Jean Holland, life member of Poole SC, has been awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Year’s Honours List for services to swimming following 70 years commitment to the sport. Joining Poole SC in 1947 aged 13 years, Jean gained her first ASA Teaching Award in 1955 and has since taught thousands of young swimmers at both Poole SC and Hamworthy Junior School. As a qualified official Jean has officiated at club, county, regional and national level, culminating in an invitation to officiate at the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh. A former county junior champion, and having established a Masters section at Poole SC in 1981, Jean continued to compete until well into her seventies and was a National Masters and World Masters medallist. Out of the pool, Jean has undertaken two separate terms as President of
Poole SC, as well as President of Western Counties ASA (now ASA South West) in 1967 and President of Dorset County ASA in 1969.
Bournemouth Collegiate’s Alice Tai has also been awarded an MBE for services to swimming in the New Year’s Honours List. Alice who turned 18 at the end of January competed for Team GB at the Paralympic games in Rio 2016 and brought home a relay gold in the Women’s 4 x 100m Medley relay and an individual bronze in the Women’s S10 100m Backstroke. Alice, who currently trains in Manchester, competes in the SB9 and S10 classifications.