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About Us

The Atlanta Rainbow Trout swim team began with 9 swimmers who returned from the 1995 International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics (IGLA) Championships in Montreal with the small team trophy. Our first practice was at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, the site of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. To this day, we still practice in that pool!

Dive into a welcoming and supportive aquatics community. Join Atlanta Rainbow Trout today!

Become a Member

Our Coaches

One of the things that makes the Trout so great is our coaches! Learn more about our coaching staff below.

Swim Coach since 2000

Jason Heslep

"No matter how slow you go, you are still lapping everybody on the couch" –Anonymous.

Jason always tells his swimmers, the first step to becoming healthier, stronger, or faster is just showing up to practice. YOU GOT THIS.

Swim Coach since 2021

Mary Reynolds

Mary's goals for the team are to provide fun and engaging workouts and to keep everyone swimming at their best!

Swim Coach since 2021

Adam McKenzie

Adam wants to help the team grow by providing more opportunities for members to achieve their goals. "I have heard people say they joined masters to: run a triathlon, get in shape, get faster at swimming, cross train, learn to swim, learn more strokes, and even for social aspects. I understand all of those reasons and believe I can cater to all of those people."

Swim Coach since 2023

Andrea Knight

Andrea joined the Trout in 2023. She puts a strong emphasis on technique during her practices and has helped train both kids and adults to become stronger swimmers. In the summer, she's a team captain for Grown Up Swimming (GUS). Ask her more about joining the Trout GUS team in the summer!

Swim Coach since 2025

Asher Anderson

A Georgia native and Georgia Tech Alumni, Asher joined the Atlanta Rainbow Trout in 2024. As an experienced swim instructor, Asher hopes to make swim practices engaging, goal-focused, and fun for every skill level.

Swim Coach since 2025

Virginia Schneider

Virginia is an Arkansas native who has been swimming competitively since she was 4 years old. She swam at Rhodes College, where she earned a BA in political science. Virginia is now finishing a PhD in Public Management and Policy at GSU and is excited to be involved with coaching and swimming again. Virginia loves coaching swimmers of all levels, and emphasizes technique and fun in her practices.

Polo Coach since 2024

Jerrick Neu

Jerrick is an Atlanta native who has played water polo since high school. He played and coached at Auburn where he received a bachelors and masters degree. Jerrick brings a lot of water polo experience to the team as well as a passion for the sport. When not coaching for us, he coaches for a local high school team. Although he is experienced at coaching a range of players, he especially loves working with new players and watching them grow in the sport.

Polo Coach since 2024

Kyle Smith

Kyle is an Atlanta native who has played since college. He both played and coached at UGA while at school there and he has coached local high school boys teams since 2017. He is also a certified water polo ref and is well versed at coaching new and experienced players. Kyle has been with ART for over a decade and is passionate about both ART and water polo.

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Polo Coach since 2022

Chris Ashley

Chris is from Maryland originally and has been playing water polo since high school. He both played and coached while attending college at JMU. He's been a coach for Rainbow Trout for several years now and was previously our water polo director. Chris is passionate about the sport and is always happy to answer questions!

Our Inclusive Community

At Atlanta Rainbow Trout, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse community where everyone feels valued and respected. Join us in creating a positive and supportive environment for all. We abide by the Code of Conduct and Mission Statement provided.

Code of Conduct

As an athlete, I will aspire to participate in my sport to the best of my ability and abide by the rules established by the national governing body for my sport; United States Masters Swimming, Inc., USA Water Polo, Inc, and/or USA Triathlon, Inc.

As a member of the Atlanta Rainbow Trout (ART), I:

Acknowledge that I am participating on this team for enjoyment;
Will maintain a positive image of myself and my team;
Acknowledge that I am a guest at team events and practice venues;
Will follow all safety guidelines of ART host facilities;
Will demonstrate positive verbal and physical behavior;
Will treat all those involved in ART activities and external competition with dignity and respect;
Understand that disrespectful, threatening, and violent behavior, including speech, is not tolerated by ART;
Understand that ART prohibits any form (written, verbal, physical, or visual, such as photos or videos) of harassment or discrimination based on a protected class; Understand that I must refrain from behavior that might be viewed as offensive or inappropriate by ART and its hosts;
Agree to tell the truth when reporting a violation of the Code of Conduct/Ethics or sharing knowledge about another person's involvement in a violation;
Will report all complaints to the president or the applicable sport director knowing that my report will be kept in confidence.

I understand violating the Code of Conduct/Ethics will lead to disciplinary action, including removal from the team.

Mission Statement

Mission

The Atlanta Rainbow Trout mission is to provide a supportive, welcoming, and open space for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and our allies to foster our athletic abilities for swimming, water polo, and triathlon and support our health, and well being.

Inclusion

We embrace diversity in not just sexual orientation, but in skill, body type, age (18+), gender, and race. We strive to provide an encouraging environment for amateur athletes of all abilities and through our coaching, help them reach their full potential. Atlanta Rainbow Trout does not discriminate nor disrespect in any form. All are welcome.

Connection

The ART provides coached workouts for amateur athletes who represent the diversity of our community, as well as social activities and competitive events that support fitness and comradery among our members. We show our true colors through our attendance in swimming meets, water polo tournaments, and triathlon events.