With more than 40 years experience in high performance sport and a life spent around water, in 2022 Walter set his sights on making an impact in this space amongst the Wellington community. ​ 

 

He is of Ngāi Tai me Rongowhakaata, hailing from Gisborne, Walter's passion for sport led him on an epic journey as both athlete and coach, culminating in the creation of the club in an effort to provide a fresh take on aquatic performance. 

 

As founder of Ngā Tai Tūātea a Taraika Swimming Club Inc, his insights and leadership are invaluable to both swimmers and staff alike.
 

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​After 7 years of competitive swimming in France, Hugo has taught and coached swimming for the last 9 years in France before joining the team in May 2024.

 

His main priority is to help all the swimmers achieve their goals in the pool, and for that, he values hard work and consistency.

 

Hugo believes the path is more important than the destination when considering the trajectory of each athlete, and aims to prioritize the person before the athlete.  

​Clara grew up and swam in Hamilton, and currently studies law and commerce at Victoria University. In Wellington, She play social hockey and loves open water swimming.

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Having coached prior in Hamilton, Clara loves making an impact on each athlete​ she comes across. Along with her degree, she is is excited to continue to help young swimmers progress during her time down in the capital. 

After spending her childhood practicing waterpolo, surf lifesaving and swimming, Gabbi ended her athlete carreer as a Taraika swimmer and joined our coaching crew in 2023.

 

She brings heaps of energy to the pool, and looks to get the best from each individual in the water while she's coaching.​

Emily swam competitively in Nelson until 2022 before moving to Wellington to attend University of Victoria Wellington. 

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She is pleased to be back in an environment she knows well and pushing young swimmers to chase their goals in the water. She specifically focuses on making the pool deck a fun space for our swimmers and is always smiling in the process.

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In her spare time you can catch her out with friends, on a big run, or even doing a few lengths in the pool. 

Originating from Canada, Chris has been a instrumental part of the clubs story since his introduction to us in December 2022. 

 

Each day Chris looks forward to going to the pool to share his passion and knowledge with the swimmers. He cares about the growth of each athlete both in and out of the pool, and is dedicated to maintaining an engaging environment for swimmers of all ages and abilities.

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Chris is a big believer in hard work, accountability, structure, and team. He is excited to continue to progress these concepts for our Taraika athletes, and hopes they will instil beneficial lessons and memories that lead to wonderful swimmers and even better people.

Originally one of the first 24 members of the club, Ella has returned to Wellington to give back to the future generation of Taraika swimmers.​

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Ella is a decorated Surf Lifesaving athlete in her own right, most notably winning the Mount Monster in 2018.

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Ella loves to have fun at the pool and approaches each day with a smile. She is dedicated to helping our swimmers meet their goals in the pool, and values effort over ability. 

As a founding member of the club, Luke has joined the coaching staff in 2025 to give back to the younger .

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Luke is still a top ranked national level freestyle swimmer, as well as age group triathlete. 

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His energy and leadership brought him into the coaching fold, and he is excited to share his passion for development with the next generation. 

Growing up in the pacific islands, swimming was second nature to Ella. Her warm attitude and natural skills bring a perfect balance to the rigorous training schedule that swimming demands of its athletes. 

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Her bubbly personality helps inspires our swimmers to enjoy the process of training, making sure they make the most of each session.

 

With a Fine Arts Degree from Massey, and a lengthy swim career of her own up in Palmerston North, we are super excited to have her on the team for the 2025 season. 

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