Margot Macdonald

Pool School Coordinator

poolschool@laserswimming.ca

Margot has been in the water for as long as she can remember. With a mom and aunt who both coached swimming and water polo, it’s safe to say chlorine runs in her veins. She began competing in kindergarten with the Coquitlam Sharks in BC, later swimming with the Oakville Dolphins and her high school team in Ontario, where she also discovered her love for water polo, both as a player and coach.
She spent many years in Ontario as a lifeguard and swim instructor at pools and lakes before moving to Saskatoon, where she has continued teaching and lifeguarding at the university and coached the Saskatoon Sharks for two years.
For Margot, the best part of swimming is the unique balance it offers: the camaraderie and fun of being on a team, paired with the personal goals and drive of an individual sport.

Shelby Newkirk

Para Learn to Swim Coordinator

shelby@laserswimming.ca

Shelby started swimming in 2011 and has since become a multiple time World Champion, World Record Holder and Paralympian.  Shelby first started coaching in 2015 with an all Para Swim Team in Manitoba as the assistant coach and continued coaching when she moved to Saskatoon in 2016 with both of the Lasers Para and Pool School programs.

Shelby, as a para swimmer herself, has always been very passionate about helping people find their love of swimming and work towards reaching their individual goals.

Shelby has a Bachelor's in Education with a major in Physical Education as well as a Diploma in Disability and Community Support.  Shelby completed her Swimming 101 while in Manitoba and loves coaching swimmers of all ages and abilities.  She continues to train full time as a part of the Lasers Swim Club and our Para National Team. 

While not at the pool, Shelby runs two small businesses, is a public speaker, speaking at events throughout the province and across the country to share her story and talk about the importance of inclusion and accessibility in and out of the sporting context.