Matt's Team - The Adventurers
A 350km journey can't be swum alone. It takes an incredible village and generous sponsors to keep Matt moving and he is eternally grateful for those who have stepped forward to offer their time and talents to this endeavour.
Logistics
GLENN YOUNGREGORIS
BEN BRUHLMAN
SIMON BENOIT
Fundraising
SANDY STRETCH
LISA BROOKS
JORDAN CROSBIE
ANTHEA BRADLEY
...
AND GROWING!!!
Open Water Swim Coach
Dan Simonelli
Dan grew up swimming on age-group level swim teams. He started swimming regularly in the ocean while in the Marine Corp stationed at Camp Pendleton. He subsequently worked as an Ocean Lifeguard-EMT for several years while attending San Diego State University.
Then after many years out of the water, he started swimming in the ocean again in 2009 when a friend coaxed him into joining their team for the La Jolla 10 Mile Relay, and he just kept swimming…
In 2012 Dan founded Open Water Swim Academy as he had noticed a demand from people wanting to experience swimming in the open water but needed guidance. As his own swimming progressed to going longer and training for channel swims and other marathon swims, his coaching and support of others’ swims continued to grow as well.
He has since supported over 300 Marathon swims in various roles: coach, crew chief, kayaker, support crew, official Observer.
Some of his Swims include SCAR twice, English Channel, Catalina Channel twice, other various relays and other pioneering solo swims among the other CA Channel Islands and along the CA coast, and many other places such as Hawai’i, San Francisco, Florida, New York, Mexico, Italy, England.
"I think the swim I’m most proud of is my second Catalina Channel which I did in January 2016 to commemorate the anniversary of the first crossing on Jan 16, 1927, becoming the second person to do so."
Dan has been the La Jolla Cove Swim Club President since 2012.
He is a Lifetime member and voting Board member of the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation; a Lifetime member of the Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association; Official Observer for CCSF, SBCSA, and MSF; and a member of the voting panel for the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
Awards:
2015 Marathon Swimmers Federation Global Awardfor "Service To Marathon Swimming"
2016 Barra Award for Best Overall Year from the Marathon Swimmers Federation.
2017 & 2018 World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Men
2019 Carnegie Award
Endurance Swim Coach
Craig Lewin
Craig Lewin is an Ironman Certified Coach, a Channel Swimming Association Approved Coach, an ASCA Level 2 Coach and a US Masters Swimming Level 1 & 2 coach with over 12 years of swim coaching experience. He is a graduate of Boston College with degrees in Economics and Sociology, a graduate of Salem State College with a BS in Sport Movement Science and a graduate of Northeastern University with an MS in Clinical Exercise Physiology. Craig was a 4 year varsity letterman for the Division 1 Men's Swimming & Diving team at Boston College. He completed his Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming in 2020. He completed the 20 mile Catalina Channel swim in 2018, the 28.5 mile 20 Bridges swim in 2019 and 21 mile cold water English Channel in 2020. He has competed in triathlon at a high level and qualified for the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in 2008. Craig has done several marathon swims, including the Boston Light Swim, Swim Across the Sound 25km and the 25km swim at USA Nationals in 2005 & 2006. He was a support swimmer for two separate English Channel swim attempts and recently completed his own solo swim across the English Channel in 2020 where he won the award for the Fastest American Swim that year. With his extensive experience competing at all levels of swimming and triathlon and his education, Craig brings a unique perspective to the Endurance Swimming Program and is able to impart this knowledge to help coach swimmers. You can connect with Coach Craig on Instagram and Facebook!
Chief of Moral Support
Car Dog
Car Dog is a 20 year old bobblehead dachshund who lives in Coach Craig's car. He keeps Coach Craig company on many road trips and while sitting in traffic. Car Dog helps get Coach Craig amped up on his drives to complete his long swims as well. He is also known for his social media appearances on Coach Craig's Instagram stories and has garnered a cult following. He got his very creative name because he is a dog that lives in a car.
Pool Deck Swim Coach
Phil Parker
Phil started coaching with the Laurentian University Swim Club from 1997-1999, focusing on
9-12 years old swimmers and their technical development.In 1999 Phil accepted an Assistant Varsity Coaching position with the Laurentian University (LU) Voyageurs Swim Team, working under Jeno Tihnayi. He assumed the lead role in '02, earning himself the title of OUA Coach of the Year in 2020.
Phil has been coaching with the Sudbury Masters Swimmers from 2002 to present day.
Level 3 Certified Coach
B.Sc (Kinesiology) 1997 | M.Sc (Human Development) 2001
Strength Coach
Dennis Legault
Dennis has a history in gymnastics and bodyweight training. With a passion for obstacle racing and ninja warrior, he is always striving to challenge himself with new methods of training. Join in on some of his classes to find out more about my training styles.
