Our Team

Sam Magree

Sam is the Director of the Saltwater Institute and the classroom teacher for this year’s Program.  Sam completed his teaching degree in 1998 in Physical Education, Health and Science and has since taken teaching positions throughout Victoria, Western Australia and England.

For the past ten years Sam has overseen Mansfield Secondary College’s Mt Buller Annex throughout Term Three.  This hugely successful program sees young alpine athletes undertake intensive ski and snowboard coaching every morning, before attending school in the afternoon with a unique Alpine focused curriculum.  It was through seeing firsthand the incredible benefits students gained in this environment that led to the development of The Saltwater Institute and the #inthepipeline curriculum.

When not on the Mountain Sam lives in Jan Juc with his young family.  His love of the ocean and wilderness, experience within this model as well as his passion for alternate educational settings make him the perfect fit for Saltwater Institute classrooms.

  • B.App.Sci Physical Education (1998)

    Held teaching Positions in Melbourne, Country Victoria, Perth and Oxford England.

    Three year term as De La Salle College’s Director of Leadership.

    Head Teacher at Mansfield Secondary College’s Mt Buller Annex.

    Completing Masters in Educational Leadership

Dan Ross

As a kid in Northern New South Wales, Dan dreamed of being a pro surfer. That dream landed him on the ASP World Tour, with a well-earned reputation for powerful surfing in challenging conditions. Today he hunts big waves, coaches young surfers and is a spokesperson for environmental causes.

Dan was the first athlete to become a 1% For the Planet member, donating 1% of his annual income to non-profit, grass-root conservation organisations. His unique approach to giving back subsequently lead to him to becoming an Ambassador for 1% For The Planet, Patagonia and B-Corp.

Dan is also a Co-Founder of OneForLife®, a movement with the vision of reducing single use plastic bottles from entering our precious oceans and waterways.

‘We want to revolutionise and change the way people think about refilling and reusing their water bottles, inviting them to be a part of solutions that alleviate plastic pollution in their local community and on our planet’ – Dan Ross.

  • Qualified Surf Coach since 2008

    Qualified Surf Coach since 2008

    Started Coaching and Mentoring WT Athletes in 2009

    Coached Sally Fitzgibbons, Julian Wilson, Wiggly Dantes, Mark Mathews, Frankie Harrer, Dakoda Walters, Josh Grange, Lochy Grange + other Athletes and young surfers.

    Simultaneously Competed and Coached at the Elite level of Surfing.

    WQS Champion 2009

    1% For the Planet Ambassador

    Patagonia Ambassador

    B-Corp Ambassador

Cahill Bell-Warren

Growing up on the hill at Bells Beach, Cahill naturally found surfing. He started competing before the age of 10 at the Torquay Boardriders Club, working his way through the various pathway events around the Victoria. Cahill progressed through the Victorian domestic events quietly. Not the most naturally gifted surfer, it wasn’t until he hit the Pro Junior Series that he really hit his straps, highlighted by his performance at the Fantastic Noodles Intense Wave Challenge, the first ever big wave junior event of its kind in the world in perfect 20-25ft conditions. 

As a WQS competitor, Cahill finished inside the top 100 surfers in the world in 2014, his most notable result a 5th place at the 6 Star Burton Toyota Pro at Merewether. Also in 2014, he won the Rip Curl Pro Trials, earning him a start in the infamous Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach. 

Now he juggles his professional surfing career with coaching, working with international athletes both at home and abroad. Most notably coaching Carissa Moore to back to back Rip Curl Pro crowns in 2014 and 2015. Cahill is currently employed by Surfing Victoria as the State High Performance Coaching Director, working with the state’s elite athletes building them towards their own goals both in and out of the water. 

Mitchell Barrow

For the past 17 years Mitch has worked as a Performance Coach and Movement Specialist, working with athletes (national and international) and the general public to enhance movement ability, self awareness and total function of the body. Experience has taught Mitch that the body and mind are not separate, and that quite often overcoming physical barriers can help to understand ourselves and the blockages we have.

Mitch’s search to enhance total performance (for self and other) has lead him to investigate and immerse in many different disciplines, from Traditional Physical Conditioning to Yoga Practice, Chinese Philosophy, Developmental Movement and Western Psychology as well as contemplative practices such as Meditation/Relaxation and Breathing Dynamics.

Mitch has spent time in elite sport both as an athlete and coach, consulting to a range of sporting organisations including ; Melbourne Kestrels Netball, Surfing Victoria Elite Junior Program, Victorian Institute of Sport, Geelong and Bellarine Football Leagues. He has also spent the last 15 years working as a Mentor Coach for the Bluearth Foundation which focuses on training coaches and school teachers in using movement education to develop self worth, self awareness and self esteem.

Surfing has been a constant in Mitch’s life for the past 25 years and it is what he would do all day if he could. Surfing and the ocean has taken him all over the world and has some provided some incredible peak experiences. He currently works with surfers, helping them prolong their surfing life through his business Live Better Longer. He’s consulted to the Quiksilver International Surf Team, and worked with elite Victorian Junior surfers, as well as local guns WCT surfer Nick Mushcroft and WQS surfers Adam Robinson and Jack Perry.

  • Bachelor of Applied Science (Human Movement), Deakin University

    Diploma in Recreation – Sport Coaching, Victoria University

    Level 2, Strength and Conditioning Coach

    Breathing Integration Teacher

Linley Hurrell

Growing up in rural South Gippsland, along the shores of the 90 Mile Beach, Linley learnt to surf from the age of 5. Throughout her childhood she was heavily involved in competitive surf life saving but surfing was Linley's true calling.  It wasn’t long before she fell in love with the right hand point breaks of the Surf Coast after coming to Torquay for the junior Surf Life Saving State Titles. At the age of 15, Linley landed her first job in the Surf Industry, working for various surf stores around the state as she completed high school and went on to study at Monash University. 

Linley chose to move to Torquay at the age of 20 to pursue her surfing while juggling studying a double degree in Arts and Secondary Education (majoring in Geography and Environmental science). Linley landed herself a job as a surf coach at a local surf school where she fell in love with passing on her passion of surfing and the ocean and it's environments. 

Following the completion of her studies at Monash University, Linley decided to travel and experience the world that she would ultimately teach her students about. She went on to travel and surf throughout South America for 6 months, then flew to Canada, where she spent a year in Banff, Alberta, where she worked for Quiksilver and pursued snowboarding in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Linley returned to the Surf Coast in 2016 to begin her first year of teaching at Camperdown College. However, due to a serious accident she had to resign her position and walk away from students and a school that she truly loved. 

Following her resignation, Linley spent the next 18 months in extensive rehabilitation and therapy for her injuries. She responded particularly well to physiotherapy, so it was decided amongst her medical team that returning to surfing would be Linley's outlet for recovery. At about the same time, Linley would have to find work in a much more sedate and accommodating environment to her injuries.  She was lucky enough to score herself a position with Patagonia in Torquay. This is where Linley truly found her place in the world, beginning in retail, as Patagonia's 'shop grom', to introducing Worn Wear into all Australian retail stores and being Torquay's lead campaigner on the Big Oil Don't Surf campaign against drilling in the Bight, as well as currently completing her ambassadorship with Patagonia. 

Linley has an incredible passion for both surfing and the environment, which is evident in her knowledge both in and out of the classroom. She now brings this knowledge and passion to The Saltwater Institute as our resident Environmental Science Teacher.