Head Coach
Adam Mayo
Growing up in Dartmouth Nova Scotia, Adam started his coaching career at Mic Mac A.A.C. working in a variety of roles, including the Assistant Coach from 2013-2015. During his time at Mic Mac he played a key role in the development and success of the Junior High Performance groups as well as reestablishing a winning culture surrounding the clubs historic Warcanoe program.
In 2016 Adam took the next step in his career becoming the Head Coach at Cascades Canoe Club in Chelsea, Quebec. During his five years at Cascades, he was able to grow the paddling program to some of its most successful years, while continuously developing athletes and crews to superior performances at the Provincial, National and International stage, including Canada’s most decorated Junior paddler of all time, Sophia Jensen.
Graduating from Dalhousie University in 2013 with his Honours degree in Kinesiology, and becoming a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Adam has a broad range of athletic experience working in various sport settings as a coach, athletic trainer, and strength and conditioning coach, in addition to, a Kinesiologist in rehab facilities and a personal trainer. Adam has also recently graduated from Acadia University with his Bachelor of Education and has started his teaching career at Dartmouth High School.
Currently working on the completion of his Advanced Coaching Diploma, Adam is constantly looking to prove himself as a world class coach.
Certification
- 5 Years Head Coach
- Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (Dalhousie University)
- Bachelor of Education (Acadia University)
- Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist CSCS
- NCCP Advanced Coaching Diploma Candidate
- NCCP Competition Development Certified
Coaching Philosophy:
I think two of the most important components of a successful athlete are mindset and self-accountability. As a coach who is passionate about personal development and looking to lead by example, I am constantly trying to live my philosophy while enhancing the way I educate, inspire and lead my athletes, coaches and community. I am really excited to bring the experience and knowledge I have gained over the last 5 years back home to Nova Scotia to the Club and community where it all started.
Assistant Head Coach
Kate Pennyfather
Kate started paddling when she was 8 years old at the Burloak Canoe Club in Oakville Ontario. She was a talented canoer and raced C2 at 3 Junior World Championships, finishing with silver medal in 2019. In 2020 she moved to Halifax and started coaching at Mic Mac. While coaching, Kate balanced her education at the same time and graduated from Dalhousie University in 2024.
In August 2025 Kate was selected to be one of the coaches for Team Nova Scotia in Canoe Kayak at the 2025 Canada Games in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The Canoe Kayak team won 33 medals that year, the overall haul for the team was 61 medals across all sports.
She is currently coaching the Junior High Performance group and loves that coaching has helped her stay involved in the sport even after finishing training herself.