Palisades Porpoises

I am very excited to meet and work with the Palisades community - especially since I was an assistant coach for Palisades in 2013! I grew up in the Potomac/Bethesda area and started diving when I was six years old at East Gate Swim and Tennis Club. I also dove year-round with MDC and then DDC all the way through high school. During my JO career I represented the USA at the Junior World Championships in 2008, qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials and won the Maryland state diving championship in 2012. I graduated from Winston Churchill High School in 2012 and went to the University of Michigan where I competed on the Varsity Swim and Dive Team from 2012-2014. I was a member of the 2013 NCAA Division One National Championship team and the 2013 and 2014 Big Ten Championship teams while at Michigan. I have also coached diving at all levels. I have coached MCDL teams since 2011 and I was an assistant national team coach for MDC from 2017 to 2020 where I coached divers in preparation for JO competitions on the national and international level. While in Sweden for a master's degree, I was the head coach of the club diving team in Uppsala.  

Since my diving career has ended, I have focused on an academic career in physics and astronomy. I received a B.S. from the University of Michigan in Interdisciplinary Physics before moving to Sweden for two years where I received an M.S. in Astronomy and Space Physics. I am currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Physics and Astronomy Department at West Virginia University hoping to defend in the fall of 2027. 

I am a senior graduating from high school this year and will continue my diving career at the collegiate level. I am a national-level diver and have been dedicated to the sport for 13 years, training with Montgomery Dive Club and Rippin Dawgs Dive Club. I was born and raised in Ukraine, where I began my diving career and trained for 9 years before continuing in the U.S. 

I have coached summer dive teams throughout high school and truly enjoy working with kids, helping them overcome their fears and achieve things they didn't think were possible. I understand how challenging diving can feel at times, so my goal this season is to support each diver through those moments while also making practices fun, engaging, and exciting. 

I'm excited to coach the Palisades dive team this summer and to be part of the Palisades community, let's have a great season!

Bella is the youngest of four siblings, all of whom have participated on both the Palisades swim and dive teams. She has been a member of the swim team for 10 years and the dive team for nine. Bella is also a co-founder of the Palisades Sparkly Synchro Swimmers.

Bella is a competitive dancer and also participates in snowboarding, travel lacrosse, and flag football. She has been an active volunteer with Club Palisades, assisting coaches with Pre-Team and Porpoise Pups, where she enjoys mentoring younger swimmers and building their confidence in the water. She also enjoys babysitting.

A rising high school freshman, Bella is known for her positive spirit and her ability to make everyone feel included, valued, and part of the team. Her favorite part of Palisades is the strong sense of community, her friendships, and the energy of pep rallies. She is especially excited for this upcoming dive season, where she looks forward to encouraging teammates, supporting new divers, and helping create a fun, high-energy environment for everyone.