Kathy Gore, head coach and founder of South Bay Swim Team, also serves as the team manager. Kathy primarily coaches the A and B1 Groups. She is also our lead coach at swim meets.

What you might not know…

• Kathy founded South Bay Swim Team in 2000
• She was a summer team swimmer as a child
• Kathy was on the Junior Varsity and Varsity Swim Team for Mira Costa High School, and Girls Team Captain for 2 years
• Kathy has a BA degree from the University of Arizona (even though she is a native Californian)
• She is active in the community:
• Represents South Bay Swim Team at Southern California Aquatic Association (SCAA); League Treasurer 2002-Present
  Board of Trustee on Hawthorne Parks and Recreation Foundation; 2004-2018. Has served on PTA and other Non-Profit Boards or Committee Chairs
• Kathy is married to Bill, and they have three children

• Kathy has been a Masters swimmer for 20+ years; sometimes participates in regional Masters swim meets
• She is an avid ocean swimmer, participating in 4-5 1-mile or 2-mile ocean races per summer; has participated in 25+ Pier-to-Pier swims
• Kathy practices yoga
• Participated in several 5K and 10K races
• Adheres to the ‘why not try it’ philosophy of fitness: swam leg of a Camp Pendleton Triathlon relay team; participant in the inaugural Redondo Beach Triathlon; walker; hiker; tried abseiling (repelling) on her honeymoon in Africa

Rick began Coaching with South Bay Swim Team in 2022, and co-coaches the A/B1 Group. He also coaches the Redondo Union High School Swim Team, and is a  PE Teacher at Adam’s Middle School in Redondo Beach. Rick has worked with student athletes for his entire career – mostly middle and high school. He also coached a morning masters swim program for many years, and he is the Race Director for the “Swim the Avenues” race, and the Redondo Beach Triathlon.

Coach Rick is an athlete, himself. He was on youth swim teams while growing up, and later developed a talent for running. In College, Rick was part of the Virginia Tech Cross Country Team. During his senior year, Rick competed in the Virginia Tech inaugural Triathlon, and he placed first. Having a swimming and running background, Rick excelled at triathlons, and has been racing ever since.

 

Ruby has been a coach for South Bay Swim Team nearly since the beginning, in the year 2000; in fact, Coach Ruby founded the C and C1 Groups. Prior to our team, Ruby also coached the former ‘Hawthorne Hammerheads’ team in the late 90s. She has focused on the beginner group swimmers for her entire coaching career, and most of our swimmers started at some point with Coach Ruby. She is our ‘lead’ C1-Group Coach.

What you might not know…

• She learned to swim at the Hawthorne Pool
• Started as swim instructor and lifeguard at Hawthorne Pool when she was 15 years old
• Ruby has worked as a Lifeguard, swim instructor, and been an Aquatics program director
• She is a second-grade teacher at Del Aire (Anza) Elementary School; there, she is also a Tech Mentor, and Student Council Advisor. Ruby is married to Erik (who is a marathon runner)

A competitive athlete herself:

• Ruby is a regular competitor in Triathlons, including the Catalina Tri and the Legacy/Long Beach Tri
• She is a regular swimmer, and has participated in 15+ Pier-to-Pier swims, and several Naples Island 3-Mile swims
• Ruby loves running, and participated in lots of 10K races; and she has completed in several ‘Mud Runs’

“My favorite thing about coaching beginning swimmers is watching kids who have limited swimming skills blossom into super swimmers who can challenge themselves into even better swimmers. Coaching C2’s is the best!” ~ Ruby del Rio Ekblad

Bronson McFarlin joined the SOBA Coaching Staff in 2016, and he coaches the C2 Group. Coach Bronson has also been involved with South Bay Swim Team's Pre-Competitive Clinics and taught individual and group swim lessons, and offered Junior Lifegrard Prep.

