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Day: 23 April 2026

Open Water Technical Officials Theory Training Sessions

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Swim England Open Water Technical Officials Course. These will be delivered as interactive video presentations via Zoom.

We are pleased to announce the next series of theory training sessions for Open Water Technical Officials. These will be delivered as interactive video presentations via Zoom.

You only need to attend one session to complete this stage of your training. Please let Paul Kendall know your preferred date and time from the list below, and he will send over the invitation and log-in details:

  • Thursday 14 May 2026: 09:00 – 12:00
  • Thursday 14 May 2026: 18:00 – 21:00
  • Saturday 30 May 2026: 09:00 – 12:00

Requirements:

  • Membership: You must be a current member of Swim England, Swim Wales, or Swim Scotland.
  • Practical Training: To become fully qualified, you will also need to complete practical training at suitable Open Water events (typically regional championships). 
  • Fees: There is a fee for the license, which mirrors the costs for other discipline licenses, and is currently set at £20 for the initial license.

There is plenty of capacity on these training sessions, so please feel free to share this information with anyone else who might be interested. Prospective trainees can contact Paul Kendall directly to register at  [email protected]. Minimum age for participants is recommended to be 16.

Welcome to our new East Region President Max Paines

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Max has been involved in swimming since 1999, when his children joined City of Ely Swimming Club. Like many parents, he began by volunteering poolside during training sessions, before becoming more involved behind the scenes as a committee member. Over the years, Max has taken on a range of roles, including membership, awards, vice chair, and leading the introduction of officials’ training within the club.

Max began his technical official training in 2005 and is now qualified as a starter. Although Max once expected his involvement to reduce as his children’s swimming commitments declined, this changed when his daughter Sarah went on to complete her referee training. Since then, Max has remained actively involved, and it continues to be a privilege to support swimmers and watch their development.

Max has had the great honour to serve as President of Cambridgeshire and still be City of Ely’s President. He now looks forward to his role as East Region President, where he is excited to be supporting and promoting all aquatic disciplines.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Ann Byrne for her time as Regional President, and for all her support enthusiasm she has provided our athletes and volunteers at the many events she has attended during her time in post.