Coach Dana Palmer joins the Lebanon High School Swim Team, home of the Warriors, for her first season on staff. Coach Palmer brings more than seven years of coaching experience and a lifelong passion for swimming to the program.
A native of Glendale, Arizona, Coach Palmer is a graduate of Ironwood High School, where she was a four-year varsity and state swimmer. Competing in Arizona’s 4A division, she helped lead her team to a state championship in 1991, earning top finishes including 1st place in both the 200 Medley Relay and 400 Free Relay, 3rd in the 100 Breaststroke, and 7th in the 200 IM. Remarkably, her relay team’s state record still stands today.
After high school, Coach Palmer attended Brigham Young University, where she majored in Electrical Engineering. Though she chose not to swim collegiately, she continued training independently and maintained her love for the sport.
Her coaching career began early, leading teams such as City of Phoenix Aquatics – Mt. View (1991–1996), Arrowhead Swim Team (1996–1998), and serving as an assistant boys’ coach at McCutcheon High School (1998–1999) in Indiana. Since moving to Lebanon in 2001, she has continued to share her expertise through private swim lessons and mentoring young swimmers in the community. Many of her athletes have gone on to swim competitively in college.
Outside the pool, Coach Palmer works as a Professional Genealogist. She enjoys swimming, reading, genealogy, playing board games, and watching movies with her family.
Coach Palmer and her husband have been happily married for 30 years and are proud parents of seven children and two grandchildren. Five of their children currently attend Lebanon City Schools, and two are members of the Lebanon High School swim team, while another swims for the Lebanon Torpedoes.
Coach Palmer is excited to help Warrior swimmers improve their technique, especially in the breaststroke, and to foster a positive, team-centered environment where athletes can grow and have fun.
