Sara@Swim-Like-a-Pro.com

Creativity and passion are two words that best describe Coach Sara’s methods at group training or during private coaching sessions. Her personal sporting career spanned 25+ years of training and racing while representing Team USA and winning medals at multiple World Championship events. After retiring from her personal career, Sara served as the Team Leader with the USA Triathlon Elite National team to the World Triathlon Series Events. Today she focuses on traveling to local and national events with her SLAP athletes and the SLAP Tri Team to cheer and support from the sidelines.

• USA Triathlon Coach: Level 2 & Youth/Junior

• USA Triathlon Committee Member: National Coaching Committee, Women’s Committee, Junior Triathlon Coaches Association, Collegiate Triathlon Association

• USA Triathlon Elite Team Leader/Head Coach: Pan American Games, World Championships, World Triathlon Series, World Cups (2015-2021)

• US Masters Swimming: Level 2

• American Red Cross: Lifeguard/First-Aid/CPR/AED

• Triathlete Magazine: Swim specialist writer & contributor (2008-present)

• Ironman: Race announcer (2023-present)

• Professional Triathlete: 2005-2022, 2 x Pan Am Games, multiple World Championship teams, Lifetime Fitness/Toyota Cup Champion

• Professional Swimmer: 2004-2007, 4th at Olympic Trials, Silver & Bronze medals at the World Championships

• Competed in the Elite/Professional World Championships event in 7 sports: Pool swimming (400m freestyle, silver), open water swimming (5k, bronze), aquathlon (World Champion), lifesaving (World Champion & World Record Holder), triathlon (6 times), adventure racing, & Otillo swimrun (highest finishing American team to date).

You can find all of Sara’s articles in Triathlete Magazine by clicking here.

Learn more about Coach Sara McLarty with a Q&A here…

• USA Triathlon Certified Coach

• British Triathlon Certified Coach

Coach Jodie Stimpson is a world-class endurance athlete and experienced coach with a distinguished international career in triathlon. As a British professional triathlete, Jodie earned multiple global titles, including double gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and a runner-up finish in the 2013 ITU World Triathlon Series, competing at the highest level of the sport across swim, bike, and run disciplines.

She began competing at just eight years old and went on to race professionally around the world, developing a deep understanding of what it takes to train, perform, and progress at every stage of an athletic journey. After transitioning from elite racing into coaching, Jodie has  focused on helping athletes train smarter, stay healthy, and achieve consistent improvements through structured, purposeful training.

Jodie joined the SLAP coaching team to work directly with the #SLAPPERS community, bringing her elite experience and practical coaching approach to athletes at the local level. Through the launch of Run Like a Pro, she now leads weekly run workouts and personalized run coaching designed to help runners and triathletes of all abilities build strength, efficiency, and confidence. Jodie’s coaching philosophy emphasizes consistency, smart progression, and long-term development—supporting athletes as they pursue personal goals, race performance, and a lifelong love of the sport.

• USA Triathlon Coach: Level 1 & Youth and Junior Coach

• Personal trainer certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine

Coach Todd Shellenberger brings over 30 years of racing experience and more than a decade of coaching to the SLAP team. A lifelong student of the sport, Todd continuously updates his coaching education and certifications, staying current with the latest developments in endurance training across swim, bike, and run disciplines. Before turning his focus fully to coaching, Todd spent a former career as a Certified Public Accountant and CFO of a not-for-profit organization, bringing a thoughtful, analytical approach to athlete development and long-term planning.

When choosing a coach, experience matters — not just on paper, but in lived moments of training, racing, and overcoming mental and physical challenges. Todd has competed in triathlon and running races for over three decades, racing everything from Sprint to Ironman distances and 5Ks to Marathons. His extensive racing résumé includes qualifying for the Ironman World Championships twice, finishing in Kona in 2014 and 2016, as well as competing in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in Muncie (1996), Clearwater (2010), Chattanooga (2017), and Nice (2019).

Todd has also represented at the World Championship level in draft-legal and Olympic-distance racing, competing at the 2019 Sprint Draft Legal and Olympic Distance World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. He qualified for Sprint and Olympic World Championships in 2015, 2018, and 2019, and in 2015 alone earned qualification across Sprint, Olympic, 70.3, and full Ironman (140.6) distances — a rare and remarkable achievement.

With over 140 races completed, Todd understands athletes at every stage — from first-time racers to experienced competitors chasing big goals. His coaching philosophy centers on helping athletes train intelligently, race confidently, and choose events that align with their strengths while creating positive, memorable experiences for both athletes and their families.

Coach Todd’s Final Thoughts:
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”

• Former USA Triathlon Coach: Level 1 & Youth & Junior

• Former US Masters Swimming & USA Swimming Coach

We are thrilled to welcome Coach Kris Koepp and the entire Koepp family to Central Florida from the chilly winters of Minnesota! Kris brings a deep passion for endurance sport and a proven track record of developing young athletes into confident competitors. Prior to joining SLAP, Kris led a highly successful youth triathlon program in Rochester, Minnesota, where she coached athletes of all levels — including National Champion triathletes — and cultivated a supportive environment that empowered kids to grow their skills and race with pride.

With experience both on deck and behind the scenes, Kris blends a keen understanding of technique with thoughtful mentoring that helps young athletes improve physically and mentally. Her positive, encouraging coaching style not only builds strong foundational skills, but also fosters resilience, teamwork, and a lifelong love for sport.

