Tracy was raised in the small South Waikato town of Tokoroa and began competitive swimming at the age of eight. By her own admission, she was far from a standout youth or age-group swimmer. Her journey through the sport was built much more on persistence, hard work, and stubborn determination than natural talent — something that continues to strongly influence the way she coaches today..

At 19, after taking a year away from swimming, Tracy decided to return to the sport and give it a proper crack, setting herself the ambitious goal of making the Olympic Games. Over the following seven years, she competed at New Zealand National Champs, Australian State Championships, Oceania Champs, World Short Course and Long Course Champs, and numerous international events. In 2016, she achieved her goal and represented the Cook Islands at the Rio Olympic Games.

Tracy began coaching at the age of 19 alongside her own competitive swimming career and has since worked across almost every level of the swimming pathway. She has taught babies and learn-to-swim programmes, coached junior and age-group swimmers, national-level athletes, performance swimmers, and masters.

Her involvement in swimming extends well beyond her role on pool deck. Tracy is involved with the Swimming New Zealand National Youth Programme, supporting the development and delivery of initiatives designed to better connect and support talented young swimmers, their coaches, and clubs across New Zealand. She also serves on the board of Swim Coaches and Teachers New Zealand and is passionate about coach development, creating opportunities for coaches to connect, share knowledge, and strengthen the swimming community.

Tracy holds a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science and a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Exercise Physiology. Her background in sport science, strength and conditioning, athlete development, and her own experiences as an international athlete all influence the way she approaches coaching.

Alongside her role at Kiwi West Aquatics, Tracy coaches strength and conditioning classes and youth development programmes at Studio X. She particularly enjoys working with young athletes to build strong movement foundations, confidence, physical literacy, and an understanding of how strength training can support both sporting performance and long-term health.

As a coach, Tracy is organised, driven, and not particularly good at sitting still. She is naturally more introverted and would happily avoid being the centre of attention, despite regularly finding herself presenting workshops, coaching large groups, organising events, and taking on new projects.

She believes strongly in creating environments where athletes are challenged but also know that their coaches genuinely care about them as people. Tracy has high expectations of her swimmers and encourages them to be accountable, communicate openly, ask questions, and take ownership of their development.

Her coaching philosophy goes beyond producing faster swimmers. Tracy wants athletes to develop confidence, resilience, discipline, independence, and a genuine connection to the sport. She believes success in swimming can look different for every person and at different stages of their life — from learning new skills and making friends, to competing at national and international level, swimming for fitness, returning to the sport as an adult, competing in masters swimming, becoming a coach, or simply continuing to enjoy being in the water.

Tracy believes a successful swimming programme should provide opportunities for people to continue participating in the sport as their goals, circumstances, and lives change. Her aim is to build a culture where swimmers feel connected to their club, their teammates, and the wider swimming community, and where there is always a place for people who want to continue challenging themselves, staying active, and enjoying the sport.

Outside of work, Tracy is married to Ramone, who serves in the New Zealand Defence Force, and they are proud parents to their young son. Their family also includes two dogs and a cat, ensuring life is rarely quiet.

Sport and physical activity continue to be a big part of Tracy’s life. She enjoys strength training, swimming, playing football, running, and signing herself up for sporting events and challenges that seem like a good idea at the time. She enjoys trying new things, spontaneous adventures with friends, and finding opportunities to push herself outside her comfort zone.

When she does slow down, Tracy enjoys watching football, spending time with her family, and a good hot chocolate — coffee is definitely not her thing.

Tracy is excited to continue leading Kiwi West Aquatics and helping build a strong, connected club culture with clear pathways and opportunities for swimmers of all ages and abilities. Whether someone wants to learn, compete, pursue high performance, swim for fitness, return to the sport later in life, or simply enjoy being part of a team, Tracy wants Kiwi West Aquatics to be a place where people feel supported to continue swimming and stay connected to the sport.

Above all, Tracy hopes to help build a programme where swimmers enjoy the journey, are proud to belong, continue to challenge themselves, and develop a relationship with swimming that can last a lifetime.