Our Coaches
Joshua VanceHead of Performance
Josh is a Level 2 Swimming Coach and Level 2 Swimming Teacher with a competitive background, including National Championship titles in the 5km Open Water, 200m Backstroke and multiple international competitions.He also held leadership roles as President and Treasurer of the University of Nottingham Swimming Club while he was serving as a Senior Coach as well as coaching in Banbury Swimming Club. He holds a degree in Criminology from the University of Nottingham and completed a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Sporting Excellence at Loughborough College. Josh combines his high-level competitive experience with a strong coaching philosophy to support swimmers at all levels.
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Rhian CaseyHead of Age
Rhian began her coaching journey through DofE volunteering while still swimming competitively for AVSC, where she reached regional level over an eight-year swimming career. After two years of coaching, she left to pursue her undergraduate degree at Plymouth University, where she also took up water polo.
Rhian later completed a master’s degree at Oxford Brookes and has since returned to AVSC as Level 2 Coach to share her passion and knowledge with swimmers of all ages. Rhian is also a Level 1 Swimming Teacher, inspiring and supporting young swimmers. |
Marie SpruceHead of Academy
Maz trained as a swimmer at Hillingdon Borough for many years and started helping out at the club from a young age, completing her pool helper course at 14 and level 1 teaching qualification at 16.
She taught swimming until she left for university to train as a children’s nurse in Oxford. She has two children at AVSC and they moved from WWHSC in 2023, where she did her Level 1 coaching course and coached in Academy. She is complete her Level 2 coaching course and the Head of Academy. |
Dave Lowe
I have been involved in swimming pretty much all of my life. Initially as a competitive swimmer I then moved to the teaching and coaching side of the sport. I hold Level 1 teaching and Level 2 coaching qualifications. I have coached at AVSC on an almost daily basis for many years and also
teach a wide range of swimmers with Abingdon Dolphins Swim Club. I believe that excellent technique is fundamental to excellence in swimming and will encourage and motivate my swimmers to aim high in order to help them achieve their full potential. |
Emma Slaughter
My involvement with swimming began in 2022 when my daughter joined AVSC. I took over the Kit Team the following year and led it for two years before stepping down to focus on coaching. I'm also a qualified J1 Swimming Official—volunteering at meets is a great way to stay involved, and the community is incredibly welcoming!
I started coaching by helping poolside with the youngest swimmers, learning from experienced coaches and doing my own research. I’m now a qualified Level 1 Assistant Coach and hope to complete my Level 2 soon. I love working with our Academy swimmers—watching them grow as athletes is so rewarding. While we are a competitive club, my main goal is to help every swimmer develop a lifelong love of the sport. |
Danny Amphlett
I’m a Level 2 Swimming Coach and Level 2 Swimming Teacher, with around 10 years of experience coaching swimmers at all levels. I was a competitive swimmer myself, with the 100m breaststroke and 5km Open Water being my favourite events.
While I still enjoy swimming for fun, my main forms of exercise these days are in the gym or on the climbing wall. I’ll leave you with a favourite quote from world record-holding swimmer Ross Edgley: “Be naive enough to start and stubborn enough to finish.” |
Justin Beasley
Justin joined the AVSC coaching team in 2022. He is a qualified level 2 coach and has been working swimmers from Academy to Performance squads since 2017.
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Zichen LiuPerformance Coach
Zichen is a former international professional swimmer and Asian Games finalist, bringing a wealth of experience to the sport. A highly qualified ASA Level 3 coach, he has held prestigious roles including Swim England National Development & Talent Coach.
Over the past four years at AVSC, he has served in key positions such as Head Coach and National Performance Lead Coach. In addition to his role as one of our performance coaches, Zichen is currently the Head Coach for the University of Oxford, a Senior Swim Coach at Abingdon School, and the founder of ZISS Infinity Swim School. |
Emily DickensOpen Water Coach
Emily is a qualified Level 2 Swimming Coach and Open Water Coach, with experience coaching at David Lloyd and delivering private swim instruction and training. A former national swimmer, she competed in backstroke, freestyle, and butterfly. Emily maintains her fitness by training for open water swimming and cycling events.
She is also a proud mother of two, with her eldest having been an AVSC swimmer before beginning her university studies. |
Max BolcatoStrength & Conditioning Coach
A former AVSC and University of Surrey, swimmer Max brings a strong background in competitive swimming, having competed at the national level. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Surrey and combines his academic knowledge with real-world experience in fitness and athletic development.
Max is currently an Assistant Manager and Personal Trainer at Snap Fitness in Didcot, and he’s passionate about helping swimmers build strength, improve performance, and stay injury-free. |
Connor Bryan
I'm Connor, and I've been coaching for nearly three years. As a former swimmer, I experienced every stage of the performance pathway—from county meets all the way to representing Great Britain at the Youth Commonwealth Games. These days, my focus has shifted from competing internationally to supporting the next generation in reaching their own performance goals.
I believe great coaching is about more than just developing swimming skills—it's also about shaping character and building confident, resilient athletes. |
Maddy Langley
Maddy has been a dedicated swimmer for nearly a decade, having competed for AVSC at both the British and English Nationals in the 50m and 100m backstroke. She has earned gold and silver medals at regional/county championships and has also taken part in regional performance camps. Swimming has been a lifelong passion for Maddy, and her time with AVSC has provided her with valuable opportunities, including leadership experience as a former club captain. She holds a Level 2 Swimming Coaching and a Level 1 Teaching qualification. Maddy is currently studying Psychology at the University of Bath and coaches with Team Bath AS. She enjoys working with swimmers of all levels and looks forward to supporting and inspiring the next generation.
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Dan Mason |
Megan Cole |
Beth Costello |
Can Tugcetin |
Issy Langley |