COACH ANNE

Anne Whalen McLindon is a passionate marathon open water swimmer, ice swimmer, triathlete and coach. Through her Rising Tide programs, Anne combines her experience with unique, innovative training methods to enabled athletes of all ages and abilities to surpass their personal goals. She has coached hundreds of triathletes from first time sprint distance races to Ironman and Kona qualifiers. Anne is the Head Swim Coach and Learn to Swim Instructor at Lab School in Washington, DC. and coaches Special Olympics athletes from Virginia, Maryland and DC. 

In January 2020, Anne launched Swim To Win Nevis: a learn-to-swim program created in collaboration with the Nevisian government to address the deep seated fear of the ocean and swimming. Anne developed the swim curriculum and has trained more than 50 instructors. In 2021, she launched the first Christena Summer Swim Camps. As of 2022, Swim To Win Nevis has taught over 900 children and adults how to swim and safely enjoy the beautiful waters of this Caribbean Island.    

Anne is the Chairperson for Special Olympics Open Water Swimming and Technical Delegate for the 2015 and 2019 World Summer Games.  She has conducted international training clinics in Africa, India, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and the Caribbean working with athletes, coaches, and program directors from over 65 countries and is a major contributor to the International Competition Rules and Coaching Guides for Triathlon and Open Water Swimming.

Anne focuses on the physical, mental and nutritional aspects of sports and balancing multi-sport with the demands of everyday life. She uses her own experience as an athlete, coach, mother, race director, and swim partner to train athletes of all levels, helping them break through perceived limits, surpass their personal goals, and achieve successes they never thought possible.