ABOUT US
Who we are
Element Swimming prides itself on being family owned & operated by Ben Geard and Emily Owen. We both sh are a passion for swimming and a philosophy of creating a good culture that not only helps to create good swimmers but also good people.
BEN GEARD
Co-Owner | Director
Ben is a Silver Level accredited coach and has been involved with competitive swimming, both as a swimmer and coach, for the past 22 years. He started swimming competitively from the age of 10 and was a finalist at the Australian Open National Championships for 4 years.
In 2005 Ben commenced coaching at the highly successful Traralgon Swimming Club in Victoria. During the 9 years as coach, Traralgon succeeded in developing between 12 and 20 national level swimmers and national medallists every year. Of those swimmers, some were also selected as junior Australian representatives.
In 2014, Ben moved to Cairns after accepting the role of Coaching Director for Marlin Coast Swim Club. After some great results in just over a year in Cairns, Ben received the opportunity to move to Brisbane and start his own swimming program. In partnership with Emily in 2016 Element Swimming was born.
EMILY OWEN
Co-Owner | General Manager
Emily is a water-lover at heart and holds a current Bronze Medallion for Surf Lifesaving and AUSTSwim Teaching Licence. In 2015, she was awarded the North Aussies Masters Female Age Champion for Surf Lifesaving and often still competes in various open water and Masters Swimming events around SE Queensland.
Aside from her love of swimming, Emily is also an accomplished web designer and digital marketer, holding a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Industries from QUT.
In partnership with Ben, she is the communications side of Element Swimming so you may meet her behind the front desk at the pool or swimming in the adult squad.
Our Team
Management
Allison Swift
Swim School Manager
Allison brings a calm, organised, and people focused approach to her role as Swim School Manager at Element Swimming. With extensive experience in swim school operations and team leadership, Allison plays a key role in ensuring our programs run smoothly.
She is passionate about creating a positive experience for swimmers, families, and staff alike, and prides herself on building strong relationships with both parents and instructors. Allison works closely with our teaching team to maintain high standards of lesson delivery, safety, and swimmer progression, while also supporting staff development and mentoring.
Known for her reliability, clear communication, and attention to detail, Allison is a valued leader within the Element Swimming team and a familiar, friendly face on pool deck.
Madi Kleiner
Assistant Manager
Madison is our Assistant Manager and a key part of keeping Element Swimming running smoothly day to day. With a strong background in customer service and team support, she plays a hands-on role in supporting our coaches, swimmers, and families both on pool deck and behind the scenes.
Madison is passionate about creating a positive environment for staff and ensuring every family feels supported and informed throughout their swimming journey.
When she’s not problem-solving or coordinating the team, Madison is always happy to help parents with questions and make sure swimmers feel comfortable, confident, and ready to enjoy their time in the water.
Matheus Coelho
Sports Development Officer
Matheus is our Sports Development Officer, working behind the scenes to support the growth and structure of our programs at Element Swimming. He plays an important role in developing pathways, improving systems, and helping ensure our swimmers have clear, well supported opportunities as they progress through the program.
Matheus focuses on creating positive experiences for Element swimmers and families by supporting program planning, organisation, and communication. His work helps keep our programs running efficiently while maintaining a strong focus on long term development for the club.
Indooroopilly
Svetlana Sterlin
Head Coach - Indooroopilly
Svetlana brings both high-level swimming experience and a thoughtful coaching approach to the pool. A former national-level open water and distance freestyle swimmer, she understands the dedication required to succeed in endurance events.
She previously coached at Yeronga Park for five years, including 18 months as Assistant Coach, where she guided many athletes to school and club State and National Championships, achieving multiple finals and medal performances.
Svetlana takes great pride in helping swimmers grow both in and out of the water, building resilience, discipline, and confidence alongside their technical development.
Outside the pool, Svetlana is also an accomplished writer. In 2024 she won Australia’s richest poetry prize for her debut collection If Movement Was a Language (Vagabond Press) and is currently the UQ Creative Writing Fellow, researching her third poetry manuscript.
Harmony Shorten
Assistant Coach - Indooroopilly
Harmony brings a wealth of aquatic experience to Element Swimming, with a background as a competitive swimmer specialising in butterfly and freestyle. After stepping away from competition, she discovered her passion for teaching and coaching, and has spent the past three years guiding swimmers to build both skill and confidence in the water.
Dedicated to creating a fun, engaging, and positive learning environment, Harmony is excited to continue her coaching journey with Element Swimming.
Since joining the Indooroopilly team, she has made an immediate impact, capturing the kids’ attention and keeping them motivated from the very start.
Since joining the Indooroopilly team, she has made an immediate impact, capturing the kids’ attention and keeping them motivated from the very start.
Coorparoo
Jedi Morland Janes
Head Coach - Coorparoo
With 12 years as a competitive swimmer and 8 years coaching, Jedi has achieved multiple age group titles in both short and long course swimming, represented New Zealand in open water events, and even medaled at the NCAA Division 1 level.
As a coach, Jedi has guided swimmers to national age group championships in both New Zealand and the United States, and previously led as the Head Coach of Queenstown Swim Club.
Holland Park
Nick Moore
Head Coach - Holland Park
Nick is a Silver Level accredited coach and has been coaching for 12 years.
He has a wide range of experience, from teaching adult Learn to Swim through to coaching National level athletes.
He likes to focus on a good, strong technique to help adults and children progress quickly towards their goals.
