Our Coaches
Justin Fairgrieve coachjustin@orilliachannelcats.ca
Meet Coach Justin
Justin’s journey with swimming reflects a lifelong passion for the sport and the community around it. After moving to Orillia in 1990, he joined the Orillia Channel Cats that same fall and swam with the club for six seasons. He went on to represent the Mayfield Mavericks throughout high school, competing at multiple OFSAA Championships and even extending his final year just to finish out one more swim season.
When Justin returned to Orillia to start his family, his connection to the pool came full circle. He began as a Level 1 official when his daughter joined the Kittens in 2019, and continued when his son joined the team in 2022. From there, coaching became a natural next step—driven by his love of helping swimmers grow from learning the basics to excelling in competition.
Outside the pool, Justin manages Orillia Auto Spa for the Plaza Auto Group, bringing the same dedication and work ethic he shows on deck. He has completed the Swimming Fundamentals Coaching Course and is currently working toward his 201 Age Group Coach certification.
This season, Justin is excited to continue his role as the Bronze Coach while also coaching the Senior Novice group along side coach Mel as well as the other groups. For him, coaching is about more than just swimming—it’s about building confidence, celebrating progress, and being part of each swimmer’s journey.
Melanie Van Pypen coachmelanie@orilliachannelcats.ca
Melanie was raised in Simcoe County and was a swimmer for many years with the Barrie Trojans and when living away from home, the Thunder Bay Thunderbolts. She worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor for many years in Thunder Bay and Whitehorse, Yukon. Melanie began as an assistant coach with the Barrie Trojans and then joined the Thunder Bay Thunderbolts coaching team as a junior and masters coach when she was at Lakehead University as a Kinesiology student. She is thrilled to be joining the Channel Cats and to be reviving her coaching career.
Swimming has always been Melanie’s passion and she swims year round in our local lakes. Melanie is an avid Ice Swimmer, the 12th Canadian to swim an Ice Mile and competes in ice swimming competitions internationally. She is an Open Water Swimmer, currently training for marathon swims; and she swims with the Orillia Masters group as well.
Melanie lives in the Horseshoe Valley area with her family who enjoy canoe tripping, rock climbing, camping, skiing, and adventuring together. She has worked with children as a coach, teacher, and kinesiologist, and for many years ran the nearby Oro Medonte Forest School.
As a coach, Melanie guides her swimmers with a philosophy of finding comfort in the water, always focusing on keeping swimming fun! It is a wonderful opportunity to watch swimmers develop their own passion for being in the pool while learning how to move efficiently through the water, while her own love for the water shines through.
Arial McGee coachmelanie@orilliachannelcats.ca
Meet Coach Ariel
Ariel has called Orillia home since the age of three, and swimming has been a major part of her life ever since. She trained and competed with the Orillia Channel Cats from grade 4 through grade 10, before joining the Orillia Secondary School swim team in grades 11 and 12. In her graduating year, Ariel capped off her competitive journey with an impressive 4th-place finish in the 100m butterfly at OFSAA. These years of dedication gave her a strong foundation in the sport and a true appreciation for the commitment it takes to succeed as a swimmer.
Beyond competition, Ariel has built a career in aquatics. She has worked as a lifeguard, aquatic supervisor, swim instructor, and aquatic trainer at the Orillia Recreation Centre. She also serves her community as a volunteer firefighter with the Township of Severn and recently graduated from Algonquin College in Ottawa with a certificate in Pre-Service Firefighting. Even with her busy schedule, she continues to swim recreationally, keeping her connection to the sport she loves.
This season, Ariel is excited to share her passion as the Kittens Coach and co-coach of Junior Novice. She is looking forward to helping young swimmers develop both skills and confidence in the water, while keeping the sport fun, positive, and rewarding. Her coaching philosophy is rooted in building a love for swimming, encouraging personal growth, and celebrating every milestone along the way.
When she’s not at the pool, Ariel enjoys staying active, spending time outdoors—especially camping and hiking—and being with her family.
Sophia Brown
Meet Coach Sophie
Sophie has been part of the Orillia Channel Cats since 2016 and is now a Gold-level swimmer with the team. For her, swimming has grown into more than just a sport—it’s a passion that fuels her energy, sharpens her focus, and supports both her physical and mental well-being. She thrives on the competitive side of swimming, always motivated to chase new goals and personal bests.
Beyond competition, one of Sophie’s greatest joys has been the social side of the sport. She has built lasting friendships through swimming and loves cheering on her teammates. She also enjoys volunteering on deck, helping younger swimmers develop their skills while sharing the enthusiasm that has kept her committed for so many years.
