Neil Wright, south.eastern.aquatics@gmail.com
Neil began his age-group swimming in Belgium with the SHAPE Seals in the early 1980s (qualifying for the European Forces Swim League Championships as a 13-year-old). Eventually he moved to Sturtevant and swam competitively for SEA in the mid- to late-eighties where he was a YMCA National qualifier. Neil swam with the local high school swim team at J.I. Case where he was a four year varsity swimmer, state qualifier, and team captain.
After graduating high school, Neil spent the next eight years with the United States Army Reserve based out of Fort Sheridan, Illinois. During that time he completed a BA in Language Arts at the University Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha.
Neil has been an active coaching member of SEA since 1990 and has served as Head Coach since 1998. He has also coached at all three Racine high schools at one time or another - most recently as Head Coach of the Washington Park Girls' High School team back in 1998 (during the 1997 season Neil was voted Racine County Coach of the Year).
Along with a dedicated coaching staff and a committed parent board Neil has lead SEA to numerous top ten finishes at USA State meets, D2 Team Championship in the summer of 2014, many top three team finishes at YMCA State, and to date a team best 18th place finish at Spring YMCA Nationals in 2003. He has coached swimmers at all levels, from learn-to-swim to US Olympic Trials to tri-athletes and Master swimmers.
Philosophically, he leads by example and believes what swimmers and parents put into the team is what they get out of the team. The more they put in, the more they get out.
Neil has served on the Board of Directors for the WI LSC in the capacity as Secretary and Age-Group Chair. He has also filled roles within the LSC as Open Water Chair, Coaches Rep. and has served as a Zone Coach numerous times - most recently in 2024.
In his free time Neil enjoys spending time with his family, working around and on the house, playing guitar, reading, listening to music (Rush, The Cure, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Dawes to name a few), and traveling.
Joanna Caro
Joanna grew up in Racine, Wisconsin where she started taking swim lessons at the age of three at her local YMCA. She continued swimming throughout her childhood and joined SEA for two years.
Even though she didn’t continue her swimming career in high school, she started teaching swim lessons at the YMCA when she was 15. Teaching and coaching helps her stay connected with the swimming community and is her way of giving back.
She is currently studying at Carthage College, pursuing a major in psychology as well as a major in criminal justice. Aside from being a student, she enjoys weight lifting, playing the violin, and going on trips with her family.
Parker Palermo
Steve Waite
Kelli Steenrod
Charlie Staniger
