OTTAWA – Swimming Canada is welcoming Michelle Killins back to the organization as its new Associate Director, Sport Development.
Killins previously served as Senior Manager, Domestic Operations from 2014 to 2017. She rejoins Swimming Canada after eight years at the Canadian Paralympic Committee, most recently as Director, Paralympic System and Services. In that role, she led initiatives in athlete services, classification, health services, safe sport, performance sciences, coaching and technical leadership, and sport development.
Killins, who assumes the new post Sept. 15, will fill the void created by Jocelyn Jay’s transition into her new position as Associate High Performance Director, Paralympic Program. She brings more than 20 years of experience in sport leadership, including extensive expertise in national sport development, strategic planning, classification and coach education.
Her tenure as a senior leader at CPC included playing a key role in the organization’s 10-year strategic plan renewal, collaborating with national and international sport partners and overseeing restructuring within her division. At Paralympic Games she has led the health services team including the provision of mental health services. She was also a member of the issues management team as the COVID Liaison Officer for the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games.
In her prior work with Swimming Canada, she oversaw coach education, updating National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) resources, long-term athlete development initiatives, and a major competition review.
As Associate Director, Sport Development, Killins will lead athlete, coach, and official development programs, oversee event hosting for domestic and international competitions, serve as the primary contact with the Coaching Association of Canada and Canada Games Council, guide Swimming Canada’s facility infrastructure advocacy and ensure integration of both Olympic and Paralympic programs.
As an athlete, Killins was a swim team captain at the University of Toronto, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology.
“It’s coming back home to my sport and to my roots a time where I can see so much growth,” Killins said. “I’m passionate about sport development and really do feel that without all the components supporting along the way – coaches educated, officials trained, properly developed athletes – you’re not going to have a solid high performance structure.”
Swimming Canada CEO Suzanne Paulins welcomed the appointment, noting Killins’ deep roots in the sport and proven leadership across the Canadian sport system.
“We’re thrilled to have Michelle come back to Swimming Canada,” said Paulins. “She brings a depth of strength and leadership that will be a tremendous asset to our organization. Her para sport knowledge and expertise in classification will be especially valuable as we continue to strengthen our integration of Olympic and Paralympic programs. Michelle’s return is an exciting step forward for our team.”