High performance coach and CEO of Ajax Swimming Matt Bell announced Monday via his team’s website that former Canadian Olympian and 200m IM Olympic finalist Julia Wilkinson will take up the position of head coach starting in August.
Wilkinson is currently working as the Coordinator of Athlete Engagement at TORONTO2015, and is heavily involved in the Toronto Pan Am Games. Wilkinson is also a Sports Marketing representative for Nike Swim, where she has helped bring exposure to meets such as the Ontario Junior International.
Prior to her 2012 retirement from competitive swimming, Wilkinson competed for six years on the Canadian national team. She competed at two Olympic Games, with her best result coming in 2008 when she made the final in the 200m IM.
Wilkinson held plenty of Canadian records as well, and had a very successful collegiate career with the Texas A&M Aggies. Wilkinson was the first swimmer in program history to ever win an NCAA title.
Wilkinson told Ajax Swimming, “There’s nothing I love more than this sport, and I always knew I would come back in some capacity. I wanted to take some time away to make sure I was ready to put my own swimming career behind me, focus on the next generation.”
Crediting Texas A&M Head Coach Steve Bultman and the late Randy Bennett as coaching inspirations, Wilkinson stated, “I am excited to apply the same passion and attitude I had for my own swimming into coaching”
Bell seems equally enthused to have Wilkinson join the staff, saying, “Julia belongs on deck and she is the only person I have ever met that is as competitive as I am. Her addition to the staff will help to move our program further along the high performance spectrum.”
Wilcox does not list any coaching experience on her LinkedIn profile, but has held several other roles in the sport, including as a blogger for the CBC, an on-air personality for Fox Sports at a Conference USA Championship meet, and as a marketing representative for Nike Swim.
she now works for Canadian Tire
Her resigning I would guess forced the closer of the club. The obvious question is that relationship with the CEO over?
It sounds like from the people that know her she would be a great coach and be welcome in many clubs?
She resigned
Glad you got a great job and think she will do great work there. But…I thought she was married? I guess this is old news?
For the doubters out there, have you ever met Julia? She’s pretty awesome, just sayin. Also, if she is dating the CEO, then he is a lucky man. Her experience as a swimmer and with being around swimming for so long will just make her transition into a coach that much easier.
I am not completely sure of her certifications but Julia has been delivering Future Stars camps for years and has always done an amazing job with our kids. She is a hard worker and a natural and Ajax is lucky to have her. Certifications can always be gained while on deck working with other high level coaching staff. We need more women in coaching like Julia and less harassment pls.
That is just all hypothetical. The article doesn’t say anything about her coaching experience. But I’m sure that a program of this caliber wouldn’t just “hand over” the head coaching position just because of “name”.
what is her coaching background (it almost suggests that she’s never coached before so then how is she appointed the “head coach”? (wow wow wow) do you know how hard the coaching certification program is and then you have this happen where just cause she has a name…she is the “head coach” pssshhh I hope that Swim Canada forces her to do all the education as it’s just not right if she has no credentials other than being an elite athlete (so I’m inclined to believe that this positioning of her as the Head Coach does have something to do with significant other).