Trisa Cheer-Dunn, a swimming coach and technical official, has achieved her long-standing dream of officiating at the Olympic Games, specifically at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics.
With over 15 years of experience in the field, Trisa is a well-known presence at various swimming events held at the national aquatic center, including club competitions and regional meets. She will serve as a turn judge and will also work in the video review room during the Games. While she is the second Fijian swimming official to officiate at an Olympics, she holds the distinction of being the first female from Fiji to take on this role.
Expressing her disbelief at receiving the opportunity, Trisa stated, “It feels unreal. Now I got to tick that off my list.” She encourages more technical officials in Fiji to gain experience, emphasizing the importance of staying updated on rules, which frequently change, especially at major events like the Olympics.
Trisa first saw her name on the list of officials from World Aquatics in February of this year, having previously officiated at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands. She shared her passion for swimming, noting that her motivation comes from witnessing children progress from learning how to swim to performing at a competitive level.
Her journey into officiating began out of frustration when her swimmers faced disqualifications due to rule misunderstandings. To address this, she attended a technical official workshop to better understand the rules, believing that ensuring her swimmers were not disqualified was a priority over their finishing position in competitions.
Currently, while Trisa may not coach as much as she once did, she remains heavily involved in the organization of swimming events. She hopes to see a rise in the number of technical officials at future competitions. There are different levels of technical officials, and nominations are based on prior officiating experience at national meets.
Additionally, World Aquatics has begun recommending referees, with two other Fijians included on the officials’ list. Trisa, who is also a member of the world technical committee, stresses the need for more young officials, particularly those who are former swimmers, as they possess a better understanding of the sport.
Trisa acknowledged the challenges faced by officials on the pool deck and the reluctance of volunteers to step forward, largely due to the pressure from parents and coaches during competitions. She has developed a tougher exterior over the years and advises upcoming officials to persist through difficulties and continue advancing in their roles.