Meet our Guides
Meet the fantastic team of guides who bring your SwimTrek experience to life.
Angelos Symeonidis
Swim History Before SwimTrek
The journey started in 1990 , learning, competitive, teaching in many areas in Greece ,enjoing .....and still going.
Most Memorable Swim Moment
Being a child ....playing and swimming with in the sea my siblings and cousins at Profitis Ilias beach house.
Top Swimming Tip
Relax and enjoy
Interesting Fact About You
calm and happy
Finn McGeever
Swim History Before SwimTrek
15 years of competitive swimming experience. I am a Tokyo 2021 Olympic Swimmer, my team obtained a qualification position for the Tokyo 2021 Olympics by placing top 16th in the world as well as placing 5th in the European Final. Placed 6th in the World in the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle in the World SC Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi in 2021.
Placed 7th in Europe in the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle in the European Swimming Championships in Serbia in 2024. I have one current Irish Senior Record in the Men's 4x200m Freestyle relay and one Prior Irish Senior Record in the Men's 400m Freestyle along with Two Irish Junior Records in the Men's 4x200m Freestyle relay and the Men's 4x50 Medley Relay!
Most Memorable Swim Moment
Representing Ireland at the Tokyo Olympic Games!
Top Swimming Tip
Your body should be a narrow tube going through water. Anything outside of that narrow tube causes resistance so make it count!
Interesting Fact About You
I enjoy cliff jumping and freediving
Hamish Newton
Swim History Before SwimTrek
I've been in the water for as long as I can remember. Swimming competitively in the pool and racing in Surf Life Saving carnivals and triathlons in my childhood. As a beach lifeguard, I'm in the ocean every shift, either swimming or out on a board. The water's my second home.
Most Memorable Swim Moment
Swimming at Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Crystal-clear water, white sand, and colourful marine life beneath me. It's one of those places that makes every stroke unforgettable.
Top Swimming Tip
Slow it down, soak it up. Open water swimming isn't just about distance or speed. It’s about enjoying the experience and the environment around you.
Interesting Fact About You
In 2023, I completed a 7,000km solo road trip following the Australian coastline line from Brisbane to Perth. I made it my mission to swim in every single coastal town I stopped in. Swimming in the Pacific, Southern, and Indian Oceans, all within the space of a couple of 2 weeks!
Poppy Morrison
Swim History Before SwimTrek
I started pool swimming in my early childhood, going to swimming lessons and competing in school comps. I moved from the pool to the ocean at the age of seven, when i started competing in swimming as a junior lifesaver (Nippers) in Victoria, Australia. This instilled in me a deep love of the ocean, and I have spent every summer since developing my ocean swimming skills and gaining lifesaving qualifications. I am now the Chief Instructor at my local surf club, and spend my time training young lifesavers in everything from Advanced Resuscitation Techniques and Bronze Medallions, to Inflatable Rescue Boat courses. I also love to swim the Pier to Pub, which is one of the largest open water swimming events in Australia. Although, rather than swimming it this year, I spent the day in a boat providing water safety for the event.
Most Memorable Swim
Seeing a turtle whilst free diving off a little island called Orpheus Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Top Swimming Tip
Speed doesn’t always equal better swimming. It’s ok to take things slow, relax and enjoy being in the water!
Interesting Fact About you
I tried to teach my dog how to surf when she was a puppy… she got as far as standing on a boogie board in the bath tub.
Philip Smith
Swim History Before SwimTrek
I have been sea swimming for 30 years when I first moved to Cornwall. I have participated in numerous triathlons and swim runs mainly in and around the UK. I regularly swim in the sea, all year round whether for pleasure along the Cornish coastline, training during RNLI beach lifeguard days or rescuing bathers caught in rips!
Most Memorable Swim
Swimming in the sea in Indonesia just off Nusa Lembongan
Top Swimming Tip
Float to live. If ever you find yourself in difficulty float on your back, relax, conserve energy and signal for help.
Interesting Fact About You
I have swam with dolphins off the coast of the North coast of Cornwall.
Jaime Duarte
Swim History Before SwimTrek
I am a nature guide and marine biologist with over ten years of experience in Baja California Sur. I was born in Mexico City, and my first contact with water was in a swimming pool, but the ocean quickly captured my heart. I enjoy outdoor activities, as: camping, hiking, kayaking, bodyboarding, SUP and all activities that connect me with nature.
