In partnership with Swimming NSW and New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS), the Hunter Academy of Sport (HAS) University of Newcastle Hub High Performance program includes athletes by invitation only. Hunter Academy of Sport (HAS), together with Swimming NSW and New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) and the University of Newcastle have developed a high-performance hub program that is targeted at pre-elite athletes within the the Hunter Region.
The Swimming High Performance Program will support the selected athletes individually with the below benefits
To be eligible for selection into the HAS Swimming High Performance program athletes must be identified and invited by Swimming NSW and New South Wales Institute of Sport based on current performance or potential performance levels.
This squad is invitation only.
Head Coach: Sander Ganzevles
Sander has an impressive background in competitive swimming, having competed at European and World Championships. After his competitive swimming career, he studied Human Movement Sciences in Amsterdam.
In 2008, Sander coached a local swimmer to the European Junior Championships, representing the Netherlands. By 2010, he began working for the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation as an embedded scientist and gradually transitioned to coaching. His involvement included serving on the staff for European Championships, World Championships, and the Olympic Games.
Sander is also pursuing a PhD project in the Netherlands, which he aims to complete by November 2024.
Following the 2016 Olympic Games, Sander moved to Germany to coach at the National Performance Centre in Heidelberg, where one of his swimmers achieved gold at the European Junior Championships.
In 2019, Sander relocated to Cairns, Australia, to take advantage of the local swim coaching environment. There, he coached the Cairns Stingrays, leading 15 swimmers to compete at junior and senior nationals.
Since October 2022, Sander has been the Head Coach for the NUSport Performance Centre with Swimming New South Wales.
Strength & Conditioning Coach: Darren Bird
The 2025 High-Performance Swimming squad is the following;
Explore a variety of scholarship opportunities available through the Hunter Academy of Sport to support athlete development and growth:
