Kati McDermott, a beloved coach at Orinda Aquatics in California, died on February 20 following a battle with cancer; she was 55 years old.
Born in 1969 in Berkeley, California, McDermott graduated from Carondelet High School in 1987 and went on to study at Arizona State University. The passion that she had for swimming when she was younger eventually led her back to the sport years later, as she held a number of different coaching roles over the years.
McDermott kicked off her coaching career by developing a swim school and clinic called 4 Flyin’ Fish for competitive swimmers in San Ramon back in 2014.
In 2017, McDermott became the Camp Director at Stanford Campus Recreation Association, where she coached the recreational swim team and taught swim lessons. At the same time, she began coaching at Alto Swim Club.
McDermott joined the Orinda team in 2019, leading the entry-level group and overseeing administrative responsibilities for the club.
Orinda Aquatics shared a tribute to McDermott and her impact on their Instagram.
“She loved her work with a deep passion and sought every day to help the team in any way possible. Coaching and her precious young athletes were her life blood. She treasured her time with Orinda Aquatics, where she considered everyone a part of her family.”
Outside of her involvement in the swimming world, McDermott had a passion for creating jewelry, personalized art and unique gifts for friends and family.
McDermott is survived by her parents Mary Jo and Michael, her sisters Nicole and Traci, her brother Michael and seven nieces and nephews.
A memorial service is set to be held on March 21 in Lafayette, California.
