Meet The Coaches
Coach Patti Larson brings a lifelong love of swimming and a passion for working with kids to the Hedingham Sharks. Originally from Anaheim, California, Patti spent 11 years as a competitive swimmer, qualifying for Junior Olympics and Grand Prix meets. In her senior year of high school, she was selected to represent the North American Athletic Conference, competing against top swimmers from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. West Coast.
Patti went on to swim at the Division I level for the University of North Dakota from 2012 to 2016. During her collegiate career, she earned numerous accolades, including Rookie of the Year, the Coaches’ Award, Varsity Letter honors, and Academic All-Conference recognition for three consecutive years.
Before beginning her coaching career, Patti worked for six years as a water safety and swim instructor aide, gaining valuable experience teaching and mentoring young swimmers. After graduating, she also served as a manager for her collegiate swim team, supporting day-to-day operations and team coordination.
Patti joined the Hedingham Sharks as an Assistant Coach in 2022 and was promoted to Head Coach in 2023. In 2024 and 2025, she led the team to a division championship title and continues to inspire swimmers with her energy, expertise, and enthusiasm.
Outside the pool, Patti holds an MBA in International Business (2019) and relocated to the Raleigh area in 2020. She and her husband Luke are proud residents of the Hedingham neighborhood. When she’s not coaching, Patti enjoys discovering new local restaurants and baking homemade desserts from scratch. Email: [email protected]
Coach Hope Foster brings extensive TSA league experience and a passion for working with athletes to the Hedingham Sharks. With seven summers of coaching experience in the TSA league, Hope has built a strong knowledge of the league and developed skills in mentoring swimmers and creating a positive and encouraging team environment.
A lifelong swimmer herself, Hope spent 14 summers competing in summer swim, swam varsity for five years, and continued her career as a member of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s club swim team.
Hope began her coaching career as an Assistant Coach in her home neighborhood, where she coached for five seasons before transitioning into a Head Coach role with another TSA swim team. She served as Head Coach for two seasons which helped her gain valuable experience in team leadership.
After her time as Head Coach, Hope pursued a professional internship opportunity to further develop her leadership and communication skills outside of the pool. Now returning as an Assistant Coach, she is excited to bring all of her experiences, both in and out of the pool, back to coaching.
Out of the water, Hope is an aspiring social worker who earned a B.A. in Public Policy and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She will be attending UNC-Chapel Hill to earn a Master of Social Work (MSW) in the fall. Hope is particularly passionate about working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and is dedicated to recognizing and building abilities, strengths, and confidence to empower individuals to reach their full potential. In her free time, Hope enjoys listening to podcasts, going on long walks, and doing puzzles.
Hope is also available for 1:1 swim sessions. You can send her an email for pricing and availability.
Coach Sofia is originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, but now lives in Raleigh for school. She is a senior at NC State, double majoring in Political Science and History. Sofia also holds a paralegal certification and plans to attend law school in the future.
She began swimming at a young age and did so competitively for 10 years. Her favorite race was the 100 IM! Before joining the Hedingham team, Sofia worked as an assistant coach for her old team and taught swim lessons for years. This is her first year with this team, and she’s excited to get to know all of the swimmers and help them improve!
In her free time, Sofia loves to explore new restaurants/coffee shops in the area with friends. She also enjoys baking, hiking, and playing with her cat!
Sofia is also available for 1:1 swim sessions. You can send her an email for pricing and availability.
aidon Lee was born in Queens, New York, and moved to North Carolina in 2020. He’s been in the water since he was 2 years old and began swimming competitively at age 8, all while also training in Tae-Kwon-Do. Over the years, he has competed with several teams, including the CIY Barracudas, TYDE, and TAC Titans.
With more than a year and a half of coaching experience, Jaidon brings energy, dedication, and a passion for helping young swimmers grow both in and out of the pool. His favorite events are the 50-yard Freestyle and the 100-yard Backstroke.
Outside of coaching, Jaidon is a dual enrollment student at Willow Springs High School and Wake Tech Community College, working toward an AAS in Paralegal Technology with plans to transfer to William Peace University to pursue Pre-Law. In his free time, he enjoys playing electric guitar, drawing, and—of course—swimming. His favorite foods are cheesy eggs and sushi.
Jaidon is also available for 1:1 swim sessions. You can send him an email for pricing and availability.
