Trisa Cheer-Dunn, a swimming coach and technical official, has achieved her dream of officiating at the Olympic Games, specifically the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics. After dedicating over 15 years to the sport, she will serve as a turn judge and work in the video review room during the event. This accomplishment makes her Fiji’s first female swimming official to take part in the Olympics, following Dennis Miller, Fiji’s previous technical official at the Games.
Trisa expressed a sense of disbelief at reaching this milestone, stating, “It feels unreal. Now I got to tick that off my list.” She emphasized the importance of encouraging more technical officials in Fiji, noting that staying updated with the constantly changing rules is essential for the job. Trisa highlighted her commitment to swimming and her motivation comes from watching young swimmers progress from learning to swim to competing at higher levels.
Her journey into officiating began when she realized that many of her students frequently faced disqualifications during competitions due to her lack of knowledge about the rules. Determined to address this, she attended a technical official workshop to better equip herself and her swimmers.
While her coaching duties have decreased, Trisa continues to handle a variety of official responsibilities, including organizing competitions and managing event schedules. She hopes to see an increase in swimming technical officials in future events.
The classification for technical officials includes different levels such as gold, silver, and bronze, with national federations nominating individuals who have officiated at two national meets. Recently, World Aquatics has recommended referees based on a list, with two other officials from Fiji also being recognized.
Trisa expressed a desire to get more young people involved in officiating, as former swimmers typically possess a better understanding of the sport. Despite some reluctance from clubs to send representatives to workshops, she remains committed to building a stronger officiating community, advising emerging officials to persevere despite challenges and confrontations.