Marisa has been around swimming since she was in a stroller (when her dad would tether it to the starting blocks when he’d swim with his masters swim group!)   Her competitive career started at San Jose Aquatics where she was a Far Western High Point winner and Junior National Champion.  She continued to excel through her high school career at Presentation High School earning four individual CCS Championship titles.  Her times landed her a scholarship to swim for the Boilermakers at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.  Her two school records, in the 1000 and 1650 freestyle, were finally broken in 2010. She graduated with her degree in Computer Graphics, tried to work in a cubicle, but soon found her way back to the pool deck.

After coaching at the Los Altos Golf and Country Club (1998-2000), San Jose Aquatics (2000-2004) and the Courtside Swim Club (2004-2008), Marisa founded Swim South Bay in the Fall of 2008.  She is also in her 19th season at the helm of the Presentation High School team and her 12th year teaching Physical Education.  In 2011, she was selected as the CCS Honor Swimming Coach of the Year.  She is the President of the Silicon Valley Swim League (SVSL.)  Her programs are lead with passion, enthusiasm and a LOVE for the sport of swimming.

Marisa is a vegetarian Sagittarius who loves to knit, cook and binge watch shows.  She graduated from Ohio University (’11) with a Masters Degree in Recreation and Sport Science with an emphasis in Coaching Education. She is married to her college sweetie, Chris, former Purdue Track star and Bellarmine teacher. Together, they are raising two rambunctiously busy boys (Miles, age 13 and Donovan, age 10.)