold medal win in the Barcelona Olympics.

2017: Calgary Aquabelles 50th Anniversary.

2024: The Aquabelles' Olympic legacy continues in Paris as Jaime Czarkowski earns a Silver Medal in Team with Team USA.

2026: Calgary Aquabelles 60th Anniversary.