Josh Hersko is very excited to be back at the helm for his fifth season as the Head Coach and Aquatics Manager for the Seahorses!
Coach Josh brings a wealth of knowledge in the fitness world as both an athlete and coach. Josh grew up in Marietta, GA before moving on to Georgia Tech. At Georgia Tech, Josh competed for the varsity swim team from ’99-03. Coach Josh was the Yellow Jacket’s top sprint freestyler in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events and held multiple school records in these events while earning All-ACC honors. Following Georgia Tech, Josh earned his Master’s in Education (M.Ed.) from Berry College while serving as Assistant Swim Coach.
From 2011-'21, Josh worked as a middle grades math teacher. His patience and genuine care for students was greatly appreciated by both students and parents. During the summers, Josh served as a Head Coach in the Country Club Swim League (C.C.S.L.) from 2014-'21. Coach Josh took great pride in leading the team to several league championships and undefeated seasons while encouraging swimmers to work hard, be kind, show good sportsmanship and of course have fun!
As a coach, Josh has over 20 years experience working with athletes ranging from club to collegiate levels. Coach Josh helps athletes of all ages and abilities reach their fitness goals with a positive and motivating approach!
John is entering his sixth season with the Seahorses and comes to us from Pace Academy where he is the Director of Aquatics since 1999. John is a Physical Education Teacher and specializes in teaching swimming to Pre-1st through 8th graders. He is also the Head Swimming and Diving coach, the Head Water Polo Coach, and the Head Middle School Boys Soccer Coach. John has 39 years of teaching experience and has been coaching swimming since the 11th grade.
John spent five years as the Head Coach at Cherokee Town and Country Club before taking some summers off to help his wife raise their five children. John is thrilled to be back again with the PDC swimming staff working with new families and their children to be the best they can be. John always has a positive outlook for everyone and his goal is to help everyone get better!
Liam is a freshman at UGA. He began swimming competitively at age nine and has continued his passion for the sport by competing for his school. During the most recent swim season, Liam aided the Paideia Pythons at the high school state swim meet: Paideia's 200/400 free relays placed second in IA-IIIA and finished 3rd in their competition. This is Liam’s third year coaching for the Seahorses, where he specializes in encouraging energetic swimmers to improve their technique. When Liam started swimming, he struggled to catch up to his peers. However, thanks to the influence of patient assistant coaches, he was able to rise to the top of his competition. Liam strives to give swimmers the same patience he was given and to help them become more competitive and confident. After a successful high school swim season, Liam aspires to help swimmers improve their times, become better athletes, and achieve any personal goals they may have.
Nat Hamrick is a freshman at Georgia Tech. Nat attended Paideia, where he was one of the swim team captains in the 23-24 season. He has coached at PDC for the last two seasons, and has been involved in the Country Club Swim League since the age of 4. His favorite strokes to swim are backstroke, butterfly, and freestyle. He is thrilled to be working with and getting to know the kids even more this season.
Paulina is a rising sophomore at UGA and will be entering her first year as an Assistant Coach. She is so excited to join the team! She began swimming competitively at age 9, where she was a part of the Smyrna Sharks summer league. Toward the end of her sophomore year of high school, she was appointed swim captain and held the position through her senior season. Paulina’s favorite strokes are freestyle and backstroke. She can’t wait to have an amazing season and get to know everyone. Go seahorses!
Hannah is a graduating senior at the Paideia School where she was captain of the swim team. She has been swimming competitively since she was four years old, and competed in the CCSL swim league on the Druid Hills Dolphins. Her favorite stroke is backstroke, and she enjoys swimming it in the medley relay. Hannah has been coaching for two years and is so excited to be joining the Seahorses this season! Hannah loves helping kids improve their times in the water and can’t wait to spend the summer coaching. She is looking forward to making new friends on the team as a Seahorse!
Larkin McCormack is a rising freshman at the University of Tennessee majoring in aerospace engineering. With two years of coaching experience, he brings both enthusiasm and knowledge to the pool, focusing not only on teaching kids how to swim but also on helping them understand the physical and mental benefits of staying active. Larkin emphasizes the importance of dryland training and how building strength and coordination outside the water directly improves performance in the pool, helping swimmers draw connections between fitness and swimming technique. Known for a positive and engaging coaching style, he enjoys connecting with swimmers, encouraging their growth, and sharing the value of discipline through fitness.
Wade Tolbert is a rising sophomore at the University of Georgia. Wade attended Paideia and was in the top group of Dynamo Swim Club for three years. This is his first year coaching at PDC, and has been involved in the Country Club Swim League since the age of 8. His favorite race is the 100 IM, and his favorite stroke is breaststroke. He is excited to work with the swim team and get to know the kids this season.
Lanier is a rising freshman at Auburn University. She was a Druid Hills Dolphin from ages 4-14 with Coach Josh for many of those years! This is her third year as an assistant coach for the Seahorses, and is looking forward to another summer with the best team! Lanier thoroughly enjoys making special connections with the kids each summer, and she finds working as a swim coach to be extremely rewarding. She also hopes to teach the kids valuable lessons outside of the water as well. She can’t wait for this season and is excited to be back! Go Seahorses!!
Hi! My name is Mallory Walsh, and I am a sophomore at Marist School. I have been swimming since I was three years old and joined the Ansley Sharks at four years old and continued summer swimming until I was fourteen years old. I coached the juniors at Ansley for the past two summers, but I decided I wanted to try something new. I am so excited to be a part of the PDC Seahorses and meet new people.