Courtesy of WOWSA.

Swimming World Magazine published an article about female coaching role models for young women.

The article by Payton Titus focused on three well-established swimming coaches [see here]:

Jill Sterkel of the University of Texas, Penny Dean, Ph.D. of Pomona-Pitzer College, and Teri McKeever of the University of California Berkeley.

Titus writes, “Women like Sterkel, Dean, and McKeever exemplify what women can accomplish in the world of swimming – and beyond. The key to gender equality in coaching is representation.”

Representative of women in the American pool swimming community is far below the percentage of females in the sport – and as coaches rise in stature and opportunity – the number of women at the top of the American swimming world remain small. For example, in the collegiate ranks, only 17% of all coaches at the NCAA Division I level are women.

But where the male-female gender percentage starts to equate is in the open water swimming world – exactly where Coach Dean made her most significant impact.

Other than Dean, there are many other women coaching, mentoring, and piloting at high levels throughout the amateur and professional open water world. Women like:

* Alison Streeter, M.B.E.
* Anne Cleveland
* Carol Lee Heltzel
* Catherine Vogt
* Charlotte Brynn
* Chloë McCardel
* Chris Sifleet
* Cokie Lepinski
* Eilís Burns [shown above]
* Eney Jones
* Freda Streeter, M.B.E. [shown above]
* Grace van der Byl
* Jane Katz, Ph.D.
* Jen Schumacher
* Kathy Batts
* Keri-Anne Payne
* Kimberly Rutherford
* Lori Bosco
* Marcia Cleveland
* Melissa Cunningham
* Nora Toledano Cadena
* Patty Kohlmann
* Penny McDowall
* Sally Minty-Gravett, M.B.E.
* Shelley Taylor-Smith
* Siga Rose
* Suzie Dods
* Teruko Onuki
* Tracy Clark
* Vicki Keith C.M., O. Ont., LLD, ChPC
* Willy Van Rysel

And many, many others in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

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