2020 Masters Award Winner for Excellence in Coaching

“My role is to create an environment where swimmers feel supported to achieve their goals, whether competitive or not. Some enjoy the social aspect of it, some are interested in their health and others are looking to win a medal at the World Championships.” - Gaël Chaubet

By David Grossman

Gaël Chaubet has nothing to prove.

He is a success story in many ways, and owns an assortment of triumphs and prosperity. Well educated, respected and cherished by many, Chaubet always seems to find a way to offer up his time to assist others.

Born in Taipei, he came to Canada with his family as a six-year old. Not long after settling in Longueil, Quebec, Chaubet almost drowned in a local pool. His brother and sister had successfully completed swimming a width of the Piscine Olympia, he tried to follow the lead of his siblings, experienced difficulty, and a lifeguard came to his rescue. It would take him awhile to get over that trauma and, for a time, whenever he was in deep water, Chaubet would always be close buddies with a life jacket.

Later in life, his relationship with the water improved dramatically.

Chaubet became obsessed with swimming, and became his high school Athlete of the Year and a five-time Quebec record-holder. He would go on to be among 30 very talented individuals, from across Canada, invited to a national training camp in Victoria, B.C.

One of his favorite memories in water, was the time he attended the University of Toronto. Calling it a “life-changing moment”, he was on the reputable varsity team and, as a rookie, was a member that year of the Canadian university championship team. Chaubet was then at the early stages of his post-secondary success and would go on to swim on freestyle relay teams that dominated competition during his varsity career; winning gold medals in five consecutive Ontario University Athletics (OUA) swim championships.

“Those were some great times – swimming at U of T, winning medals, getting a great education, meeting wonderful people and dealing with the challenge of learning English,” said Chaubet, who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Kinesiology with academic honors.

Esteemed Canadian swim coach Byron MacDonald, who has coached at the U of T for more than four decades, helped swimmers improve at the sport, pile up dozens of honors. MacDonald and remembers his early contact with Chaubet.

“He contacted me, we spoke, I liked what I had heard and encouraged him to come (to U of T),” said MacDonald, considered to be the winningest coach, combining Conference and National championships, in the history of all Canadian university sport. “I really liked his positive attitude, he worked very hard, became a very good swimmer and a great role model for the team.”

An all-Canadian and five-time OUA all-star, Chaubet was a member of 10 OUA gold-medal winning relay teams and earned two silver medals and one bronze medal in the 200-metre freestyle, while also placing third in the 100-metre butterfly in 2018.

Chaubet won the R. Tait McKenzie Society academic award in his last year as an undergrad, and is now furthering his education going after a Masters Degree in Exercise Science. While his own competitive swimming may no longer be the priority, having used up his university eligibility, he has a craving for coaching with a strong desire to enhance the swimming experience of others.

Looking for a job, Chaubet could signed on for a lifeguard posting but he wanted something more challenging. He learned of a coaching job available with the Downtown Swim Club and then embraced the opportunity to gain new experience. It’s a Masters swim club that was launched in the late 80’s and provides “a welcoming environment in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, straight friendly communities for swimming activities”.

An effective leader, building on principles of honesty and integrity, Chaubet was offered the job. His only previous coaching gig was, as a 14-year old, teaching youngsters to swim at Natation Elite Longueil.

Chaubet has thoroughly enjoyed the coaching opportunity with Toronto’s LGBTQ2S and Allies Swim Club.

“The job is great and I am thrilled to coach at a place where everyone is accepted and welcome,” said Chaubet. “When I do things, there is a purpose – it’s learning and education in water. I find that adults are more receptive, you say something and they get it.

“My role is to create an environment where swimmers feel supported to achieve their goals, whether competitive or not. Some enjoy the social aspect of it, some are interested in their health and others are looking to win a medal at the World Championships. The challenge is to create workouts that are beneficial for all, while also making sure I can be flexible and adapt to different needs.”

To his surprise, he was bestowed the 2020 Swimming Canada Masters Award for Excellence in Coaching. It was a reward for successfully motivating and encouraging his swimmers inside and outside of the pool. After finding out that he was the winner of the award, one that promotes diversity, inclusion and acceptance, Chaubet was initially at a loss for words.

“I was surprised that such an award existed for masters coaching – and I didn’t feel that I deserved it,” he said. “Getting it was a great feeling. It’s very special to me. I want people to know that I wasn’t trying for anything like that. I was given a (coaching) job and, like everything, I just go out and do my best.”

John McIntyre is a masters swimmer who speaks highly of Chaubet.

“He’s a genuine individual, an exceptional coach and was a huge factor for me getting to the World Masters Swim Championships in South Korea in 2019,” said McIntyre who, along with Andy Sinclair, is co-chair the Downtown Swim Club. “You could say that I’m his boss and he’s my coach.”

Chaubet has been with the Downtown Swim Club for three years, and it was his new ideas and positive approach that acclaimed him for the job.

“The first time I met him, he gave me advice in five minutes,” said McIntyre. “He interacts and engages with people very well – and is just a special person. We were thrilled when he got accepted at U of T for his Masters degree program – because we knew he’d stay with us longer.”

David Grossman is a veteran award-winning Journalist, Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 45+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations.