Meet our Coaches

Chris Fugmann

Chris started Highbridge Aquatics in the fall of 1990. Prior to that, he coached a Lexington team call Brookhill Swim Club for 6 years. Chris grew up in Lexington and participated with the Greater Lexington Swim Association (GLSA) for 12 years. As a youngster, Chris set 18 Kentucky State Records and one Kentucky High School State Record. His background also includes water polo, when in 1975, was an All-American on the United States Water Polo Team.

His coaching began during his college summers. Chris spent four summers as coach of the Lexington Country Club. As a college swimmer, Chris achieved All-American honors nine times and, in 1980, became an NCAA National Champion in the 400-yard IM. Chris graduated from Centre College in 1982 and was awarded the Jefferson Award, which combined athletics and academics. After graduation, he coached the Lansdowne Club for two seasons, and then founded the Brookhill Swim Club as a United States Swimming team. Eventually, he coached the Equestrian Woods team, which led Chris to start the Highbridge Aquatics team, which he coached for 26 years, from 1990 until merging this team with Kentucky Aquatics from 2016 until 2020. In the spring of 2020, he has gone back to coaching only Highbridge Aquatics. 

Coach Fugmann is responsible for administering the Highbridge Aquatics program and coaching all of the practice groups. He is married, with two daughters, and was the owner of Climate Control Corporation for 26 years, until 2013. Chris hopes to build a strong, thorough program in Central Kentucky that encompasses young swimmers from ages 5 to 18, which includes beginners as well as elite athletes. For over 50 years, Coach Chris Fugmann has competed and coached at every level of swimming, from age group swimming to the Olympic Trials.

 

 

Britt Fugmann

Hi there! I’m coach Britt! I swam for Highbridge for about 11 years growing up. Yes with Coach Chris (who’s also my dad). I graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2019 with a degree in nutrition and dietetics, and completed my dietetic internship through COVID (man was that wild). I love to be active, I love to read books, and I love food (which is why I have a degree in nutrition).

 

Liz Combs

Liz’s history with Highbridge Aquatics goes all the way back to the fall of 1992 when, as a little 8-year-old, she fell in love with the sport of swimming. Liz swam for HA until she graduated high school and continued to swim through the first few years of college at Asbury University before transferring to the University of Kentucky. During her college career, Liz coached HA for several years along with summers coaching at Spindletop Country Club and Equestrian Woods Country Club.

Liz is a faculty member in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at the University of Kentucky. She is a Registered Dietitian, and her past work experience revolves around outpatient counseling, most notably with pediatric clients and their families. Liz has been a perpetual lifelong learner with a master’s degree in Dietetics Administration and a doctoral degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion.

On the personal side, Liz loves to stay active and regularly participates in endurance events, including marathons and triathlons. She’s married to Brandon and has two kiddos (yes, they swim for HA!) Fun facts about Liz are that she loves anything Disney and enjoys having way too many cups of coffee each day. She is thrilled about the opportunity to return to coaching and invest in the sport, the HA team, and the individual swimmers.