Viviane Ladouceur: SSBM Alumna on a Global Stage of Artistic Swimming

What is the most valuable lesson that being a development coach in artistic swimming on an international level has taught you?

The most valuable lesson I have learned as an international development coach in artistic swimming is the importance of adapting to diverse athletes and environments. Working with athletes from different cultures, backgrounds, and training systems has taught me to listen first, understand individual needs, and adjust my coaching to bring out each athlete’s strengths. This ability to adapt and keep high-performance standards has helped me build trust, create efficient training structures, and support long-term athlete development more effectively.

In what ways does the SSBM education that you gained serve you the most when working with professional athletes?

My education at SSBM has strengthened my ability to approach high-performance sport with a more strategic and managerial mindset. Courses in leadership, project management, and event management have enhanced my ability to plan training cycles, structure logistics, manage budgets, and coordinate with multidisciplinary teams. It has allowed me to understand the “bigger picture” behind athlete performance, such as organizational processes, communication flows, and long-term planning, which directly improves the support I provide to professional athletes.