Jill Yoneda

 Jill began her swimming career at the age of 7, competing for Victoria’s local club, then named Vic-O. After completing her Bachelor of Science at the University of Western Ontario, she continued to swim but soon found a new passion as a member of the Canadian Freediving Team, going on to set 3 Canadian Records. Her best stats were holding her breath for 5 min 35 sec, swimming a total of 150 m non stop in the pool (6 lengths) and diving down 200 feet in the ocean under her own power, all while holding her breath.

Alongside coaching, Jill works full-time in Cardiology successfully integrating her love of helping people with teaching and coaching.

More recently, in her own swimming career, Jill has accomplished several remarkable extreme ocean marathon swims. She has crossed the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Canada and the United States in 10.5 hours and completed a 26-hour non-stop double crossing of Georgia Strait. She is now setting her sights on a 100-kilometer non-stop swim between Victoria and Vancouver, estimated to take 50-60 hours. Jill uses her swims as a platform to raise money and bring awareness for Canuck Place, BC children’s hospice and palliative care.

​​​​​​​ Jill is passionate about perseverance and overcoming obstacles after undergoing some 22 surgeries in her lifetime. She hopes to inspire younger swimmers by sharing her journey and you can often find her doing talks around local schools. She is excited to grow as a coach with PCS and as the new Lightening Fast Coordinator.​​​​​​