Grant Sanders
Grant Sanders
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 3x Olympic Trials Qualifier
- 2021 Olympic Trials Semifinalist (200 IM)
- 3x NCAA Division 1 Championship Qualifier
- Multiple Top 8 Finishes at USA Nationals
- SEC Championship Medalist (2nd, 3rd, and 5th place finishes)
- Ranked Top 6 in the Nation for 400 IM (2020)
- 5th Fastest 200 Breaststroke in University of Florida history
Grant Sanders is an elite competitive swimmer and passionate coach based in St. Petersburg, Florida. A graduate of the University of Florida, Grant spent three seasons racing for the Gators after beginning his collegiate career at the University of Arizona. He continues to train and compete at a world-class level with his sights set on qualifying for the USA National Team and the 2026 USA Nationals.
Grant brings a powerful combination of high-performance experience and athlete-centered coaching to every clinic he leads. He spent two years coaching with FAST Aquatics in Ocala and currently works with swimmers at St. Petersburg Aquatics, where he emphasizes technique, gratitude, and resilience. His coaching style reflects a genuine appreciation for the sport and a desire to help athletes discover their full potential in and out of the water.
Growing up in a highly athletic family, Grant was introduced to swimming at seven years old and quickly became part of a true swimming household. His father, Gary, and uncle, Gregg, were accomplished swimmers, and his mother, Jody, was a dedicated endurance athlete. As the oldest of four siblings, Grant watched his brother Payton become a successful multisport competitor and state finalist, and his youngest sister, Janae, rise through the ranks to become one of the nation’s top college-recruited swimmers.
Grant’s journey has also been shaped by profound adversity. His younger brother, Vance, was a swimming prodigy who held five Florida state records by the age of fourteen. When Vance tragically lost his life to suicide at fifteen, Grant and his family were devastated. In the midst of unimaginable loss, they created VanceLives, a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention and mental-health awareness. Their annual swim-a-thon honors Vance’s legacy and supports families facing similar struggles.
Through grief and healing, Grant found renewed purpose. Janae—only five at the time of Vance’s passing—became a beacon of hope, and watching her grow into an A+ student and championship-caliber athlete continues to inspire him. Today, Grant channels the gratitude, strength, and perspective gained from his life’s highs and lows into his training and his coaching.
With every Fitter & Faster clinic, Grant strives to make a meaningful impact. He leads with energy, empathy, and technical mastery, guiding swimmers to build confidence, develop resilience, and become the best version of themselves both in and beyond the pool.
