Wildwood Stingrays

Coach Dan grew up near Atlanta, Georgia, where he began competitive swimming at age 12 with the Tara Tarpons, a year-round club team. By 17, he was certified as a Water Safety Instructor through the American Red Cross, teaching swimmers ages 2–15 and developing a lifelong passion for aquatics.

He continued his swimming career on scholarship at Darton College, competing at the NJCAA level and earning an 8th-place finish in the 200 Yard Backstroke at the 2006 NJCAA National Championships.

After college, Coach Dan proudly served in the United States Marine Corps, completing combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Following his military service, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University before returning to the pool deck to pursue coaching full time.

Coach Dan has coached at the collegiate, club, and school levels, including Randolph College, Lynchburg Aquatic Club, and New Covenant Schools. Now in his fourth year at Wildwood, he brings more than 25 years of experience in competitive swimming and a strong commitment to developing athletes both in and out of the water.

He and his wife, Dr. Holly Turner, have two daughters, Madelyn and Katelyn, who share the family’s love for swimming.

Coach Jesse grew up swimming in the LAL, diving into the sport at just 7 years old with FAST before moving to Hill City a few years later, where she competed through 2019. She proudly represented the Jefferson Forest Varsity Swim Team all four years of high school, an experience that led her to continue her swimming career at the University of Lynchburg from 2019–2021 — where she also met her husband.

Jesse began teaching swim lessons in 2018 at the Jamerson Family YMCA and quickly discovered her passion for helping swimmers of all ages and abilities build confidence and refine their technique. In June 2021, she stepped into USA Swimming club coaching with Lynchburg Aquatic Club (LAC), working alongside Coach Dan at Crosswhite Athletic Club under Brett Fonder and Clyde Smith.

In November 2021, Jesse began serving in the U.S. Navy Reserves as an Intelligence Specialist. After recently completing her service, she chose to focus on raising her daughter while continuing to stay active in the swimming community.

Since leaving LAC in 2024, Jesse has continued teaching swim lessons and partnering with Coach Clyde Smith (Amherst Tritons), coaching Amherst County Swim and helping launch the United Narwhals — including building a swim lesson program within the new club.

A proud mom as of September 2025 (adding that title to “dog mom” and “cat mom”), Jesse enjoys spending her free time reading, traveling, and playing video games with friends.