All of our #SLAPPERS will benefit from Kris’s expertise, enthusiasm, and commitment to helping athletes reach their goals — whether that’s finishing their first triathlon, improving run or swim performance, or competing at a high level. We’re excited to have Kris playing a key role in strengthening our youth triathlon pathways and supporting our community of runners, triathletes, and multi-sport families.

• USA Triathlon Coach: Level 2

• US Master Swimming Coach: Level 3

• American College of Sports Medicine: Professional Member

• American Red Cross: CPR/AED/First Aid Certified

• NCAA Women’s Coaching Academy: Graduate

Beth is a life-long sports enthusiast. As a pre-Title IX collegiate athlete with few opportunities to compete, Beth is thrilled with the being able to compete as an older age-group woman. After 30+ years working in the US Government, she took on triathlon at 50 years old on a bet from her triathlete brother, and fell in love with multi-sport.

Since then, she has competed in over 220 races, including the Ironman World Championship is 2012, the Boston Marathon in 2011, 2013 & 2014, three Olympic-distance World Championships (finishing 7th in 2017), podium placements at four Olympic-distance National Championships, and nine years ranked as a USAT All American.

She has been coaching triathlon and swimming since 2009, including two years as an NCAA Women’s Triathlon Coach. She met her Sports Scientist/Pro-Squash Player/Master Bike Fitter husband. Doug Baumgarten, in 2005 and they ran a triathlon equipment & coaching/athlete performance lab in Virginia from 2009 until 2022. They sold the business and moved to Florida for sunshine and the #SLAPPERS!

Coach Beth appreciates the desire to improve one’s performance and set individual goals, with focus on “The 4 P’s”: Practice + Persistence + Perseverance = Performance!

• USA Triathlon Coach: Level 1

• UCI World Cycling Centre Coach: Level 1

• American Red Cross: First-Aid/CPR/AED

Omar is a swimming enthusiast who sees triathlon as a lifestyle.  He discovered  triathlon while swimming in the USA Masters league.

Omar and his triathlon-loving-family relocated to Florida in 2022 to be closer to his family in Puerto Rico. They wanted to live in Clermont due to it’s “Top Tri Towns” recognition. While searching for a Masters Swimming team, he and his wife came across SLAP and the family fell in love with the team.

Omar has been competing in triathlons since 2010 and has completed many events, including several full Ironmans and 70.3 distance races. He assisted in coaching his triathlon team back in Puerto Rico for many years, and since then, he has developed a special interest in teaching and mentoring. 

Fun fact: Because Omar loves teaching about his passions, he also became a certified motorcycle coach a few years back!

Coach Don’s philosophy – “If your dreams do not make you uncomfortable- they are not big enough…challenge yourself to be the best TODAY!”

• Certified Level I USA Cycling coach

• Director of the Basic Racing Program (BRP) for South Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (SECCC). 

• Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Head Cycling Coach

• 10+ years as a Cycling Coach and 20 years in adaptive sports (physical and cognitive disabilities).

Coaching Highlights:

• Currently Warrior Games (para cycling) – SOCOM Head Cycling Coach – athletes achieved – 10 Gold, 4 Silver and 5 Bronze Medals

• 2016, 2017 and 2018 Collegiate National Champions – Club Omnium (Track, Road, MTB, Cyclocross) – 7 years United States Military Academy as the Cycling Coach/Team Director for Army West Point Cycling

• Coach Krzyzewski Awardee for Developing Character through Sport

• 34 Years as an Enlisted Member of United States Army Reserve – Special Operations Command – Africa (SOCAF)

• Master’s Degree Education/Teaching

• Physical and Cognitive Disabilities children and adults (Advanced Instructor Cert)

• Master Resilience Trainer (MRT)  

Athletic Highlights:

• Started racing BMX bikes at the age of 7

• Triathlon competitions: Sprint, Olympic, XTERRA races

• Enthusiastically race in MTB and relays

• Actively Race in Road Cycling/ Criterium races

Coach Don’s final thought – When looking at the results, the only one that matters is DNS (Did Not Start). You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.

Info & details coming soon

• US Masters Swimming – Level 2 Certified Coach

Adam is a lifelong swimmer that is eager to share his knowledge and experience with the SLAP family. He believes training should be fun as well as challenging and the fun is what keeps people coming back to SLAP.

• Coached High School swim teams and Triathlon teams in New Zealand to several National Championships

• Member of multiple Canadian National Triathlon teams and competed in the Commonwealth Games in 1990 in New Zealand

• Kona, Hawaii Ironman World Championship finisher

• Swam for Queen’s University in Canada

Coach Dave’s 30 years of professional swim and triathlon coaching experience spans several countries (New Zealand, Australia, Canada, and the USA). He has coached swimmers and triathletes of all ages and abilities from learn-to-swim/learn-to-tri to age groupers to Olympians!

Dave has worked as a SLAP swim coach since 2020 during the winter months when he and his wife, the amazing Lisa Bentley, are visiting for six months from Canada.

• Former Director of a local MOPS ministry, 2008-2021

• Graduate from Stetson University, Business Management 2002 

As a mom of 3, Amanda has learned how important an active lifestyle is to her mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness. A true local to the Clermont/Minneola area from birth, she is so happy that she & her husband are raising their children here, ages 7, 11, and 14. She finds such joy in cheering others along as they work hard to pursue their goals!