The Sackville Swim Club (SSC) was established in September of 1975 by Barbara L. Campbell. An elite swimmer herself, Barbara went on to coach and train many successful swimmers who not only exceled in Atlantic Canada, but nationally as well. During her reign at SSC, she also became the founder and director of the Olympic Way Swim Program. As the team continued to grow through the 1980’s, Campbell helped spearhead fundraising activities for the club, including the annual Swim-A-Thon, which still continues to be the biggest fundraiser for the club to this day.

13 years later after the club’s establishment, a Saint John native named John Peters arrived on deck and took over the club as its new Head Coach. A Canada Games swimmer representing Team NB, Peters was a graduate of both Holland College and Mount Allison University. For the next 27 years, Peters, proving his abilities as a Level III NCCP Coach, would guide members of SSC to provincial championships and beyond. Many of these swimmers held, or still hold, provincial and club records in multiple swim categories. Under his mentorship, SSC, up against clubs much larger, became a mighty force to be reckoned. Peters, himself receiving Coach of the Year awards through Swimming NB, produced athletes who achieved success in top levels of competition such as Canada Games, Junior and Senior Championships, and even Olympic Trials.

Following Peter’s retirement in 2015, Stephanie Lebreton took the lead as SSC’s Head Coach for the next four years. Having gained experience in Ontario, Lebreton helped continue the success of the club. During her time with SSC, Lebreton introduced a successful Learn to Swim program through the National Lifeguard Association, which continues to promote water safety amongst all ages within the club.

As of May 2019, SSC’s new Head Coach Brenna Rothfuss has stepped in and is ready to bring a new level of energy to the pool deck. Rothfuss, a familiar face of the club, has been a member since the young age of 5. Over her years with SSC, Rothfuss competed at many high levels of competition including East Coast Championships, Canada Game Trials, bringing home gold in both NB and PEI Provincials, and maintaining Top 10 status in her home province. Her first paying job was coaching the youngest SSC group (originally called the Marlins) which over the years developed into an assistant coaching position for both John Peters and Stephanie Lebreton. Rothfuss took a brief break from coaching while attending Mount Allison University, where she swam for the Mounties. She took on the leadership role of Team Captain in her senior year, and helped guide the women’s squad to a second-place finish in the AUS championship. After hanging up her own cap and goggles in 2017, Rothfuss became Assistant Coach of the MTA Mounties alongside John Peters and now has found her way back to her roots with SSC as of Fall, 2018. Brenna, now a trained Level III coach, is excited for what the future will bring to the Sackville Swim Club.