Two-time Venezuelan Olympic swimmer and Assistant Coach Daniele Tirabassi is an expert in and out of the pool.

Tirabassi started his swimming career early at three years old. At first he did it because his mom insisted, and as he grew older he decided to take it more seriously. 

“I started swimming when I was 3 years old. My family and I used to live in Italy. My brother used to swim so to not have me at home [my mom] made me start swimming,” said Tirabassi. “After Italy we moved back to Venezuela and I kept swimming, but when I turned 12-13 years old I started to take the sport more seriously. I started competing more. I was a little more motivated. I was focusing more on practice.”

As the years went by and Tirabassi became better at the sport, he participated in ten world championships (for both long and short course), three Pan American games, two Olympics, and various Central American games and championships. His main events were the 100, 200 and 400 freestyle.

“I went to Brazil for the South American games in the South American Championships, but this time I was hired by Corinthians. They paid me to go race in the Open Nationals and I won the 200 freestyle and placed third in the 400 freestyle,” said Tirabassi.

Tirabassi’s first big meet was the Olympics in Beijing, China in 2008. He never previously swam at any world or Pan American championships. As a rookie he swam the 400 freestyle and earned a lower time. Tirabassi even managed to impress the audience.

“The first time (racing in the Olympics) I was scared because I was in a stadium with 5,000 people and I was also in the first heat of the 400 freestyle and the camera was in my face so I was really nervous. I just remember walking out of the room and looking at the floor I couldn’t look up and I just remember thinking, praying to god that whatever happens just let me finish the race, I don’t want my goggles to fall off or my cap or swallow water when I take a breath. Just let me swim, race and that’s it. I didn’t even care if I dropped time or not, I just wanted to finish the race safe and sound,” said Tirabassi.

Tirabassi raced in the Olympics again in London 2012, competing in a 400 freestyle relay and placing 16th.

After he failed to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics, he decided he needed a change. He decided to retire from his swimming career and become a coach instead.

“I wanted to try something new and different so I started working In a management company. I worked from nine to five sitting down at a desk in front of a computer. I realized after ten months that wasn’t for me. So when I was living in Lakeland near Orlando and there was an opening at Florida Southern College swim club for an assistant coach for the age group I was like, alright, I could use some extra money. I started doing it because of that, but then I realized I really liked it and really enjoyed it,” said Tirabassi.

In 2019 he joined the Gulliver Swim Club and coaches there ever since. This year he stepped up to the challenge and coached both the girls and boys varsity swim teams. The girls had a great season, they won both Districts and Regionals but were runner up for States. The boys also won Districts but weren’t able to win Regionals or States.