Sara Roberts
Aquatics Program Executive

As the Aquatics Program Executive, I have the privilege to work with all the parents and swimmers. I work with the families to understand what it is like to be on a Y Swim Team. I work with our Head Coach and Assistant Coaches to make sure we are providing the most positive swimming environment. Swim Team has always been a passion of mine. I have been involved in aquatics programming for more than 18 years from life guarding to teaching lessons and coaching. The YMCA program is a great place for families, and swimmers can be involved year round. It is just amazing to watch our swimmers grow in skill and maturity in the YMCA Swim Team program.

Back To Top >

Kimberley Furbush
Head Swim Team Coach

I swam competitively for many years, first with the Gainesville, GA Swim Team and then with the Starlit Swim Team in Northern VA, competing for at least 3 years at the national level. I started coaching my neighborhood league team at age 14 and continued until going away to college. I began teaching swimming at Walnut Creek YMCA in 1994 and after 2 years was asked to start the Walnut Creek Y Dolphins Swim Team, in 1996. We started with 13 kids and grew to over 100 swimmers within 3 years, improving and becoming more successful each year. In the last 3 years, more than 75% of our swimmers have qualified for the State Championship Meet. I enjoy watching and helping each swimmer grow in skill, confidence, and individuality.

Back To Top >

LeAnn Williamsen
Wavemakers Head Coach
Swim Team Coach

Hello! This will be my fifth year with Walnut Creek, and I am excited to be back. I have been swimming off and on since I was six. In high school I swam all four years, and much as I loved the swimming aspect, I also loved the team camaraderie and the ability to work towards goals that came along with it. While I haven't been on a team in a while, I spend my time training for various races throughout town, my latest being the Hy-vee Triathlon. I have been coaching teams since high school and have taught lessons in one form or another for as long as I remember. I am involved in the Wavemakers program here at the Y and love to see my little swimmers graduate to team status. When I'm not at the Y, I teach 7th grade science at Indian Hills Jr. High. It's fun to see familiar faces of swimmers around the building.

Back To Top >

Julie Sedore
Swim Team Coach

I have always LOVED the water! I started competitive summer league in my home town of Marcus at the age of 8 and continued until I graduated High School. During college I started my coaching career at the Spencer YMCA for 3 years before moving to the Des Moines area. I then coached 1 year at the Ankeny YMCA. I took a break for about 3 years and started at the Walnut Creek YMCA teaching swimming lessons. Kim recruited me to help part-time with coaching in 2002, and I became a full-time coach for the 2003 Fall Season. I enjoy working with all the swimmers and feel a sense of pride when they accomplish their goals through swimming.

Back To Top >

Peggy Tippin
Swim Team Coach

I can't remember NOT being around the water! My dad is a retired YMCA director, so I grew up with the Y and the water. I started swimming competitively at the age of 8 with the Marietta (Ohio) Marlins. My family moved to Kansas when I was 13, and I continued swimming until I was 15, but my high school did not have a swim team, so I joined the tennis team! I started teaching and life guarding in high school .... and never really stopped! I started at the Walnut Creek YMCA in 1995 with the swim & gym program, then later teaching lessons. My oldest daughter joined the swim team in 1999 and I began coaching shortly after that. I love the water, the kids, the YMCA values, and the joy of watching the kids succeed.

Back To Top >

Meghan Murfee
Swim Team Coach

I swam competitively at Dubuque Wahlert High School. I have been teaching lessons for the past 10 years at the pool in Galena, then at Drake University during college. I started coaching YMCA swimming at the Riverfront YMCA, while in college. I started in 2006 coaching for the Walnut Creek Swim Team.

Back To Top >

David Dubczak

I started swimming with the Wave Swim Team in La Crosse, Wisconsin at the age of 10, after attempting nearly every other sport, from hockey to basketball to tennis. When I was in 8th grade, I needed to do a service project for confirmation, and started volunteering as a coach's assistant on the Wave. This position led to my first actual coaching job at the end of my freshman year in high school. I loved coaching so much I made it a priority to find a coaching job as I came to Des Moines for college, and I'm very excited to have landed here at Walnut Creek! For my "day job," I'm a student at Drake University, double-majoring in Political Science and Rhetoric and Communications. As far as swimming is concerned, my favorite strokes are Freestyle and Butterfly, and I like swimming sprints because they're fun!

Back To Top >