The 58th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Swimming NSW was held at the Courtyard by Marriott North Ryde and via a Zoom webinar on Saturday, 22 July 2023. The event brought together attendees from across the state, including the Board of Directors, staff, area delegates, club delegates, and visitors.
The AGM commenced with Swimming NSW President Chris Fydler OAM extending a warm welcome to the delegates and acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wallumedegal people, on which the event took place. This was followed by a moment of silent remembrance to honour members who had passed during the year, including Dorothy Crouch, a Life Member of Maitland Swimming Club, Grant Stoelwinder, an Olympic Coach, and Joan Somerville OAM, who served as the President of Queenscliff Ladies SC for 40 years.
The meeting then proceeded with the acceptance of the Minutes of the Swimming NSW Special General Meeting held on December 11, 2022, which were taken as read and adopted as a true record.
The President presented the 126th Annual Report and Financial Statement for the period from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023. An overview of the financial statement was given by Board Member and Audit and Risk Committee Chair Kerryn Divall and this was followed by CEO Kirsten Thomson's report, which highlighted the challenges faced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. She commended Swimming NSW's resilience and growth in overcoming these hurdles.
In her report, Ms Thomson expressed gratitude to all Area committees, coaches, parents, volunteers, and clubs that contributed to the successful delivery of services and initiatives throughout the year, emphasising the importance of their support in achieving the organisation's vision of becoming the number one state in both performance and participation.
The CEO also acknowledged the organisation's ongoing investment in improving pathways programs across NSW to provide athletes with more options for development and training. She noted that Swimming NSW had made significant strides in its Performance Pathways Program, which included seven squads and teams comprising 207 swimmers and 72 coaches from 60 different NSW/ACT programs. Additionally, 48 swimmers from regional and metropolitan NSW were selected to participate in the Regional Development and Junior Development Programs.
During the 2022-2023 year Club Support Officers played a crucial role in supporting clubs across NSW, meeting face-to-face with approximately 115 swimming clubs and providing assistance through phone or Zoom to an additional 95 clubs. A highlight of the Area Development Program was the SAARS and JAARS Swim League Meet at SOPAC, an exciting event that showcased the future of the sport.
In terms of para development, Swimming NSW led the nation in the classification of swimmers, holding classification panels for approximately 80 swimmers since December 2022.
Swimming NSW congratulates Graeme Field and Chris Fydler OAM who were elected as directors through the nomination process, while the board once again showed its confidence in Chris who was re-appointed as President.
The AGM concluded with the presentation of Service Excellence and Life Member Awards to individuals who made exceptional contributions to the sport. Chris Hayes, Mark Payne, Lynn Lonngren, and Graham Towle OAM were honoured for their dedication and commitment to the swimming community. Read more in Celebrating state champions out of the water.
In his closing remarks, Chris Fydler expressed gratitude to all attendees for their active participation and contributions to Swimming NSW.