Most Memorable Swim Moment
The Gulf of California has been my greatest classroom, where I have witnessed amazing marine life encounters. These moments of wonder remind me of the importance of conservation and motivate me to create experiences that connect people with the ocean.
Top Swimming Tip
I thrive in the sea, swimming alongside marine life. Every adventure I lead combines safety, professionalism, and the warmth of Mexican hospitality. Being a man passionate about the sea allows me to inspire others, sharing the beauty and richness of the ocean with confidence and passion.
Interesting Fact
Once I get into the ocean it’s hard to get me out!
Rusty Steel
Swim History Before SwimTrek
I have been swimming for about 10 years - this is mainly with friends, we meet up 3-4 times a week and swim round the pier in Brighton. With my work I get to travel around the world a lot and try to ensure I get to swim regularly either in a pool or preferably in the sea. I also work with the Surf Life Saving club in Brighton working with the kids and adults there to build their confidence in the sea.
Most memorable swim moment
One of my most unforgettable experiences was swimming on the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns. Surrounded by crystal-clear water and vibrant coral gardens. It remains one of the best swims of my life.
Top swimming tip
Tuck your chin in while swimming (look down)
Interesting fact about me
I own some land in Portugal that i hope to build on and retire to
Nicolie Chaffe
Swim History Before SwimTrek
Triple Crown swimmer: English Channel, 20 Bridges and Catalina Channel solos. Robben Island swim. Solent swim to Isle of Wight. One and two-way Windermere, Ullwater and Coniston lakes.
Most Memorable Swim
I loved swimming through Durdle Door.
Top Swimming Tip
Put suntan cream on your face a good hour plus before going swimming, so it properly soaks into your skin protecting you and not getting into your eyes when you're in the water.
Interesting Fact About You
I like playing card games. Crispy fried duck pancakes are my favourite Chinese takeaway.
Barry O'Toole
Swim History Before SwimTrek
I have been training Guide Dogs in London for the past 16 years. I love this field of work and I am also a quailed Vision and Rehabilitation Specialist. I have recently volunteered at a sight saving NGO in Ethiopia.
Other interesting jobs along the way are working as a veterinary nurse in both Hawaii and Australia. Walking dogs around the beaches of Hawaii for exercise was pretty cool.
Most Memorable Swim Moment
Been airlifted out of the ocean by a helicopter in New Zealand...it's a story to be told over a beer.
Top Swimming Tip
The cliche of 'You never regret a swim'. What a great mantra as I have never regretted a swim.
Interesting Fact About you
I am obsessed with fragrances and smell and I would say I am obsessed with Africa too. In 2025 I done an overland African trip across Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Lauren Elder
Swim History Before SwimTrek
My swimming journey began early through Surf Life Saving Australia’s Nippers program at the age of four, followed by years of competitive swimming throughout primary school and my teens, with freestyle (front crawl) and backstroke as my preferred strokes.As an adult, I continued with surf lifesaving — qualifying as a Bronze Medallion instructor and serving as a Patrol Captain at Manly Beach, one of Sydney’s busiest and most iconic beaches. Teaching others, leading patrols, and supporting people in the water became a natural extension of my love of the ocean.
Most Memorable Swim Moment
Completing the Hellespont crossing in Turkey with SwimTrek in 2023. Swimming from Europe to Asia alongside people who had travelled from all over the world felt incredibly special — a shared sense of anticipation, respect for the history of the crossing, and excitement all rolled into one unforgettable swim. I remember the crossing vividly, but what stays with me most is the finish: music playing, people cheering from the shore, and the celebration afterwards. It was a powerful reminder that while swimming can feel like a solo pursuit in the water, it’s never really solo. It’s the people you swim alongside, the support crew guiding you, and the shared moments before and after that make these experiences so meaningful and memorable.
Top Swimming Tip
Pace yourself from the start and swim within your comfort zone. A relaxed, steady swim is always more enjoyable and you'll often finish feeling stronger than if you push too hard at the beginning.
Interesting Fact About You
In 2025, I was delighted to win SwimTrek’s Photo of the Year competition for an underwater photo taken on the Ionian Explorer trip. I love capturing moments underwater — so feel free to let me know if you’d like me to snap some underwater shots of you!
Click to view profile
Click to view profile
Click to view profile
Click to view profile
Click to view profile
Click to view profile
Click to view profile
Click to view profile
Click to view profile
Click to view profile