Meet the Team
Julia has dedicated her career to swimming, bringing extensive experience and a genuine passion for developing swimmers of all ages and abilities. She qualified as a PE teacher specialising in swimming in the UK before moving to Australia in 2000. Since then, she has owned and operated her own swim school, delivered school swimming programs, and managed large learn-to-swim programs at council facilities across Victoria. An experienced Trainer and Assessor, Julia’s most recent role was Head of Training and Development at AUSTSWIM, where she contributed to the development and education of swimming and aquatic professionals.
In 2025, Julia moved to the Gold Coast and joined St Hilda’s Aquatics, excited to bring her knowledge, leadership and enthusiasm to the program. For Julia, few things are more rewarding than seeing the joy on a child’s face as they swim their first few metres, or witnessing swimmers build confidence, overcome challenges and progress through the higher levels.
The opportunity to be part of St Hilda’s Aquatics, with its brand-new, World Aquatics-rated 50m pool, is an exciting next chapter. Leading a program that caters for swimmers from their very first lessons at age four through to national-level competition, while working alongside a passionate team of coaches and swim teachers, provides an outstanding opportunity to inspire, develop and support every swimmer to reach their full potential.
Lucy brings over 20 years of experience in the aquatics, sport and recreation industry, with a strong background in program development, leadership and community engagement.
Holding a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Sports Science, along with qualifications in swimming teaching and coaching, Lucy is passionate about creating positive aquatic experiences that build confidence, develop skills and encourage a lifelong love of swimming.
Throughout her career, Lucy has successfully led large aquatic teams, developed learn-to-swim and squad pathways, and played a key role in launching and growing aquatic programs across the Gold Coast. Her experience spans both the UK and Australia, with a particular focus on delivering high-quality programs that support swimmers of all ages and abilities.
As Aquatics Coordinator at St Hilda's School, Lucy is excited to contribute to the next chapter of the School's aquatic program, creating an inclusive, supportive and engaging environment where every swimmer has the opportunity to thrive.
With nearly two decades of coaching experience on the Gold Coast since May 2008, Alex Beaver brings a wealth of expertise and dedication to the pool deck. Joining St Hilda's Aquatics in January 2023 as an assistant coach, he quickly demonstrated the skill and leadership needed to step into the Head Coach role by mid-2024.
A career highlight came in 2024, when Alex guided St Hilda's student Holly Warn to qualification for the Paralympic Games in Paris - a proud achievement for both athlete and coach, and a testament to Alex's ability to identify and nurture elite para-swimming talent.
Alex's deep commitment to the local swimming community is reflected in his status as a Life Member of both Miami Swimming Club and Swimming Gold Coast, honours reserved for those who have made lasting contributions to the sport in the region.
Fluent in English, with conversational proficiency in Spanish and French, Alex is equipped to connect with a diverse range of swimmers and families, fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment.
Whether working with developing swimmers or elite athletes preparing for international competition, Alex combines technical expertise with a genuine care for every swimmer's growth both in and out of the water.
Celina Hardy brings more than 35 years of coaching experience and a lifelong passion for swimming to the St Hilda's Aquatics program. A former Australian representative swimmer and dolphin number 328, Commonwealth Games finalist and six-time gold medallist at the Japanese Junior Olympics, she has dedicated her career to helping young athletes reach their potential both in and out of the pool.
Drawing on her own experience competing at the highest level, Celina understands the commitment, discipline and resilience required to succeed in swimming.
Today, her greatest passion lies in developing junior swimmers, building strong technical foundations and guiding athletes through the most important stages of their progression.
Celina believes that every swimmer deserves to feel challenged, supported and valued. She places a strong emphasis on skill development, consistency, teamwork and creating an environment where athletes enjoy coming to training while striving to achieve their personal best.
Known for her energy, enthusiasm and genuine care for every swimmer, Celina works closely with families to help each athlete achieve their individual goals. Whether coaching a swimmer to their first race or preparing them for national competition, she is passionate about creating confident, resilient young people and fostering a lifelong love of the sport.
Lachlan brings over two decades of coaching experience, building on a competitive background under Anita Kilmier, Buddy Portier, and David Wilson OLY. He has coached for MG Aquatic, Melbourne Grammar and Melbourne Girls Grammar, and is passionate about building rock-solid technical foundations in young swimmers. Whether cultivating competitive capacity in juniors or helping swimmers master all strokes for fitness and longevity, Lachlan is dedicated to ensuring every student develops the skills for a richer, longer and healthier life in the water.
Finn is a passionate Strength and Conditioning Coach with a strong interest in high-performance sport, long-term athletic development, and helping young athletes reach their full potential. He works with all sports athletes at St Hilda’s School. His experience spans a range of high-performance sporting environments, including the Gold Coast Suns AFL Academy, Paddle Australia, the Australian Wallaroos, and Currumbin Vikings Surf Life Saving Club. These opportunities have provided valuable experience working with athletes across different sports, competitive levels, and stages of athletic development.
Finn has a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science and is an ASCA (Australian Strength and Conditioning) Level 2 Coach.
Finn has competed in AFL, water polo, swimming, and surf lifesaving, and understands the importance of physical preparation, teamwork, resilience, and a positive sporting culture.
Finn’s coaching philosophy centres on creating an environment where hard work, education, and enjoyment go hand in hand. He believes the gym should be a place where students feel confident challenging themselves, asking questions, and learning new skills. Finn’s aim is to develop not only stronger and more capable athletes, but also confident young people equipped with the knowledge and habits to support lifelong health, fitness, and sporting participation.
Tanika, Grace, Ellie, Carolyn, Andrea, Sarah
Join our Team
We are always looking for swim teachers who would like to join our amazing aquatics team here at St Hilda’s Aquatics.
Click the link below (Are you a Swim Teacher?) or send us an email (aquatics@sthildas.qld.edu.au) telling us about you, your qualifications and your swim teaching experience.