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 TEAM 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 from 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 of 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 group, Neil has led 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 triathletes and Master swimmers.
Philosophically, he leads by example and believes that 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 of 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 summer of 2025.
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, Sam Fender, to name a few), and traveling.
Joanna Caro
Joanna grew up in Racine, Wisconsin, where she began taking swim lessons at the age of three at her local YMCA. She continued swimming throughout her childhood and spent a few years with SEA before high school, building a strong connection to the sport early on.
She began her professional work in aquatics in early 2020, teaching swim lessons at the YMCA and developing experience working with swimmers of all ages and comfort levels. In late 2021, Joanna joined SEA as an age-group coach, where she has worked closely with young athletes on building fundamentals, confidence, and a love for the sport. During her time with SEA, she has helped guide several age-group swimmers to state titles and championship-level performances, something she takes great pride in.
In 2025, Joanna took on the role of Head Coach for the RUSD Co-op Girls Swimming & Dive Team. In this position, she leads high school athletes through their season, focusing on teamwork, accountability, and consistent growth—both in and out of the pool. Her coaching style centers on encouragement, steady improvement, and helping athletes understand the value of the work they put in.
Outside of coaching, Joanna is pursuing a nursing degree with plans to become a pediatric RN, hoping to continue working with kids in a meaningful way. In her free time, she enjoys weightlifting, playing the violin, and traveling with her family.
Parker Palermo
Parker grew up in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and began swimming at the age of 13, inspired by his older sister who was also a swimmer. He went on to swim for five years total, spending three years with Team SEA and four years competing for Indian Trail High School, where he developed a strong foundation in the sport and a passion for team competition.
He began his coaching career in 2021 as an assistant coach with Indian Trail High School and joined Team SEA in early 2022 as an assistant coach for the Bronze and Senior groups. In these roles, Parker has worked closely with athletes at different stages of development, helping them build technique, confidence, and consistency in the water.
Currently, Parker serves as an assistant coach for Team SEA and the head coach for the Indian Trail Girls Swim Team. He is committed to creating a positive and supportive environment where athletes can grow, work hard, and enjoy the process of improving both as swimmers and teammates.
Outside of coaching, Parker is pursuing an associate’s degree in finance, with plans to continue on toward a bachelor’s degree.
Kelli Steenrod
Kelli Steenrod (Klepel) got her swimming start as a five-year-old on Team SEA in Racine. As an age-group swimmer she podiumed at regional, state, and zone level meets setting multiple team records in both relay and individual events.
While swimming for J.I. Case High School, Kelli was a four-year WIAA State qualifier in breaststroke, IM, and sprint freestyle events, four-year Most Valuable Swimmer, and a member of several Racine City-Record relay teams (her favorite events!).
Kelli went on to swim collegiately while earning a dual degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Carthage College. As a Lady Red she picked up multiple top three CCIW Conference finishes, Academic All-American, a school record, and her husband Andy who swam for the Red Men. After graduation, Kelli competed through U.S. Masters Swimming and still swims for fun a few times each week.
Kelli’s swim instruction experience started as a teenager when she coached the Racine Country Club Swim Team and taught private and group swim lessons for seven seasons. She then coached a local Masters Team for ten years while giving private lessons to new and emerging youth and adult swimmers and triathletes.
Today, when Kelli’s not at her day job as the Academy Coach at the Academies of Racine-Park, she coaches Team SEA’s Silver group and enjoys watching all SEA swimmers make friends, work hard, and have fun at the pool . She is also an active USA Swimming Official and mom of three boys who love swimming with SEA!
Ben Keller
Ben Keller is a lifelong swimmer from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, with 17 years of competitive swimming experience. He grew up swimming for Ozaukee Aquatics. Ben recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire with a degree in Physical Education, where he had a standout collegiate swimming career. During his time at Eau Claire, he held multiple school and conference records in the 400 IM, 1000 freestyle, and the mile, and earned honors including Conference Swimmer of the Meet and the Hardest Worker Award, reflecting both his performance and dedication.
Ben currently works as a Physical Education teacher at Wadewitz Elementary School in Racine, combining his passion for teaching with his athletic background. He has coaching experience at multiple levels, including one year with Ozaukee Aquatics, two years with YCV (Eau Claire YMCA), and the past two summers working with Stanford University. Ben is now the lead coach for the Silver Training Group and also assists with the Seniors, where he focuses on athlete development, technique refinement, and fostering a positive, hard-working team environment.
Steve Waite
Steve was born in Ohio, and began Red Cross swim lessons at age 2. By the age of four, he began to compete in the 8 and under class. Steve’s family moved to Colorado Springs when he was 8 where he continued to compete for the local YMCA team. During his time in Colorado Springs, he competed in all strokes and all events, and became one of the top swimmers in the city, winning the annual Pentathlon meet. The family moved again for Steve’s freshman year of High School and then moved to Kenosha in sophmore year. Steve swam for Bradford for three years, and then swam for UW-Milwuakee. He began teaching young swimmers at the age of 12, and started coaching at the age of 20 for a Kenosha team. After a break from coaching to begin an IT career, Steve connected with Coach Neil and began to work with SEA. Four years ago, Steve started as an assistant coach for Prairie High School where he continues to support both the girls and boys program. As a lifelong swimmer, he enjoys helping swimmers advance their skill and achieve their goals.
