The 4th - 10th March is NSW Women’s Week and we are featuring some of Swimming NSW’s fantastic women. From coaching to officiating to swimmers and staff we have some great women who pioneer and inspire in our sport and in NSW. Next is Kirsten Thomson OLY who is Swimming NSW's CEO.
- What inspired you to get involved with Swimming NSW, and how has your journey within the association empowered you as a woman in sports leadership?
Swimming has been a big part of my life as an athlete and throughout my career post sport. The opportunity to lead the sport that gave me so much is a privilege and I love coming to work every day. An important part of my role as CEO is to empower a new generation of women to embark on a journey to become sports leaders and inspire them to reach their potential.
- As we are in Women’s Week and you are a woman making waves in the swimming community, what initiatives do you champion to promote inclusivity and gender equality within the sport?
We are fortunate to be a sport that has great representation of female participants both in and out of the pool. Our membership, our board and committees all have great balance. But there is more to do to ensure our sport becomes increasingly inclusive by removing barriers for participation. We have wonderful programs in place such as our Body Confident initiative developed in partnership with our Youth Advisory Panel and we look forward to announcing new initiatives in the future.
- How do you suggest we navigate challenges and break barriers to encourage more women to pursue roles in coaching, officiating, or administration within Swimming NSW?
We know that women often doubt their capability when considering taking on new opportunities, particularly in the workplace – part of our role is to build confidence and provide opportunities for growth to our female athletes, officials, coaches and administrators. We need to inspire the next generation of women and girls and an important part of achieving this is ensuring we have visible female leaders both in and out of the pool.
- As we celebrate Women's Week, could you share a memorable experience or achievement that highlights the strength and resilience of fellow female swimmers, coaches, or administrators in NSW?
The achievement of Australia’s female swimmers is beyond question when you look at our history of Olympic and Paralympic success – we have produced some of the greatest female athletes in history in our sport. These women who fearlessly represent our country in the pool inspire our nation, they encourage our communities to be active and to pursue their dreams. This was most evident during the pandemic and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics – they gave everyone at home watching hope, excitement and a sense of belonging.
- From grassroots to elite levels, how do you envision the future of women's swimming in NSW, and what steps are crucial to ensuring equitable opportunities and recognition for female athletes and leaders in the sport?
The future for females participating and working in swimming is bright – but there is work to do. We must continue our focus on female athlete health and wellbeing, provide more opportunities to our female coaches and administrators and constantly strive to remove barriers. To do this, we must actively listen and engage with women and girls involved in our sport.
