New Brunswick swim coach takes on Paralympic leadership role
But few know who was on the sidelines coaching Dorris to those big wins.
Ryan Allen, head coach of Club de Natation Bleu et Or in Moncton, has been a member of multiple national teams, including Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Now, he's stepping into the role of national coach lead for Swimming Canada's Paralympic program.
"It's a testament to the people — the athletes, the parents, the families — that I've had the chance to be surrounded by … through my coaching career," said Allen.
Allen grew up in Hopewell Cape, about 35 kilometres south of Moncton, and he and his wife Lindsey have lived in Riverview since 2016, Swimming Canada said in a news release.
He has an education degree from Moncton's Crandall University, a kinesiology degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland, and an advanced coaching diploma and certificate of high performance coaching and technical leadership from the University of British Columbia.
He is also working toward his high-performance coaching masters at UBC.
Allen was Swimming Canada's Paralympic program coach of the year for 2023.
His introduction to para swimming was in Grade 11, he said, when he was asked by his swimming coach if he would work with a young man with Down syndrome, Jonathan Henry.
Allen said he owes so much to that experience because it challenged him in a new way.
"I learned it my way, as a 16-year-old, and then, well, Jonathan has his way, and I had to kind of figure it out on the fly."
During university, he decided to try coaching before moving back home to pursue an education degree and coach at Club de Natation Bleu et Or because of Henry.
A year later, Allen said Swimming Canada approached him because Dorris's family was moving to Moncton, and they knew Allen was interested in working with para-athletes.
Allen said the job posting for the national coach lead went out just before Christmas, and he mulled over applying with his close circle before deciding to go for it.
"I had to at least put myself out there and obviously it was successful," he said. "And this was in a way for me to, you know, pursue a career in sport in some different way that allows me to still stay home, you know, have my family here with me without having to move elsewhere."
Allen said his role will be guiding the technical and cultural direction of the national program, while also supporting coaches, athletes and staff across the country.
He said the athletes he coaches have been incredibly supportive of his new role, including Danielle Dorris.
"Just the other night, I got an email from an 11-year-old on our team, you know ... just a big congratulations on this role," Allen said.
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