The Santa Fe Aquatic Club is yet to celebrate its first official birthday, but already the group has made quite a splash in Santa Fe's swimming community.

SFAC, which was founded last November by head coach Lois Daigneault, boasts 60 members, although the club is just three-quarters of the way through its inaugural campaign.

The club features a unique, one-on-one beginner's swimming program known as Starfish, and also includes competitive swimmers who range from 5-year-old beginners to swimmers who compete in the over-25 masters division.

Daigneault, a Montreal native and a former member of the Canadian National Swim Team, brings with her a wealth of experience at the highest levels of swimming. In addition to being a former Olympic qualifier with Canada, Daigneault also coached the Macedonian Olympic team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Daigneault came to Santa Fe's Genoveva Chavez Community Center five years ago to run high-altitude swimming camps, and fell in love with the city.

She decided to relocate to Santa Fe four years ago, and upon arriving continued to lead high-altitude training sessions for swimming teams from all over the world.

She also started working with a handful of local swimmers who would form the initial nucleus of the Santa Fe Aquatic Club.

"It started with a small group of 10 children who I was doing private lessons with," Daigneault said. "They all got together and asked me if I would start a club."

The swimmers' vision became reality last fall, and SFAC is actively seeking new members at all levels. The club offers swimmers who are interested in joining the club a one-week free trial, Daigneault said.

Assistant coach Atiba Wade, a 2008 U.S. nationals qualifier, oversees the club's learn-to-swim program.

"We start at age 5, but some swimmers come in who are 11 or 12 who have never learned to swim before," Diagneault said. "We work with them in one-on-one instruction until they have learned the basic strokes. It's a pretty unique program: I haven't seen another one like it."

In the competitive ranks, meanwhile, the club is in the midst of its long-course season.

"On the team we have swimmers who are sectional, national, and even Olympic qualifiers," Daigneault said.

In fact, SFAC will be represented at the sectional championships in Mt. Hood, Ore., from July 20-24, and at the New Mexico long-course championships in Farmington from July 29 through Aug. 1.

The club's masters division membership, meanwhile, includes a wide variety of swimmers.

"Some swimmers are in it just to improve their technique, others are competitive tri-athletes, and others are masters swimmers who are competitive at the state or national level," Daigneault said.

Contact Jon Sward at jsward39@gmail.com.