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Cumbria ASA Hall of Fame
Roll of Honour
Wendy Burrell
Raymond Watson
Terry Lambert
Muriel Moffat
Graham Pearson
Judith Pearson
James Moore
(Click on the name for the citation)
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Introduction
In 2023, as part of the celebrations for the centenary of Cumbria ASA, the Cumbria Swimming Hall of Fame (CSHoF) was established to recognise the contribution, commitment, dedication and achievements of individuals (swimmers, coaches, technical officials, administrators) since the formation of Cumberland and Westmorland Amateur Swimming Association in July 1923.
This recognition is in addition to the position of Life Vice President of Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association which has existed for many years. A Life Vice President is “An officer (past or present) who has provided an outstanding contribution to the work of the Association over an extended period”. The notable difference between this and the Hall of Fame award is the individual's focus on delivering for the Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association at County and/or Regional and/or National level rather than operating as an officer at a club level.
Nominations for induction into the Hall of Fame will recognise those individuals, teams or clubs who were/are members of the Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association (1974 to present time) or the Cumberland and Westmorland Swimming Association (1923 to 1974) or prior to 1923 if sufficient verifiable evidence is available to support an award.
The award will be in the form of formal recognition by the Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association and induction into it's Hall of Fame along with listing on the Association's Roll of Honour. This will be held by the Association and displayed on its web-site.
Noting that the Association has existed for over 100 years it is recognised that some individuals or teams who would have met the criteria are no longer with us, therefore the potential for a posthumous award will be considered if appropriate.
Process
The process for nomination will be through a formal written submission to the Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association Executive Committee using a form that can be obtained from the secretary. The submission must have the support from the committee and chair of the club relating to the nomination. The Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association Executive Committee and the and Awards Sub-Committee may also nominate individuals, teams or clubs based on the criteria where there is no obvious link to either an existing affiliated club or former county swimming organisation.
A sub-committee of the Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association Executive will consider the evidence submitted against the criteria and confirm if the individual, team or club meet the criteria and will recommend induction into the CSHoF. The recommendation will be submitted to the Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association Executive Committee for ratification.
Submissions can be made to the panel at any time for consideration. Any submission that are rejected as failing to meet the criteria will have the reason formally recorded which will be submitted back to the respective club/body. A resubmission is not precluded if further supporting evidence is/becomes available. It is noted that some submissions relating to the early years of our organisation may have limited data available to support submission as comprehensive historic information may not be available and the best endeavours to obtain such detail will be taken into consideration.
Typical information which should be included in the citation;
- Swimmers, the events in which they competed, strokes swam, and the honours they achieved in those events e.g. finalist, winner, medallist etc.
- What they are doing now and if they have continued to contribute to the sport as a master’s swimmer, coach, official or administrator.
- Administrators/Officials/coaches, dates activities performed, post held (club/county/region/nationally), level of commitment to the sport, achievements, recognition attained.
Individuals, teams or clubs who are nominated will have the right to decline the offer of induction to the CSHoF if they so wish.
Criteria
- Individual or team with an outstanding achievement in the sport of “aqautics” who has represented Cumbria or country at National, European or International level.
- Junior or Senior National, European or World finalist ortitle holder in their respective aquatic discipline.
- Have provided aquatics with an extended, outstanding, dedicated contribution to coaching, officiating or administration.
- Have achieved significant recognition from a recognised swimming body or sports body for their contribution in the national/international world of aquatics.
- Have achieved significant milestones in aquatics e.g. English channel swimming.
The criteria and process for nomination for Life Vice President and for induction into the Hall of Fame will be reviewed periodically by the Cumbria Amateur Swimming Association Executive Committee.
Recognition
Individuals, teams or clubs that are inducted into the CSHoF will be presented with an appropriate memento to recognise their achievement and will be registered on the CSHoF Roll of Honour. It is hoped that as many as possible of the awards can be made at an event promoted by Cumbria ASA to honour the recipient(s) achievement(s).
Citations
Wendy Burrell
Athlete - inducted 2024
 
Olympic pool, Mexico
Rosie Huggon, Wendy Burrell, Jim Messenger - February 2024
Wendy learned to swim in the Open-Air Lido at Grange over Sands and then joined the Carlisle Secondary club as an 8-year-old when her father moved jobs with his employer and the family relocated to Carlisle. In 1965 at 13 years of age Wendy was the Cumberland & Westmorland Swimming Association junior 200 yards IM champion. In the following year (1966) she won her first English championship – the Girls 110 yards backstroke and in 1967 became a GB junior international.
Wendy completely dominated the scene in Cumberland and Westmorland as no other county swimmer had ever done. In 1967 (age 15) she won 11 junior and senior individual county championships setting 9 new county records, and in 4 events (including the 400 yards IM) her records were faster than the male equivalent – as was said at the time “the less said about the ‘stronger sex’ the better”.
