Participating in the Olympic Games is not just a dream for athletes, but also for technical officials. This aspiration has been realized for swimming coach and technical official Trisa Cheer-Dunn, who has been a prominent presence at the national aquatic centre during various swimming competitions for over 15 years.
Trisa recently achieved her long-held goal of becoming a technical official at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. In her role, she will serve as a turn judge and will assist in the video review room during the event. Notably, Trisa becomes the first female swimming official from Fiji to officiate at the Olympics, following Dennis Miller, who was the first male official.
Expressing her excitement, Trisa stated, “It feels unreal. Now I got to tick that off my list.” She emphasizes the importance of encouraging more technical officials to gain experience, highlighting the constant need to stay updated on the ever-changing rules in the sport.
Trisa recalls the moment she confirmed her selection after checking the list of officials multiple times when she received the invitation from World Aquatics in February. Additionally, she officiated at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands, furthering her experience.
Throughout her career, Trisa has been motivated by the progress of her young swimmers as they transition from learning the basics to competing at higher levels. She became involved in officiating to help her swimmers avoid disqualifications due to a lack of knowledge about the rules.
While she no longer coaches as much, Trisa is still deeply involved in the logistics of swimming competitions, including organizing events and managing entries. She hopes to see more technical officials participating in future Games, noting that there are various levels of officials recognized in the sport.
World Aquatics recently recommended referees, with two other Fijians, Amelia Simpson and Susau Elaisa, also being recognized for their officiating roles. Trisa advocates for involving more young individuals, especially former swimmers, as they possess a better understanding of the sport.
Despite the challenges of officiating, including dealing with confrontational parents and coaches during disqualifications, Trisa encourages young officials to persevere, stating, “It’s going to get tough, but keep moving forward.”