The team behind the team is how athletes reach their full potential.

There’s no “one size fits all” pathway to success. Whether that’s different dryland workouts, how they warm up or just figuring out what’s mentally best for them on practice and competition days.

It’s a coach’s responsibility to listen to that athlete and see what they can do to support them.

For High Performance Centre – Ontario Head Coach Ryan Mallette, this all rings true knowing each athlete has different needs.

With the success of swimmers like Josh Liendo, Summer McIntosh, Kylie Masse, Javier Acevedo and Finlay Knox, Mallette has been recognized for his work behind the scenes and awarded Swimming Canada’s 2022 Coach of the Year Award for the Olympic Program. It comes as recognition not only for the hours committed to his athletes but the success that they’ve had under his leadership.

While he is honoured to receive this year’s award, he doesn’t look at it as an individual achievement but rather a team one.

Reflecting on the 2022 season, he explains that the hard work doesn’t just come from him but all the others that support the national team program. From Swimming Canada Physical Performance Manager Johnny Fuller, to the other integrated support team staff at the centre and Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, to new Assistant Coach Rob Novak, the list goes on.

“I’m just part of the team,” explains Mallette. “I work with a group of fantastic people, so to me I think about everyone I’ve worked with this past year who has been able to make this possible.”

Being a head coach is nothing new for Mallette, whose previous base was at the High Performance Centre – Victoria, where he coached Olympic medallists Hilary Caldwell and Ryan Cochrane. He explains each athlete’s goals are different but the feeling of seeing them succeed never changes.

“The journey that each person goes through is different, and we’re at the stage now where we have enough experience that we know how to get those performances. That being said, it’s nice to see it happen. Our goals are pretty simple, it’s mainly once we reached a podium, how can we maintain and keep reaching the podium every time after that. At the same time, it’s a hard standard to maintain and some of our athletes do have to bear that burden. There’s a lot that goes in to help them maintain that status. Then for other athletes, it’s how to reach that podium for the first time ever and taking that next step. Everyone has their own journey, and it’s just fun to be a part of.”

Part of that journey for Mallette was seeing Summer McIntosh reach a double individual victory at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. The Toronto native, who made an impressive debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, continued her growth with double gold in the women’s 200-m butterfly and 400-m individual medley at worlds.

The wins come as both athlete and coach continue to flourish and work together to maintain high level performances.

“Whenever you’re coaching somebody, you’re coaching more towards times they might be able to do or certain goals. For Summer, it was nice to be able to help her achieve some of her goals last year. She’s an athlete that’s easy to work with because she’s so focused and determined. Whatever you ask of her you know she’s going to give her best to accomplish whatever it is that her coaches ask her to do. It was awesome to see her last year spread beyond the Olympics and see her be one of the best in the world.”

Mallette and the rest of the team are already looking ahead to the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan and with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games a year later. He wants to continue to get athletes on the podium for the first time, and get athletes who’ve seen international podium success repeat those accomplishments.

Mallette reiterates that while he may be at the helm of the team, he’s not alone in supporting athletes in and out of the pool.

“Coaching is never in solidarity, it’s a collaborative thing. I rely on other coaches; I rely on other athletes to help everyone get better. The more you collaborate, the more you succeed. When I think back on last year, it took a village to achieve a few of those results. Our goals for the centre are to help athletes reach podiums and maintain that reliably and repeatedly.”