Sport Therapist
Kim Brouzes, RKin, RAc, CAT(C)
I grew up in the huge town of Elliot Lake as part of a large family of relatives. I come from a swimming family. I was a competitive swimmer all through university which naturally brought me into lifeguarding through school.
I went to Laurentian for my undergrad and swam for LU. I took my undergrad in Human Kinetics which was a program I loved with profs that I still 25 years later are in contact with.
After LU I took a year and moved to Kitchener to work in a clinic to feel out the direction, I wanted to take my career. The time I spent with the AT’s were life changing. The environment was much like the one I work in now with positive energy flowing form the rafters, laughter heard down the street and most importantly healing taking place. That was when I decided to take 3 more years and become an athletic therapist.
In those 3 years, I also did my acupuncture license, started my Osteopathic course, had amazing placements, met friends for life and started on the journey that I’m on today.
Now 22 years later I own a multidisciplinary clinic that includes AT, PT, RMT, Naturopathic medicine, nutrition and fascial stretching therapy. With my experience dealing with so many people I have embarked on a goal to write a reference manual for other practitioners to help sort out difficult assessments and diagnosis’.
Also, in January 2022 I partnered with a local physician to open a functional pain clinic called Pain Pathway North focusing on treating the cause of pain with interventional treatments. We are partnering modalities like trigger point injections and nerve blocks with a team approach of therapy, psychotherapy, nutrition, stretching and education.
Sport Psychologist
Nicole Dubuc
Bio Coming Soon
Mentor
Jillian Best
My life took a turn when I was 15 and my mom was dying from liver failure due to a hereditary disease that we had just discovered was present in my family.
Against all odds, my mom survived because she was able to receive a liver transplant just in time.
Just 7 years later I began feeling ill from this disease, and my liver began to fail. My health was on a steady decline through my 20’s and nearly lost my life twice, before the time I was 28.
This is when I found myself on the waitlist for a liver transplant, and my mom's health had also taken another turn and she also was requiring another transplant to survive.
We waited almost a year before a liver became available for myself and one for my mom.
It was only two weeks between our liver transplant surgeries, in February and March of 2016.
This completely changed my life. I realize how precious our time is, and I’ve become so passionate to live to the fullest while raising awareness for organ donation and inspiring others to have big dreams and go after them!
Since my transplant I’ve been fortunate to get back to swimming which is something I’ve loved doing since I was a kid.
I recently started up a non-profit organization called Move for Life @move.for.life.foundation with my friends. Our mission is to reduce the time on the wait list for an organ transplant.
Swimming has become my saviour. It helped me recover from my transplant both mentally and physically.
Through the pandemic, I trained for the biggest challenge I’ve ever attempted, and swam 52km continuously across Lake Ontario this summer, and our foundation raised $180,000 that we are donating to the transplant program at the hospital where my life was saved.
I am now living my purpose and grateful to inspire others and provide hope to others who have faced similar health challenges in their life.
Sports Nutritionist
Troy Beauregard
Coach Troy has been involved in the fitness industry for over 20 years and has passionately coached 100s of clients at all levels. His clients have won championships at every level from the NHL, AHL, Memorial Cup, National Titles in Hockey and Karate, OHL Championship, Provincial Volleyball, NCAA and USports scholarships.
He has done speaking engagements and seminars for Hockey Canada U15, teams, organization, businesses, schools and one on one consultations with many successful clients. Not only has Troy had years of success with athletes at the highest level, but with many clients that have ranged from cancer survivors, car accident victims, clients with special needs and people taking on fitness for the first time.
He has dedicated his career to researching how to help his clients with the most up to date information and methods for them to achieve their goals.
Coach Troy has been the strength and conditioning coach for the strength coach locally for the Sudbury Wolves, LU Women’s Hockey program, Sudbury Lady Wolves, Chill Volleyball and many other organisations.
Coach Troy is proudly the North’s first Certified Sports Nutritionist from the prestigious International Society of Sports Nutrition.
Video Documentation
Rogan Burrows
Bio Coming Soon
Photo Documenation + Website Design
Jess McShane
A mom of three by day, a photographer by day, a...sleep by night.
A lifetime of wandering among trees, floating down rivers and diving headlong into lakes has provided Jess a keen understanding of how fortunate we are to live up here in Sudbury, Ontario. It is this deep connection and appreciation that guides her lens toward the people, the places, the nuance and the ordinary that make Northern Ontario so extraordinary.
As a photographer, Jess takes the time to document the seemingly mundane, the small moments and the authentic emotions that make her clients' stories their stories...and Matt's is a BIG story!
When she's not behind the lens, you can find her at her workstation creating eye-catching, intuitive websites, or running her in-house professional print shop.
