Participating in the Olympic Games is not just a goal for athletes; it is also a significant aspiration for technical officials. For Trisa Cheer-Dunn, a swimming coach and technical official, this dream is becoming a reality as she prepares to serve at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Trisa is a well-known presence at the national aquatic center, routinely attending every swimming event, from club competitions to national and regional meets. After dedicating over 15 years to her role, she has achieved her objective of becoming a technical official at the Olympics. Trisa will serve as a turn judge and will also be involved in the video review room during the Games.
Notably, Trisa will be the first female swimming official from Fiji to officiate at an Olympics, following in the footsteps of Dennis Miller, who was the first Fijian swimming technical official at the Olympic level. “It feels unreal. Now I got to tick that off my list,” she expressed.
Trisa encourages more technical officials from her home country to get involved, emphasizing that experience is invaluable, and keeping up with the frequently changing rules is crucial. “When you come to the Olympics, there are always changes in procedures, and all those happen behind the scenes,” she noted.
She discovered her selection when checking the list of officials multiple times after receiving an invitation from World Aquatics in February of this year. Trisa also served as a technical official at the 2023 Pacific Games held in Honiara, Solomon Islands, last December.
Her long-standing passion for swimming stems from witnessing young swimmers progress from learning to swim to competing at a high level. “It’s not about being an elite swimmer,” she stated. Trisa became an official to ensure that children would not be disqualified due to her lack of knowledge of the rules. She attended a technical official workshop to gain the necessary expertise to coach her swimmers effectively.
Trisa recalls telling her athletes at competitions, “I don’t care if you finish last, but don’t get disqualified. Once you don’t get disqualified, we can work on your speed and other things.” She found it disheartening when her swimmers faced disqualifications, which prompted her to take on official duties.
While her coaching role has diminished over the years, she continues to engage in various official responsibilities, including organizing competitions and scheduling events. Trisa hopes to see a greater number of technical swimming officials in future competitions.
Different levels of technical officials, classified as gold, silver, and bronze, require national federations to nominate individuals who have officiated at a minimum of two national meets prior to the relevant games. Recently, World Aquatics recommended referees based on their qualifications, noting two other officials from Fiji: Amelia Simpson, listed as a referee, and Susau Elaisa, listed as a starter.
Trisa aspires to encourage younger individuals to take up officiating roles, particularly former swimmers who have a deeper understanding of the sport. “It’s sad; we lack in numbers on the pool deck in terms of stroke judges and turn judges,” she indicated.
Despite facing challenges, Trisa highlights the importance of volunteers and timekeepers in every club. She acknowledged that although several workshops have been conducted to encourage clubs to send representatives, many are reluctant to step forward due to the pressure from parents and coaches during disqualifications.
“To upcoming and young officials, my advice is to never give up. It’s going to get tough, but keep moving forward,” Trisa concluded.