The Coaching Staff
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 Coach: Level 1 & Youth and Junior Coach
Personal trainer certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine
Todd Shellenberger is a coach with over 10 years of coaching experience and over 30 years of racing experience. As part of keeping these coaching certifications, he is always reading and learning about what’s new in the sport and in each of the disciplines. In a former life, Todd was a Certified Public Accountant and was CFO of a not-for-profit organization.
When choosing a coach, you want someone who has been there – sweating it out and dealing with the mind games that can creep in while training and racing. Todd has been competing in Triathlon and Running Races for over 30 years a
nd has competed in all distances of Triathlon and Running Races, from Sprint to Ironman and 5K to Marathon. Todd has qualified for the Ironman World Championships twice – finishing at Kona in 2014 and 2016. He has competed in the 70.3 World Championships in 1996 Muncie IN, 2010 Clearwater FL , 2017 Chattanooga, TN and 2019 Nice, France. He also competed in the 2019 Sprint Draft Legal World Championships and Olympic Distance World Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. Todd has qualified for the Sprint an
d Olympic World Championships in 2015, 2018 and 2019. In 2015, he qualified for the World Championships in the Sprint, Olympic, 70.3 and 140.6 distances. As a triathlon coach and a running coach Todd has a wide base of experience to draw from.
With over 30 years
of experience and over 140 races under his belt Todd can relate to all type
s of athletes as well as help direct athletes to races that suit their strengths and offer the best experience possible for the racers 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 excited to welcome Kris & the Koepp Family to Central Florida from the cold winter of Minnesota! Kris ran a very successful youth triathlon program in Rochester and produced National Champion athletes! All of our athletes will benefit from the knowledge and expertise that Kris brings to the team.
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.
Details Coming Soon!
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!
