Our Coaches

Chris Flynn

Director of Operations & Competitive Masters Head Coach

Chris has been the Head Coach of Bair Island Aquatic Center's competitive team since 2019 and became the club's Director of Operations in 2021.

Chris began rowing in 1988 as a junior with Woodbridge High School and the Occoquan Boat Club (OBC) and continued on to row with George Mason University and the University of Melbourne.  Beyond college Chris rowed competitively in Boston as a club and masters rower with Community Rowing (CRI), and Cambridge Boat Club from 1997 to 20212.

A USRowing Level 2 certified coach, Chris began coaching right out of high school and has coached with Woodbridge High School Crew, Hylton High School Crew, Prince William Rowing Association, Community Rowing (CRI), Santa Clara University, Norcal Crew, and BIAC.

Outside of rowing Chris worked as an institutional investment manager and private wealth manager before relocating to the San Francisco Bay area with his family in 2013.

If you'd like to learn more about the BIAC Competitive Team, click here and come join a session. If you have questions about BIAC, email Chris here.

Jenifer Aguirre

Open Masters Head Coach

Jenifer has over 25 years experience as a personal trainer and 17 years as a rowing coach for both high school athletes and adults. She walked on to the sport at UCSB as a Freshman and never looked back, rowing all four years on the Lightweight team culminating in a National Championship medal.

Rowing is truly a passion for her and she is thrilled to pass that along to young athletes and masters looking to take their skills to the next level. Her main goal is to help each rower not only discover their own strengths, passions and potential but explore this unique sport. As a coach, she has achieved State and Regional Champion success with her masters and junior teams.

As a collegiate and masters rower herself, she has enjoyed Regional and National Champion success as well as participating in several Masters World Championships in places like Belgium and Canada, and collected a couple of coveted Head of the Charles medals along the way.

Jenifer’s philosophy for both rowing and health and fitness encompasses mind, body and soul. She believes you must understand where your fitness and skill level is, where you want it to go, and how it got there. Her passion and inspiration come from "helping others to achieve goals they did not think were possible, whether it be in the gym, on the water, or in life." Both her coaching and personal training style revolve around form and function, and exercise variety. "As you rise to the challenge, the higher the bar goes."

Jenifer is the Open Crew Head Coach. As a teacher and coach, she has a gift for inspiring a love for rowing and motivation to excel.

If you'd like to learn more about the BIAC Open Team, click here and come join a session.

Chuck Bonnici

Novice Masters Head Coach, Head of Adaptive Program

Chuck started rowing for Serra Crew in high school, where he competed in local and national regattas, and has been involved in rowing ever since. He began by coaching Junior rowers at Serra and Los Gatos, then served as an assistant Masters coach at BIAC for both the Novice and Open teams. In 2014, Chuck stepped into the role as Novice Head Coach for BIAC masters. 

Beginning in 2021, Chuck also took over as the Adaptive Head Coach at BIAC. He coaches adaptive athletes at all levels and many of them participate in the Everbody Rows (eRos) program coached by Chuck. If you have questions about adaptive rowing OR would like to volunteer during an adaptive practice, click here to email Chuck directly to get started!

Amanda Hawkins

Learn to Scull, Daylight Crew & Coastal Rowing Coach

Amanda joined Bair Island Aquatic Center in 2012 and began coaching in 2019. She spent a few seasons coaching juniors at Norcal Crew and eventually stepped into coaching roles at BIAC. After she started coastal rowing in 2018, she was eager to share the fun and helped start a coastal program at BIAC. She has now competed in four Coastal World Championships and enjoys teaching flat-water rowers how fun waves can be. When the waves are calmer, she can be found teaching new rowers how to scull and have confidence in a single.

She started her rowing career at UCSD back in college, then pursued her passion for rowing at BIAC. As a masters rower, Amanda has won gold at regattas including Canadian Henley Masters, US Rowing’s Masters National Championships and Head of the Lake and finished highly at Head of the Charles, San Diego Crew Classic, Masters Worlds and Coastal World Championships among others.

In between training, rowing and coaching, Amanda uses her degree in Computer Art & Design to work as a freelance graphic designer and marketing contractor. She volunteers her skills at BIAC as a newsletter editor, webteam member, and digital media coordinator. Spending much of her time playing with fonts and updating websites, she can passionately talk about good design in equal measure with rowing stories.

Jane Taylor

Paddling Coach

Teaching people how to paddle and getting them out on the water to explore the natural resources of Bair Island and Redwood Creek are some of Jane's many passions. Jane is a long time resident of Redwood City and is a retired sports physical therapist and athletic trainer. Her husband Paul is also a BIAC member. They have two daughters and 2 dogs who also enjoy riding in kayaks.

For the Serra Junior rowing program, see Serra Crew Coaches.