About Us
About Us
Our Story
At Ascend Swimming, we are dedicated to creating a positive and nurturing swimming community where every child feels empowered, supported, and confident in the water. Our mission goes beyond simply teaching strokes — it’s about building character, resilience, and self belief.
Since our establishment, Ascend has grown rapidly to over 100 active swimmers, training across multiple locations in Sydney, including Top Ryde, Granville, and St Joseph’s College. We pride ourselves on offering a structured pathway from Learn to Swim to elite competition, giving children of all ages and abilities the chance to progress within a professional, caring environment.
Our swimmers have already achieved remarkable results. Within our first year, multiple Ascend athletes medalled at the NSW PSSA State Championships and set personal bests that placed them among the fastest in their age groups nationally. These achievements reflect both the hard work of our swimmers and the experience of our coaching team.
Our Story
At Ascend Swimming, we are dedicated to creating a positive and nurturing swimming community where every child feels empowered, supported, and confident in the water. Our mission goes beyond simply teaching strokes — it’s about building character, resilience, and self belief.
Since our establishment, Ascend has grown rapidly to over 100 active swimmers, training across multiple locations in Sydney, including Top Ryde, Granville, and St Joseph’s College. We pride ourselves on offering a structured pathway from Learn to Swim to elite competition, giving children of all ages and abilities the chance to progress within a professional, caring environment.
Our swimmers have already achieved remarkable results. Within our first year, multiple Ascend athletes medalled at the NSW PSSA State Championships and set personal bests that placed them among the fastest in their age groups nationally. These achievements reflect both the hard work of our swimmers and the experience of our coaching team.
Our Founder
Cooper Virgo – Founder & Head Coach
Cooper Virgo, a former national-level swimmer and scholarship athlete at Trinity Grammar, established Ascend Swimming to share his passion for high-performance swimming and athlete development.
Swimming Background:
National finalist & multi-time NSW State Medalist
Trained at elite level from the age of 12
Recipient of a swimming scholarship at Trinity Grammar, training up to 11 times per week
Coaching Credentials:
Accredited Foundation Squad Coach (Swimming Australia)
Licensed in First Aid & CPR
Working With Children Check cleared
Years of experience coaching at both Learn to Swim and Squad levels
Cooper brings a results-driven yet supportive coaching philosophy: teaching correct technique from the beginning, fostering discipline, and creating an environment where swimmers grow in confidence as well as performance.
Our Coaches
The strength of Ascend lies in its team of dedicated coaches. Every member of our coaching team has both personal experience competing at a state or national level and years of professional teaching and coaching experience. Together, they have taught and guided thousands of students — from toddlers taking their first strokes to athletes racing at state championships.
Our Founder
Cooper Virgo – Founder & Head Coach
Cooper Virgo, a former national-level swimmer and scholarship athlete at Trinity Grammar, established Ascend Swimming to share his passion for high-performance swimming and athlete development.
Swimming Background:
National finalist & multi-time NSW State Medalist
Trained at elite level from the age of 12
Recipient of a swimming scholarship at Trinity Grammar, training up to 11 times per week
Coaching Credentials:
Accredited Foundation Squad Coach (Swimming Australia)
Licensed in First Aid & CPR
Working With Children Check cleared
Years of experience coaching at both Learn to Swim and Squad levels
Cooper brings a results-driven yet supportive coaching philosophy: teaching correct technique from the beginning, fostering discipline, and creating an environment where swimmers grow in confidence as well as performance.
Our Coaches
The strength of Ascend lies in its team of dedicated coaches. Every member of our coaching team has both personal experience competing at a state or national level and years of professional teaching and coaching experience. Together, they have taught and guided thousands of students — from toddlers taking their first strokes to athletes racing at state championships.