What you might not know…

• Bronson has been a lifeguard and swim instructor since 2012 and he has taught various levels of swimming skills to people of all ages, and he is WSI certified (Water Safety Instructor/American Red Cross Certification)
• Outside of swim team, Bronson is a Behaviorial therapist aide, working at the elementary school level. He is nearly completed with his studies at CSUDH
• Completed the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Lifeguard Academy
• Bronson also works as a Beach Lifeguard at Cabrillo/San Pedro and as a Pool Lifeguard
• Previously coached with the Alondra Park Swim Team

A competitive athlete himself:

• Completed the Lifeguard Training Academy for Los Angeles City Open Water Lifeguard, headquartered at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro
• Bronson is participted on the El Camino College Swimming and Water Polo Teams
• Participated in the Los Angeles County Beach Junior Lifeguard Program during High School (Torrance Beach)

Coach Rachel Pinto joined SOBA's coaching staff in early 2018. She coaches our B Group. Rachel is also a Swim Team Coach for Redondo Union High School, and Masters Coach for SOBA, SCAQ and Bay Club.

Rachel is a competitive masters swimmer, and competes in local, regional and national swim meets (she even has a nation-wide Top Ten time in the 400IM!). She is also an experienced masters and age group swim coach. Rachel earned Masters coach levels 1 and 2 certifications in 2016, and she has also participated in many stroke development clinics hosted by United States Masters Swimming. 

Rachel began swimming as an adult, and immediately fell in love with the sport. She currently swims with El Segundo Wiseburn Aquatic Center with SCAQ and at Hawthorne Pool with friends. Coach Rachel is a firm believer that good form and technique, with emphasis on drill workouts, are the foundation of every great swimmer.

Outside of swimming, Rachel enjoys spending time with her family and walking her 2 dogs. She is fluent in three languages, English, French and Spanish. She has a BA degree from CSU Sacramento. Rachel and her family have been part of South Bay Swim Team since her daughter joined in mid-2014; her son started on the team in early 2015.

Adriano joined SOBA's coaching staff in early 2018. He coaches our B Group. Adriano is a true waterman - Adriano started swimming at age 7. Later, he started swimming competitively for the Natacenter Team in Porto Alegre/Brazil. And his favorite stroke was butterfly. He has worked at South Bay Aquatics/Redondo for 7+ years as Swim Instructor, primarily for Intermediate, Advanced and Pre-Comp students. He also has experience training kids for Junior Lifeguard try-outs, and has also trained swimmers privately for 1:1 instruction, and to prepare for special events, like Junior Olympics. Adriano also worked with students to teach surfing, and for ocean water safety.

Outside of swimming, Adriano is a professional photographer, and had his first exhibition “Photographs” in 2018. He studied photography at Otis College Art and Design. And he studied Accounting at PUC-RS, in Brazil. He speaks three languages: English, Portuguese and Spanish. He also loves surfing, and has travelled to many locations all over the world. He also practices and teaches yoga.

Sue Stohrer has been the Lead C and C1-Group Coach since 2015, though she has also been coaching our South Bay Swim Team Masters team since 2000.

What you might not know…

• Sue grew up in the pool and began her swimming career as an age group swimmer in New York and Florida
• She was top 10 in the country as a 9 & 10 year old and was an All-American 4 years at Pine Crest High School and Furman University
• She teaches swim lessons to children and adults 
• Sue has her Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from Ithaca College
• In her professional life, Sue has been the Fitness Director at Marina City Club, and prior to that served as the Fitness Manager at Daniel Freeman Hospital’s Fitness Center for 15 years. She currently works at the Terannea Fitness Club, and teaches private swim lessons throughout the South Bay.
  
  A Competitive Athlete Herself:
• Masters swim meets and ocean races since 1990
• First Olympic Distance Triathlon in 1989 – this was a big accomplishments since swimmers do not usually like to run
• Completed the Florida Ironman in 2002
• First marathon was the Los Angeles Marathon in 1997
• Qualified for the Boston Marathon in 2008, that same year won her age-group at the LA Triathlon and place 2^nd in the Maui Channel Swim Relay

Fun fact…

Sue was the screaming, crying 4 & 5 year old when learning to swim. Her mom always told her she would one day teach children who were just like she was at age 4 & 5. She was right, and because of these children Sue is more patient, compassionate and determined to have them enjoy their swimming experience as it has opened up many wonderful opportunities for her which never would have happened if she didn’t keep on trying with encouragement from her parents.

Sue Stohrer has been coaching our masters team since 2000. Sue also teaches swimming outside of our team to swimmers of various ages. She teaches several fitness classes at the Terranea Fitness Center, and was Marina City Club's fitness club director for many years. Sue grew up in the pool, and began her swimming career as an age group swimmer in New York and Florida.