PAM Weste was presented with an award from Swimming NSW this month for achieving her referee, starter and open water referee status for the Federation Internationale De Natation (FINA), but her journey that began at the Inverell swimming pool has taken decades.
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Pam said she became a technical official at Inverell when her children started swimming, and began by just helping out at the pool on club nights. Her children are now 26 and 28-years-old.
At the time, she had no idea she could be a race starter, but said the fact that she came from a rural town was never, and should never, be a deterrent.
“Sometimes you might have to look a little harder to find it, sometimes it takes more time and a bit more money, and bit more dedication than if you’ve got it just around the corner. But maybe that extra bit of effort makes it all the more special,” Pam said.
“I’ve followed the same pathway that may other technical officials have. You’re there to support your children, you get credentials and do things and become more qualified as time goes on.”
When technical officials from Sydney came to the area championships one year to complete assessments on the referees, Pam was asked to be the starter so everyone else could be tested.
“At the end of it, they approached me and asked me if I would be prepared to go to Sydney and do some starting at state level, and it sort of went on from there,” Pam said.
Opportunities for training and mentoring with some very experienced state level starters followed. She was then encouraged to apply to work at the nationals, where Pam eventually got the appointment with FINA.
“Everything is done by appointment,” she said.
Pam achieved her level three starter status, which was the first requirement of an application to FINA.
“You have to work at a certain number of meets to achieve that, and from then on it was just a matter of applying and waiting to see what happened,” Pam said.
“I applied the first year, and I thought I only really had one chance at it, but I knew I wouldn’t get that. I just wanted to let them know that there was an interest.
“Due to a little loophole, I got the opportunity to apply for a second time, and that was the application that put me onto the list.”
Her role has given Pam the opportunity for overseas travel, but she said there were a lot of appointments at national level in Australia.
“Next year the State Open meet will be the Olympic trials, so all the referees and starters there are required to be FINA listed,” Pam said.
“And it all started at the Inverell pool.”