Currently in Grade 11 at Eastview Secondary School in Barrie, Sophie balances her training with work as a certified lifeguard and swim instructor at the Orillia Recreation Centre. Whether she’s in the pool, on deck, or teaching others, swimming continues to be at the heart of her life—a passion she’s proud to share with the next generation of swimmers.
Kajun Bonnekamp
Meet Coach Kajun
Hi, my name is Kajun Bonnekamp, and I’m a 17-year-old senior at Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School. I’ve been part of the Orillia Channel Cats for the past six years, competing as a Gold-level swimmer and gaining so much from the sport along the way.
Believe it or not, I actually started with a fear of the water. That changed one day when I happened to walk past a Channel Cats practice—I was inspired watching the team dive in with confidence, and from that moment on, I knew I wanted to be part of it. Swimming not only helped me overcome that fear but also taught me perseverance, time management, self-discipline, reflection, and goal setting.
Through my years with the Cats, I’ve seen firsthand how hard work in and out of the pool pays off and how lifelong friendships are built through this team. Now, I’m excited to begin this new chapter as a Junior Coach, helping young swimmers chase their own goals and discover the same love for swimming that shaped my journey.
Coaching Alumni and Club Pioneers
Meredith Thompson-Edwards "Mere"
Head Coach Meredith Thompson-Edwards has lived in Orillia her entire life and is now raising a family of her own. She has been coaching with the club since 1995 and competed in the sport for over ten years, during which time she qualified for many highly competitive meets such as Ontario Cup, Eastern Cup and Nationals.
Her position as an assistant allowed her to coach all age groups within the club. "Working with different age groups has enabled me to familiarize myself with the whole team, which is a huge benefit when planning group activities and encouraging group cohesiveness." Meredith feels knowing all of the swimmers will help to develop a more personable atmosphere which aids in creating a positive fun environment for all involved. She currently coaches the Channel Kittens (entry level swimmers) Silver and Gold training groups.
Meredith has worked along side her mother Elaine her entire coaching career, and admits it has been a very positive experience. "We both encourage the swimmers to be hard working, dedicated and supportive of teammates. Qualities that come natural for me because they were instilled at home my entire life."
In Meredith’s opinion, competitive swimming enables children to improve social, organizational and swimming skills. It creates opportunities to boost confidence and improve cardiovascular fitness level. These are all qualities that swimmers can continue to utilize into adulthood. "My goal as Head Coach is to continue to provide a positive, fun and challenging environment that my swimmers can learn from and use in all areas of their life."
Meredith attended Georgian College in Orillia and obtained diplomas in the Developmental Services Worker program and the post-graduate Therapeutic Recreation program. She is a certified Age Group Swim Coach, and has completed Level 3 Theory, Developing Athletic Abilities, Coaching and Leading Effectively, Psychology of Performance and Managing Conflict modules through the National Coaching and Certification Program, working towards obtaining Senior Coach status. She held the Canadian Record in Women’s age 35-39 200 m breaststroke and competed at Masters Long Course World Championships in August 2014 placing 6th in 200 backstroke, 50 butterfly, 8th in 100 butterfly and 11th in 200 Individual Medley.
Elaine Thompson Coached from 1982-2020
We will miss your smile, love of life, encouraging ways and seeing your face every day on the pool deck. "It‘s a great life if you don’t weaken." We love you Coach Elaine!
Assistant Coach Elaine Thompson was born and raised in Orillia and has been affiliated with the Orillia Y.M.C.A. since the age of 8. It was at the ‘Y’ that she developed her love of swimming. After completing the levels of the swim program she began teaching swimming at 12 years of age. When she was old enough she completed all the life saving courses and did some life guarding as well. She left the ‘Y’ after high school to continue her studies and get married. In 1974 she returned to the ‘Y’ when her children became involved in the programs. It was here that Elaine became very interested in Synchronized Swimming as well as a program for children between the ages of 6 months and 7 years. She was involved in the Under 8s swim portion of the program for several years as well as a Synchro coach for 18 years. In 1982 when her youngest daughter, Meredith became a member of the Orillia Channel Cats swim club Elaine was asked if she would be interested in helping coach some of the younger swimmers on the team. At first she thought it would be too much as she was still heavily involved with the Synchro Club. But as fate would have it she decided to give it her best shot and has been with us over 30 years.
Elaine feels that children who participate on swim clubs develop a very good level of overall physical fitness and co-ordination, which facilitates them becoming accomplished all-round athletes. She feels that swimming is one of the best sports to condition the body‘s cardiovascular and muscular systems. Competitive swimming is a very disciplined sport that emphasizes goal setting and time management which carries over into the swimmers’ academic and social life as well as developing a child’s self esteem and self-worth. Elaine is looking forward to yet another season with The Orillia Channel Cats swim team. She is a certified Age Group Swim Coach.