Chris Plumb

Chris Plumb is the CEO and Head Coach of Carmel Swim Club in Carmel, Indiana, where he has led one of the premier swimming programs in the United States since 2006. Under his leadership, Carmel Swim Club has earned USA Swimming Gold Medal Club recognition 14 times and developed numerous Junior National, National, Olympic Trials, and international-level athletes.

Plumb also serves as Head Coach of the Carmel High School swim teams, leading the program to multiple IHSAA State Championships while continuing one of the most successful traditions in U.S. high school swimming.

An internationally respected coach, Plumb has represented Team USA on numerous occasions, serving as Assistant Coach at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Head Coach at the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Budapest, Head Coach at the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, and Assistant Coach at the 2017 World Junior Championships.

A former All-American swimmer at Indiana University, Plumb is a member of the Indiana Swimming Hall of Fame and is widely recognized for his expertise in athlete development, program leadership, and building a culture of sustained excellence.

Erik Posegay

Erik Posegay is the Associate Head Coach of the University of Texas Men's Swimming and Diving program, where he has helped lead the Longhorns to back-to-back SEC Championships (2025, 2026) and the 2025 NCAA Championship.

Prior to joining Texas, Posegay served as USA Swimming's National Junior Team Director and National Coach, overseeing the development of the country's top junior athletes and coaching at national team camps and international competitions. In 2024, he was Head Coach for Team USA at the World Aquatics Championships, leading the United States to Team of the Meet honours with eight gold medals and 20 total medals.

Over nearly two decades in coaching, Posegay has worked with Olympians, World Championship medallists, Paralympians, and numerous U.S. National Team athletes. His coaching experience includes leadership roles with USA Swimming, the University of Wisconsin, Penn State University, and the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, where he worked alongside renowned coach Bob Bowman.

Known for his expertise in athlete development and high-performance coaching, Posegay brings a wealth of age group, national and international experience to the CSCA National Swim Coaches Conference.

Paul Miller

Paul Miller is a performance psychology researcher at Loughborough University and a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University. His research focuses on how elite sport coaches can achieve and sustain high performance while maintaining their wellbeing and long-term effectiveness.

Drawing on both academic research and extensive coaching experience, Paul's work explores topics including coach thriving, resilience, leadership, coach development, workload management, and the impact of high-performance environments on coach wellbeing. His research is helping shape evidence-based approaches to creating healthier, more sustainable coaching systems.

Before entering academia, Paul spent many years in school sport leadership and grassroots coaching, including serving as a Head of Sport and an RFU Level 3 coach. He has also delivered coach education, developed youth sport programs, and co-founded a coaching company, giving him a unique ability to translate research into practical strategies that coaches can apply in their daily work.

Paul is passionate about helping coaches at every level build rewarding, sustainable careers while creating environments where both coaches and athletes can thrive.

Scott Talbot is the Head Coach of Swimming Canada's High Performance Centre – Vancouver, where he leads one of the country's premier daily training environments for Olympic and World Championship athletes. A two-time Olympian for New Zealand and an internationally respected coach, Scott has spent more than two decades developing athletes and leading high-performance programs across New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and now Canada. His coaching experience includes multiple Olympic Games, World Championships, Commonwealth Games, and other major international competitions.

Before joining Swimming Canada in 2022, Scott held senior coaching roles with Swimming New Zealand, the University of Sydney, Nunawading Swimming Club, and Repton Swimming Club & School. Throughout his career, he has earned a reputation for building high-performance cultures, developing world-class athletes, and creating training environments that balance excellence, accountability, and athlete well-being. 

At the High Performance Centre – Vancouver, Scott oversees the training of many of Canada's top swimmers, including three-time Olympian Taylor Ruck. His coaching philosophy emphasizes long-term athlete development, technical excellence, and fostering an environment where athletes can rediscover their enjoyment of the sport while achieving world-class performances.

Greg Arkhurst

Greg Arkhurst is the Head Coach of CAMO Natation in Montreal and one of Canada's most accomplished high-performance swim coaches. A two-time recipient of Swimming Canada's Coach of the Year – Olympic Program award, Arkhurst has guided numerous athletes to success on the international stage, including Olympic finalist and World Championship medallist Mary-Sophie Harvey.

Originally from Côte d'Ivoire, Arkhurst represented his country at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games before transitioning to coaching. Since joining CAMO in 2009 and becoming Head Coach in 2021, he has led one of Canada's premier high-performance programs, developing Olympians, World Championship medallists, and national team athletes.

Known for his athlete-centred coaching philosophy and ability to build trusting, high-performance environments, Arkhurst has established himself as one of Canada's leading voices in elite swimming and coach development.

Dr. Tom Vandenbogaerde
2026 Dr. Gord Sleivert Memorial Lecture 

Dr. Vandenbogaerde is one of the world's leading performance scientists in swimming, bringing nearly two decades of experience supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes, coaches, and high-performance programs across four continents. Originally from Belgium, Tom has held senior performance science and leadership roles with Swimming Australia, the Australian Institute of Sport, High Performance Sport New Zealand, and the New Zealand Academy of Sport before joining Swimming Canada and the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific as Performance Scientist Coach in 2022.

In his current role, Tom leads Swimming Canada's Integrated Support Team (IST), working collaboratively with coaches, sport scientists, and medical professionals to optimize athlete preparation and performance. His expertise spans physiology, strength and conditioning integration, performance monitoring, recovery, nutrition, technology, and individualized athlete support, helping shape the daily training environments of Canada's top swimmers and national teams.

A passionate educator, Tom is also deeply involved in coach development, contributing to Swimming Canada's National Coaching Certification Program and delivering professional development to coaches across the country. Known for translating cutting-edge sport science into practical coaching applications, he brings a unique perspective on integrating science and coaching to help athletes consistently perform at their highest level.