HEAD COACH - TRACEY BAKEWELL
Tracey moved to the divide area summer of 2005. Originally from Florida, she learned to swim from Navy base lifeguard in Pensacola and mostly practicing swimming in the Gulf Ocean... then, basically, grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, in Walnut Creek. Ran track & cross country from 8th grade on up (Walnut Creek Intermediate/Las Lomas High School) as well as swam on Walnut Heights summer recreation swim team from about 7th grade until aging out at 18 (and other summer swim camps prior to that). During the summers, when not swimming with the swim team or doing team building activities or at swim meets, she spent any extra time lifeguarding and giving swim lessons at both Walnut Heights and Jewish Community Center in Walnut Creek. Tracey had the pleasure of spending many cold winter mornings at year round pools, taking tarps off/on and even falling into the pool with all warm clothes on, trying to save the tarp cover rolling metal holder, from falling in the pool! After graduating High School, and 2 years of being Head Lifeguard at the 2 Pools, Tracey moved into the fast paced corporate life of computers and networks, began running again and swimming with the Masters swimmers at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek. There she was able to see some amazing athletes in all water disciplines from diving, synchronized swimming, and Olympic level swimmers, and work with their coaches. Once the fast paced work society took over, swimming took a back seat, and was replaced with horses and running. Last year in September of '07, Tracey and her husband, Scott, competed as a team in the crazy sport of Ride & Tie (it involves 2 runners and 1 horse; ask her to explain it to you some day). They came in 1st place in the 13 mile division, AND THEN 2 weeks later, a friend encouraged Tracey to compete in a sprint triathlon to raise money for breast cancer awareness. Having not swum for the past 15 or so years, the 1 mile swim went out without a hitch! She's actually excited to do the next one! Tracey runs an average of 40 to 50 miles per week and she is training for the Western States 100 mile run and hopes to get in next year. She's also the face of the new local business "PersonaLaze It" who is helping the Dolphin's raise money with all of the promotional swim team wearables and gear. Tracey is very excited to take on the position of Head Coach. She feels from all of the different areas of swimming she has been exposed to, keeping in mind her coaches instructions, what was learned by watching other coaches coach while she was lifeguarding, swimming with the Masters at Heather Farms in Walnut Creek and as assistant coach for the Masters at the Jewish Community Center, and knowing what it takes to be a competitive runner, she can really give the ALT Dolphins a good taste of what it's like to swim like the pros.
(Contact Coach Bakewell )