Ana Gabriela Matthews
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Best known as "Coach Gabby", she is an experienced international swim coach and competitive swimmer. Coach Gabby is proud to return to the Athens Bulldog Swim Club in Athens, Ga to launch the Bulldog Swim School in 2021. Gabby comes from Mission Viejo Nadadores where she started as their Wet Side Manager on July 2019, then promoted to Swim School Director in October 2019-2020. Gabby is also the S.O.M.A. Aquatics USA Founder/CEO/Head Coach which was opened on May 2019. Before that Gabby spent almost 10 years as an Assistant Aquatics Director at Gulliver Schools. Her first 3 years she worked as an Assistant Coach for both Gulliver Schools Varsity Team, and Gulliver Swim Club. In the summer of 2013, Gabby was promoted as Gulliver Schools Assistant Aquatics Director/ Swim School Supervisor. In August of 2016, Gabby was promoted as Assistant Aquatics Director/ Swim School Director. Gabby participated in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games as a field of play assistant.
Brazilian born, Gabby's passion for swimming runs in the family; she is the daughter of former Brazilian National Coach Fernando Soraggi. Gabby is a USA, Red Cross & ASCA level V certified coach. On the coaching side, she has taught swim lessons to all ages and skill levels, from babies to special needs, and to adult swimmers. She has worked as a competitive swim coach for the last 26 years in various US and Brazilian Swim Camps and Clubs, including Soraggi Swimming School, Pinheiros Swim Club, Hebraica Swim Club, Esporte Clube Uniao Suzano, Mogi das Cruzes University, Jack Nelson Swimming Camp, Golden Tigers Swim Club, Gulliver Swim Club, Athens Bulldogs Swim Club at UGA, University of Alabama Swim Camp, and at the University of Hawaii. From 1995 to 2002 at Esporte Clube Uniao Suzano, she assisted Head Coach Sebastiao Alvaro Galdino with the National Group, where swimmers qualified for South American Games, World Championships, and the Olympics Games.
Gabby is the former Head Swim Coach at Brenau University. She reinstated the program that had been deactivated for over 20 years, and recruited quality student/athletes from all over the world (i.e. - Brazil, Croatia, Scotland, Australia, USA, and others). The Brenau University swimmers achieved 2007 - 2010 NAIA Academic All Americans & NAIA Daktronics Academic Awards Winners. Coach Gabby was named the 2010 NAIA Nationals Buffalo Fund Five Star Champions of Character Award Winner. She became the first woman in the history of Brazil to ever coach at the collegiate level. Gabby was also the Golden Tigers Swim Club CEO/ Head Swim Coach and owner, where she administrate the company dealing with bookkeeping, recruiting, scheduling, logistics, and coaching.
Gabby graduated with a PE Bachelors from University of Mogi das Cruzes, SP - Brazil in 2002. The 2002 P.E. class was the first one to ever research and defend a collegiate thesis in the history of UMC. Gabby presented her book, Water adaptation for babies from 5 months to 2 years old earning the highest grade as an honor student. Her book was inducted to the school library where other P.E. students can use as research for their projects. In 2009 Gabby earned her M.S. in Science with a concentration in Organizational Leadership from Brenau University, Gainesville - GA.
As a swimmer, Gabby swam age group from 1987-1995. Gabby was city champion on the 50 free, 100 free, 50 breast, 100 breast, 200 IM, and all relays. She also placed 5th at Georgia Games on the 50 LCM freestyle, Atlanta-GA/CCAC MAKOS Swim Team 1994. Gabby also participated in State Championships Finals, Sao Paulo State/Soraggi & Suzano Swim Team, SP-Brazil. In 1999 - 2002 Gabby swam College Varsity for FMU University Sao Paulo & UMC University Mogi das Cruzes-SP, Brazil. At P.E. College National Games Gabby was 3rd place on the 50 free and 1st place on all relays for 3 consecutive years.
Gabby is happily married to Jarrod Benjamin Matthews since 2006, and has a daughter Athena Soraggi Matthews born in 2013.
Coach Gabby's quote: "I believe that with hard work and smart swims, one can achieve personal best results. A swimmer must always exceed their limits in order to reach their desired success."