"I'd like my team to have respect towards fellow swimmers and coaches, not just achieving their personal best at the competitions," said Ako Kusafuka, an award winning coach for Northcote Swimming Club, Melbourne's inner-north.
Born and grown up in Hyogo prefecture in Japan, Ako has been swimming since she was 3. She has always shown her talent in the sport, followed by her being selected to compete in Junior Olympics for individual medley, ended up winning 3rd place. One day she realised that she wasn't sure if living as a professional swimmer was what she really wanted in life. She decided to become a coach to pass what she learned to children who dream of competing at national and international level.
Ako shares her passion of being a swimming coach for squads in Australia.





