Thank you Coach Devin, Welcome Coach Thomas!

Thank you, Coach Devin! Welcome Coach Thomas!

I dreaded the day I would get the phone call, but I knew it would come. Race Club Head Coach Devin Murphy is a family man. His family lives in Ohio, where he grew up. His wife, Lynette, also an outstanding swimming coach, is from Ohio. In the Keys, Lynette was commuting 1.5 hours each way to get to her swimming team in South Florida. I knew that couldn’t last too long.

It was no surprise when Devin and Lynette took jobs coaching Kentucky Aquatics in Lexington. Devin will be the Head Coach and Lynette will become the Associate Head Coach. Still, my heart dropped to my stomach when Devin informed me. He has meant so much to The Race Club and to furthering my understanding of the sport of swimming. He will be missed.

We wish Devin and Lynette the best of luck in their new positions and we are delighted that they will get the opportunity to coach the same team together. Devin’s last day with us is June 4. We are grateful for Devin’s six years of service with The Race Club.

When one door closes, however, another one opens. We are excited to announce the hiring of new Race Club Coach, Thomas Hensen. Coach Thomas will be starting the same day that Devin leaves. Thomas was born in Belgium, but grew up in Wisconsin where he swam at the University of Wisconsin at Eu Claire, studying journalism. He moved to San Diego 2.5 years ago where he has been Head Coach at a YMCA here.

We are particularly thrilled to have Coach Thomas join our staff, as he brings two areas of expertise to us, his two passions of swim coaching and broadcast. Thomas will become the Executive Producer of our new weekly and live Youtube broadcast which will launch soon.  With 80,000 subscribers to our Youtube Channel, we hope to produce a very successful weekly show focused on swimming technique. We hope you will watch the show. Thomas will also be coaching swimmers in our Coronado location for private instruction, camps and online coaching. 

While we will no longer be offering private swimming  instruction in the Keys after June 4, we will have our two camps in Islamorada already scheduled for this year, Training Camp June 22-26 and Thanksgiving Camp November 23-27.  I will be instructing and coaching both camps. We hope you will attend either or both camps, if you are unable to travel to California. Private instruction will be available in California from Coach Thomas or from me.

Please go to our Race Club Newsfeed and wish Devin and Lynette well in their swimming coaching journey and welcome our new Coach Thomas to The Race Club.

Yours in Swimming,

Gary Sr.