Ryan Coetzee
Ryan Coetzee
QUICK STATS
- Birth date: August 12, 1995
- Hometown: Phalaborwa, South Africa
- College: University of Tennessee
- Coach: Matt Kredich
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 2021 South African Olympic Team Qualifier
- Bronze Medalist, Commonwealth Games (50 meter butterfly and 4×100 meter medley)
- Gold Medalist, African Games (100 meter butterfly, 4×100 freestyle, 4×100 meter medley, 4×100 mixed freestyle)
- Bronze Medalist, World Junior Championship
- CSCAA All-American
Ryan's next swim clinics
EXPERIENCE
Ryan Coetzee has been leading camps with Fitter & Faster swim camps since 2017. His commitment to coaching young athletes is apparent in his dedication and focus on the pool deck. He brings a wealth of knowledge from a successful career in sprint freestyle and butterfly, earning four gold medals and one bronze medal at the African Games, and two bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games.
Ryan incorporates proper body positioning into each of his camps. He teaches Fitter & Faster camp participants how the body should move through the water, and how to combine force, energy, and effort for a fast and efficient stroke. He says, “Proper body positioning is the key to success; without it, there are limitations to what you can achieve in the sport.”
Ryan maintains a focused learning environment for the participants by setting clear boundaries to allow the swimmers to have fun and improve their skills. “Kids are at the camps to get something they’re not getting in their regular practice, and I want to ensure they leave with something.” He focuses less on intensity and more on technique, as he acknowledges that “there is a percentage of swimmers that fall through the cracks because they aren’t getting personalized instruction in a large team environment. It may only take a small adjustment here or there to turn an average swimmer into a great swimmer.”
Ryan recognizes that the rigors of the sport can be challenging, and encourages Fitter & Faster camp participants to find their motivation and purpose in swimming. He also realizes that this can change throughout the different stages of their swimming journey. “As a young child I was diagnosed with a coordination problem and my family was told that swimming would help. I began swimming at age eight, and the coach was not encouraging. His lack of confidence in me gave me the drive to work hard to prove him wrong, and I did; a year later I was an age group champion.” As a teen, Ryan went to Brazil to train and struggled. “I hated losing, but I loved traveling. I found my motivation in seeing the world, as I realized swimming could afford me that opportunity.”
