MEET THE COACHES
Coach Linn
Coach Linn has been coaching with Olympia since 2011 and was an inaugural Orlando Thunder Coach. Linn has produced 5 All Americans and two team State Championships. Coach Linn is our Head Goalie Coach and her multiple sport experience makes her an excellent game play strategist. She has worked with National USAWP Coach Sean Nolan to help select Junior National team goalies. She started her water polo coaching career at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs where she was an Olympic Team Athletic Trainer.
Coach Abdo
Coach Abdo is a Syrian water polo player and coach with extensive experience at national and international levels. He has represented the Syrian national team and played for several top clubs in Syria, in addition to two professional seasons in Greece. He began coaching in 2005, focusing on developing young athletes by transitioning swimmers into competitive water polo players. Throughout his career, he has designed and implemented multiple grassroots and elite development programs, building training systems from the ground up to improve technical skills, physical conditioning, and tactical understanding. In Aleppo, he was one of four officials responsible for all aquatic sports, contributing to the development of a national-level structure inspired by Olympic-style athlete development programs.
Coach Possell
Stephanie Johnson Possell, our original founder of Orlando Thunder, has been coaching and teaching since 1989, has over 1000 Career Wins and reached her 500th win with Olympia High School in 2020. She has built programs that are regularly at the top of the podium, focusing on fundamental skill and water polo IQ. Leading her teams to win gold medals at high school and age-group levels, she has also been awarded PA State Coach of the Year, Spectrum All Sport Central Florida Coach of the Year, several USAWP Coach of the Year awards, and many Metro Coach of the Year awards. She has developed numerous athletes to become All Americans and Academic All Americans. Stephanie has been part of the USAWP ODP Developmental Program and a coach in the selection process for the Junior National teams. She is most proud of how many athletes continue to play in college at the varsity and club levels, athletes that grow into coaches, and now is excited about the opportunity to coach second generation water polo athletes. Coach Possell believes being academically successful is as important as being athletically successful.
Coach Elaine
Elaine played on the first ever Lyman HS team, she started the women’s UCF Team, played masters for over 10 years, coached Bishop Moore High School bringing them to several District and Regional Championships. She took some time off to be a mom, and now that her kids both Gavin and Ada are playing, she is back on deck! Elaine’s vast experience with water polo and education makes her a perfect fit for our program.
Coach Rachel
Rachel Carnevale started playing water polo at Olympia High School and was an Orlando Thunder original. She went on to play varsity water polo in college for Gannon University in PA, graduating as a four-year athlete with a degree in Exercise Science. Coach Rachel started coaching for Orlando Thunder in 2016 and was an assistant coach for Olympia High School while earning several championships, one of those being a State Championship. She has been an ODP Holiday Camp Coach and has traveled to California with our Junior Olympic Teams.
Coach Diego
Diego graduated from Universidad Valle del Momboy in 2020 with a degree in Industrial Engineering. Coach Diego is the youngest of three brothers that have all played on National Level playing in Spain, and Pan American Games. His oldest brother was a Peru National Team Coach. Diego has played on the Venezuelan National Team as a 16u, 18u, 20u, and Open age athlete. Since moving to Orlando he has was the water polo coach for Olympia High School and won Gold at the Sunshine State Games with the Orlando Thunder Water Polo Club.
Coach Rosa
Rosa Priest is a proud graduate of Olympia High School and a dedicated Orlando Thunder alumna. Her journey with the Thunder began as a freshman in high school, and she has remained an integral part of the program ever since. Over the past two summers, Rosa has returned to the club in a coaching capacity, bringing her passion, experience, and leadership to the next generation of athletes. Currently, she is a student at Florida State University, where she competes on the club water polo team while pursuing a combined bachelor’s and master’s degree in Elementary Education. Rosa is deeply committed to both academic excellence and the sport of water polo, and she continues to give back to the community that helped shape her.
