Head Coach Terry Heggy leading a swim practice for the SaddleBrooke Swim Club
Terese Butler
The SaddleBrooke Swim Club is proud to announce Terry Heggy as their new head coach. Heggy and his partner, Claire Guidas, are new residents to our community, arriving in March of this year from Colorado.
I asked Heggy what prompted their move to SaddleBrooke and he responded, “When Claire and I were researching active communities, we were looking for three things: a good swim team; the opportunity to make new friends; and a wide range of local activities we could enjoy. When we made our test visits to SaddleBrooke, we immediately felt welcomed and surrounded by friendly people with a real sense of community. And when we learned that the swim club was among the best in the state, we realized that we had found our new home. The opportunity to coach was merely icing on the cake.”
I then asked him what his motivation is to devote the many hours it takes to be the head coach of a swim club. Heggy responded, “Sadly, I am not motivated to devote the many hours it takes to be the head coach of a swim club. I’m quite certain that other people are better qualified than I am to do administration, politics, and general oversight, so I am grateful that this club has a board of committed and passionate people who deeply care about running the organization. What motivates me is a lifetime passion for the sport of swimming, and for doing what I can to help others feel the joy I get from being in the water.” He continued, “Swimming is a sport you can begin at any age and continue to pursue throughout your entire life. It is a skill that keeps you safe and lets you enjoy being around water. It is sensual, therapeutic, healthy, and rewarding to both our mental and physical selves. Being a swimmer has made my life better through enhanced fitness and mobility as well as through great friends and cherished social connections. I love helping other people experience those same benefits.”
When asked about his goals for the club and its swimmers, he thoughtfully responded, “My goal for swimmers is to provide an environment where each individual can experience a healthy workout in a supportive environment where they can accomplish their fitness or competitive goals while having a great time doing it. Whether it’s to merely slow down the aging process or to set records, I want to encourage each member to take advantage of what swimming has to offer.”
Heggy started coaching in 1982 and built multiple successful swim programs in Colorado before moving to Arizona. He has won the Colorado Coach of the Year award, as well as the Colorado Masters Swimming Service Award. He won his age group in the U.S. Masters Swimming 10K Open National Championship. His philosophy is that swimming should always be fun, and he loves helping people of all abilities enjoy finding their own personal success.