Hi! My name is Rita Garas.I have been passionate about sports since I was three, exploring sports such as, speed swimming, ballet, tennis, taekwondo, and gymnastics, until I accidentally landed in artistic swimming at six, a sport that quickly became my lifelong passion. I competed in high-performance and national streams throughout my career in Manitoba, Canada, and internationally.

As a coach, I have guided athletes at all levels, from recreational and novice teams to provincial streams, before fully dedicating myself to high-performance coaching, which is where my true passion lies. I love challenging myself and designing routines that push my athletes while making them feel powerful and confident in the water.

I am deeply committed to the mental health and psychological well-being of my athletes. I integrate principles of sport psychology into my coaching to help swimmers manage pressure, stay motivated, and develop resilience both in and out of the pool.

In addition to coaching, I am a Level 1 certified judge and am eager to continue growing my judging career alongside my coaching. I am also Comp Intro and Comp Dev trained.

My coaching philosophy is to combine skill, artistry, and mental strength to help athletes achieve excellence while fostering confidence, teamwork, and a lifelong love for artistic swimming.