Rory Buck
Coach · Athlete · Dubai

Rory
Buck.

Former NCAA champion and international swimmer turned coach. I've spent twenty years in pools across Malawi, South Africa, Namibia, the USA, and the UAE, coaching athletes to get faster, stay healthy, and keep improving.

Coach at SwimFast. Co-founder of AKHA Endurance Collective. Still training. Still racing.

See my coachingMy background
500+
Individual Athletes Coached
1,500+
Swim Video Analyses
10,000+
1-1 Coaching Hours
20+
Years Coaching
4
Continents Coached On
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About

I started swimming at 15. That's late, by most standards. I didn't have the background or the talent, just the drive to figure it out. That shaped how I coach.

Since then, I've built on that drive in a few different ways. Malawi national swimming records as a teenager. South African national team. Four NCAA DIII championships in the USA. I've coached across club swimming, collegiate programmes, CrossFit, open water, and triathlon.

I've been based in Dubai since 2014, building SwimFast into a specialist online swim coaching business and, more recently, co-founding AKHA Endurance Collective with Mel.

I still train. I still race. And I still enjoy the process.

“

Sustainable high performance takes a long-term approach.

A lot of coaching focuses on getting athletes faster for the next race. I care about that too, but I'm more interested in helping athletes keep improving over time. Health, performance, and longevity belong in the same conversation.

Long-term over quick wins
Health is the foundation, not the afterthought
The individual is a priority over the program, always
Intentional consistency is better than dramatic interventions
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Coaching

Online swim coaching

SwimFast

Individualized coaching for triathletes

SwimFast is built on a simple idea: triathletes need more than generic swim sets. Every athlete gets video analysis, direct stroke feedback, and a plan designed around the specific issues limiting their speed, efficiency, and confidence in the water.

Video Analysis / Online Coaching / Stroke Technique / Ironman Prep / 70.3 Prep
Visit SwimFast →
Multi-sport endurance

AKHA

Built to last · Built to be fast

AKHA — Zulu for 'to build', and a nod to our South African roots — is the collaboration between myself and Mel Abbey, a physio and injury prevention specialist. We offer group sessions, training camps, and individual coaching where performance and sustainability are the same goal.

Triathlon / Group Training / Training Camps / Injury Prevention
Visit AKHA Endurance →
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Background

Competitive highlights
4× NCAA DIII National Champion
Swimmer of the Year 2010/11 · National Record Holder · Academic All-American · Whitworth University
South African National Team
World University Games, Shenzhen — 2011
Malawi National Team · 11 National Records
Manchester Commonwealth Games, 2002
Ironman 70.3 Age Group Racing
1st AG & 2nd Overall — 70.3 Salalah 2023
3rd AG — 70.3 Tiberias 2022
3rd AG — 70.3 Salalah 2022
Education
B.A. Business Management — Magna cum Laude
Minor in Organisational Leadership · Whitworth University · 2008–2012
2024 – now
Co-Founder & Coach — AKHA Endurance Collective
Dubai, UAE
Multi-sport coaching brand offering individual and group coaching.
2014 – now
Head Coach — SwimFast
Dubai, UAE (Online)
Specialist online swim coaching for triathletes.
2009–2012
Development Coach — Spokane Waves Aquatic Team
Spokane, WA, USA
Developing young swimmers & mentoring junior coaches.
2007–2008
Senior Coach — Namib Swim Academy
Windhoek, Namibia
Senior Squad development and All Africa Games tours.
2003–2007
Assistant Coach — South Africa & Malawi
Ryan Skinner Swim Academy · Lyani Swim Club
Where the coaching journey began.
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Certifications

World Open Water Swimming Level 3 Coach
2023
TrainingPeaks Level 2 Coaching Accreditation
2023
Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach
2019
Ironman U Coaching Certification
2019
NLP & Certified Life Coach
2014
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer
2015
FINA Level 2 — Stroke School
2003
FINA Level 1 — Foundations of Coaching
2003
USA Swimming Foundation of Coaching
2010
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Writing

training

Discipline Without Direction Is A Problem

Adaptation is inevitable, the question is whether it's taking you somewhere worth going. In this post I break down why "trust the plan" is only good advice if the plan is actually working, and what happens when discipline and commitment quietly pull you in the wrong direction.

Read →
training

Every Person I've Ever Coached Is Lazy. So Am I.

Laziness gets a bad reputation, but what if it's actually a built-in self-correction mechanism? In this post I make the case that our natural pull toward rest and why inaction isn't a flaw to overcome

training

Riding Out The Slumps

When performance dips, the instinct is often to fix it fast. This post explores why some rough patches do not need a new plan — they need time, trust, and consistency.

All posts →
Get in touch

Let's talk.

If you're looking for swim coaching, interested in AKHA, or want to talk training, feel free to get in touch.

SwimFast →AKHA Endurance →Email me →LinkedIn →