ABOUT
Aquatics Canada Aquatiques (“ACA”) is an excellence-driven organization, driving and encouraging elite performance by Canadian swimming, diving, water polo and artistic swimming athletes and the participation of Canadian coaches, officials and administrators internationally.
The role of ACA is to advocate for and represent the Canadian aquatic sports to its national and international sport partners, primarily World Aquatics (“AQUA”), PanAm Aquatics (“PAQ”) and the Canadian Olympic Committee (“COC”). In this role, ACA supports Canadian aquatics teams at international FINA and PanAm Aaquatics accredited competitions and championships and represents the sports’ interests at international conventions and other gatherings. ACA also works to promote the growth and awareness of, and encourage support for, the aquatic sports in Canada, working with the national sport organizations (“NSOs”) and, at their direction, with government, other sport bodies, funding partners, communities, and the public-at-large in general.
ACA upholds and demonstrates the values of its member NSOs and those of the Canadian Olympic Committee (“COC), reflecting the view that the life skills and experience obtained through athletic preparation, competition and teamwork are far more valuable than any medal. These values empower individuals to lead, achieve and leave a legacy of giving back to their sport and the community.
PEOPLE
Board of Directors
Florence Klein
Ms. Klein understands the sport of Artistic Swimming from many different perspectives, as a Masters artistic swimmer, a parent, a Club President, a former Natation Artistique Québec Vice-President, as well from chairing several CAS committees and serving as CAS Vice-President. Professionally, she is an Administrative Manager at Laval University and she brings a background in the legal profession, human resources management, strategic planning and governance, along with many years of volunteering with artistic swimming to the Board of Directors of Aquatics Canada Aquatiques.
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Debbie Muir
Representative, Diving Canada
Debbie Muir
Ms. Muir has a long history in sport. She was an international medalist in the sport of synchronized swimming than became the head coach of the Canadian National Synchronized Swimming team from 1976 to 1988. She led her swimmers to multiple world championship titles and medals. In its debut on the Olympic program, she coached her athletes to two Olympic silver medals at the Los Angeles games in 1984. In 1988, she coached her athletes to the pinnacle of sport success, winning two Olympic gold medals and securing her position as one of the world’s greatest synchronized swimming coaches. She also coached the Australian National Synchronized Swimming team from last place to being competitive in the finals at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. She was named one of the four greatest female coaches of all time by the Coaching Association of Canada. She was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, in 2006 she was honoured as one of Alberta’s Top 100 people in sport and recreation, and in 2007 was inducted into the prestigious International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale. Debbie was also named one of the top ten coaches in Canadian history, the only woman to receive this remarkable distinction. Debbie was instrumental in establishing the organization that is now called Own the Podium (OTP). She remained with OTP through to 2012. During this time, Debbie was the High-Performance Advisor to Diving. In 2018, joined the Board of Directors for Diving Canada, bringing her experience and understanding of what it takes to perform at the highest levels of sport.
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Kathleen Dawson
President, Water Polo Canada
Kathleen Dawson
Ms. Dawson has been a member of Water Polo Canada’s Board of Directors since 2014. Kathleen Dawson played and coached water polo for the former Neptunes Water Polo Club in Winnipeg, where she was the head coach from 2018 to 2021. Kathleen holds an M. Sc. in Medical Genetics and Microbiology from the University of Toronto and has worked as an aquatic biologist with North/South Consultants in Winnipeg for the past 15 years.
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Cheryl Gibson
Bureau Member, World Aquatics
Cheryl Gibson
Ms. Gibson became a World Aquatics Bureau Member in June 2021. She is currently the World Aquatics Bureau Liaison to the Technical Committee for Artistic Swimming. Prior to becoming a World Aquatics Bureau Member, she was the President of Swimming Canada’s Board of Directors. She has served on the Swimming Canada board since 2012 and previously served on that board from 1983-1994. Ms. Gibson took on the role of president of Swimming Canada in 2015 and has overseen Canada’s emergence as a leading swimming nation over the past five years. A lawyer and chartered professional accountant, Ms. Gibson is Counsel at the law firm of Dentons Canada LLP and is recognized as a leading expert in the field of Canadian tax law. Her resume includes roles as a Governor of the Canadian Tax Foundation and as a member of the Administration and Finance Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency. During Ms. Gibson’s personal swimming career, she won a silver medal in the 400m individual medley (IM) at the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games.
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Jessica Rutledge
Representative, Artistic Swimming
Jessica Rutledge
Jess Rutledge joined the Artistic Swimming Canada Board of Directors in 2021. Since then, she has led the Nomination Committee, supported various communications roles, and served as the board liaison for the Officials Committee. Jess was an Artistic Swimmer in her youth at Olympium Synchro and competed in Swimming in high school and university. A marketing manager at The Royal Conservatory of Music, Jess’ professional background is founded in corporate communications and sports sponsorship.
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