"As an athlete new to the sport of triathlon, learning to swim presented my greatest challenge.  I'd never swum one lap in a pool prior to my start in the sport and always thought about swimming as an activity that took place on summer weekends and vacations.

"Working with Stefan helped me conquer the majority of fears that I faced entering the swim leg.  I learned about balance in the water, proper breathing technique, and most importantly how to be both fast and efficient in the water. You simply can't learn the fundamentals of a good swim stroke on your own and finding a great teacher is a critical step.  I highly recommend Stefan to any athlete wanting to improve their swimming technique."

2009 West Point Graduate

2008 Triathlon All American

2009 National Duathlon Festival Champion

2009 Amica Ironman 70.3, Providence, RI, 1st in Age Group

"In the first hour Stefan and I worked together, I felt a new sense of efficiency in the water."

Follow Nicholas' racing adventures at nicholassterghos.com.

"Stefan is truly an extraordinary swim instructor and coach!  He is supportive and encouraging, holds high standards, and is exacting in what he asks of his students.

"I have had several swim coaches before -- Stefan is the best by far.  I feel lucky to work with him!"

"We are very excited to have Stefan as a swim coach.  He is very easy to work with and very encouraging.  We particularly value two of his skills.  First, he is very good at watching us swim just a length or two and diagnosing instantly what we need to improve on.  Second, he is excellent at explaining what we need to do to improve.

"We highly recommend him as a coach, and would be happy to talk with any students thinking about using him."

"Stefan Bill is the best swim coach, period.  After taking swim lessons from many coaches in NYC, Boulder and San Diego, Stefan is BY FAR the best.  He is able to put himself into a non-swimmer's mind and body and EXPLAIN concepts, demonstrate and give very specific drills.  Plus he is in the pool with you, so he can show you what he is asking you to do.

"He also has some unique teaching ideas -- fun!  His patience and lightheartedness really encourage a person to learn and to ask questions.  And his lessons are very tiered, so there is a base he starts from, and builds on in subsequent lessons.

"The major thing I notice is that a swimming coach (99 percent of the time) is a swimmer from the time they were a child.  A person who learns to swim from childhood understands how to catch the water almost naturally, whereas an adult does not have this knowledge and takes longer to integrate this new information/technique. A childhood swimmer cannot understand our (adulthood swimmers') inability to process and execute their advice.

"But amazingly, Stefan understands us.  I feel like each swim session with him is 'Swimmers' Secrets Revealed' -- everything they do, but don't ever want you to know how to do.

"After just 5-10 lessons with Stefan, I felt the huge impact he's made on my stroke -- timing, efficiency, catch.  In my 2008 Ironman race in Kona (no wetsuit) I swam 1:12 and I did so little swim or strength training beforehand (bad bike crash, no decent pool in Shanghai, two strength sessions ... pathetic).  I fully expected to swim 1:25 based on how weak I felt.  By comparison, in Kona 2007 I swam 1:06 and that was after an intense two months (two swims/day, five days/week) in Boulder.  Amazing what a bit of stroke technique with Stefan helped me accomplish.

"By swimming with Stefan, I've been able to cut off 10-plus minutes from my Ironman swim time:  that's 15-20 percent improvement!!!  When I get out of the water I don't feel as tired, so I can push harder on the bike.  Starting the bike 10 minutes earlier in the race has changed my race because I'm now starting the bike-run in a more competitive place in the field.

"It's impossible to improve stroke quickly, it is a process that must be internalized over time.  If there is a good time to swim with Stefan, it's NOW, so that you can take your new knowledge and understanding and build on it through the spring -- then excel in your next season's races."

"I have been taking lessons with Stefan for almost six months.  When I first began taking lessons, I had some swimming experience and did not consider myself a weak swimmer.  However, I knew that I could use some tips to improve my stroke.

"Throughout the past several months, I have learned to become a faster, more efficient, and more confident swimmer.  Stefan has taught me a new way of swimming that enables me to swim faster and further without tiring myself out.  I used to muscle through my swim, but now I am learning to glide through the water without wasting energy -- using my core strength instead of just my arms.

"Stefan speaks in a way that is encouraging and easy to relate to.  His coaching style is very interactive.  SBR's endless pool is a great training facility and really forces you to maintain a consistent, balanced stroke.  It allows Stefan to monitor your swim without having to pace back and forth on a pool deck.  You can watch yourself as you swim in two underwater mirrors, as well as Stefan's underwater video camera.  It allows me to notice flaws in my stroke and better understand exactly what I need to do to correct them.

"He has taught me how to breathe bilaterally, and sight to prepare for open water swim races and triathlons.  He has taught me how to make my body streamline and reduce drag and resistance by keeping my body position in line.

"In just a few months, I have gone from swimming 1500 meters to 3500 meters, and am training for my first Ironman, which starts with a 2.4 mile open water swim.  I am confident that I will have no problem completing the swim with ease.

"Stefan's coaching has resulted in noticeable improvement.  In my most recent triathlon, I was the 3rd female out of the water, and I know it was a direct result of Stefan's help.  I have seen him help beginners as well as elite athletes reach their swimming goals.  I highly recommend him to athletes and swimmers of all abilities."

"Like many age group triathletes, swimming has always been the most challenging of the three multi-sport disciplines for me.  Prior to my 2009 season getting underway, I committed myself to improving my form and becoming a better and more confident swimmer.

"The best decision I could have made was to begin working with Stefan.  From the start, I was very impressed with the individual approach he takes to shaping a program that meets my training and racing objectives and how he follows a logical progression from one session to the next teaching the fundamentals -- which are the keys to becoming a better swimmer.  I'm delighted with the progress I've made working with Stefan and look forward to seeing it in my race results."