King's birthday honour for para-swimming official

Tony Ward has attended Paralympic Games to oversee technical aspects of the competitions

A swimming coach from Wolverhampton has been recognised in the King’s birthday honours.

Tony Ward, 69, has been awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to swimming and para swimming.

A former competitive swimmer, he went on to join the board of the Staffordshire Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and is now a life member of the association.

He said he was emotional and very proud to have been given the honour.

“I had so much fun myself as a competitive swimmer, and as a masters swimmer, that I felt I needed to give something back to the sport,” he said of his contributions.

A citation provided by the government said he was often the first person on poolside and the last one to leave when he is officiating at a competition.

Mr Ward said he first got into swimming when his PE teacher “pushed him” into the swimming pool while he was at school and he discovered he had a talent for racing in the water.

He pursued competitions to national level and when he was older he joined a masters swimming club for over-25s.

Mr Ward took a European team record, and has also taken part in European and world championships.

Aside from competing, he has worked with national committees to develop the National Masters Championships as an elite competition which adult swimmers strive to qualify for.

He also became involved in Paralympic swimming as an official overseeing the technical aspects of the competitions and was appointed to the Paralympic Games in Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 as well as Paris 2024.

He was awarded the ASA Silver Pin for long service.

“Swimming’s been my life, and it’s been quite a journey really,” he said.

He met his wife through the sport, and she was Wolverhampton captain when they were younger, he said.

He also finds time to volunteer as a motorcycle rider for the NHS, delivering urgent supplies of blood and other requirements to hospitals within a large area.