In 1968, at age 16, she became the first Cumbrian swimmer to swim at an Olympic Games when swam for GB in the XIX Olympiad in Mexico where she finished 5th in the 200m backstroke final (only beaten by Australian and US swimmers) and 6th as the lead off swimmer in the 400m medley team.
In 1970 she was 5th in the 200m backstroke final (in a British record time) at the 9th Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh and a few weeks later was 4th in the 200m backstroke final at the European Aquatics Championships at Barcelona setting a European Record in the heats.
Wendy retired from competitive swimming in August 1971.
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Raymond Watson
Administrator - inducted 2024
Raymond's links with Kendal SC began in 1959 after moving to the town having joined the fire service, the start of a 65-year association with swimming. During his time with Kendal SC (formed 1886) Raymond held many roles including swimming
teacher, coach, team manager, committee member, chair, and press officer. He became secretary of Kendal SC in 1971 (when Cumbria ASA was called Cumberland and Westmorland Swimming Association), again in 1982 and he was also secretary of Troutbeck Bridge SC from 2000 until 2004.
Raymond retired as a coach in 2016 after 48 years and during this time, when he coached at both Kendal and Troutbeck Bridge SC he helped many hundreds of children learn to swim with a significant number going on to swim competitively at the local clubs.
Raymond was recognised by Kendal SC in 1988 as an Honorary Vice President and Life Member for his meritorious service and further recognition came in 2009 when he was invited by the Queen to attend a Buckingham Palace Garden party.
Raymond's service to swimming extended to Cumbria ASA and included two terms of office as County President in 2013 and 14,
and again in 2017.
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Terry Lambert
Administrator, technical official - inducted 2024
Terry's links to aquatic sports began with her involvement in the formation of Troutbeck SC in 1976 and the start of a nearly 50 year association with swimming, and in particular Synchronised Swimming (now Artistic Swimming).
She was a founder member of the Troutbeck SC committee and held almost all the committee roles culminating in 12 years as the club’s chair. Her involvement extended beyond the club as she was their representative on the Cumbria ASA Executive for over 30 years including two years as president in 2007 and 2008.
Terry's prime passion was Synchronised Swimming where she spent many hundreds of hours teaching and coaching the sport to young people who were looking for an alternative to competitive swimming. She was instrumental in establishing a county Synchronised Swimming championships in 1980 and was the county synchro secretary from 1982 until 1984. Such was her involvement and commitment that she became involved with officiating and became a national referee in 1987 and later an international judge. She travelled extensively in this role and officiated abroad at LEN and FINA events with the pinnacle being selected to officiate at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpa in 1998.
Terry was on the independent Disputes and Disciplinary Resolution Panel for the ASA/Swim England for over 27 years and was also the chair of the panel for several years until she had to step down due to changes in the Judicial process at Swim England.
Terry’s time in more recent years has been consumed with Saving Grange Lido (SGL), a derelict lido in the town. She was one of the ten Board Members that have worked towards the restoration of the 1932 outdoor pool; this included obtaining grant funding of several millions of pounds work to stabilise the structure.
Terry also has a connection to open water swimming with a 15-year involvement as an official (timekeeper and recorder) in BLDSA Windermere Championships (length of the lake).
In 2022/23 Terry joined the Cumbria ASA 50-100 festival group to support an event celebrating 100 years of swimming in Cumbria. As part of the July 2023 Festival Terry brought Artistic (Synchronised) Swimming back to the county with a display in the new Carlisle pool, the first time such an event has been seen in Cumbria in over 20 years.
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Muriel Moffat
Coach, administrator, technical official - inducted 2024
Muriel has served the sport of swimming for over 5 decades since she became involved with the City of Carlisle Club in 1985.
Initially joining the club to encourage one of her daughters to swim she was quickly off her balcony seat and onto poolside to help and soon became a qualified coach.
Muriel’s passion is encouraging the younger club members to swim but also ensuring they mastered and executed the strokes correctly as part of their swimming development. This talent with the junior members was recognised and in 1994 Muriel became the lead coach for the Carlisle Diddy league team a post which she has held for 30 years. During this period Muriel has
led the Carlisle Club many League titles and Grand Final victories - an outstanding achievement in this competition. Currently (2024) she is the lead for Carlisle Aquatics C&D Squads.
As well as time on the poolside Muriel also got involved in the administrative aspect of running a swimming club and played an active role over the years as the Carlisle club transitioned from Carlisle City to the City of Carlisle and to the present-day Carlisle Aquatics by ensuring her knowledge and experience of swimming and administration was shared for the benefit of all.
In among all this activity Muriel found time to become a qualified swimming official rising from the timekeeper in 1991 to a fully qualified referee in 2005 and has also contributed to the training and development of many Carlisle officials along the way.
Having represented Carlisle at the County Executive for over 15 years Muriel was elected as Cumbria President in 2011-12 in recognition of her contribution to the sport of swimming.
Muriel or “mother” as she is affectionately known continues to give her time unselfishly to the sport. She is highly respected in the county and a stalwart of Carlisle swimming. Her dedication to the sport is unquestionable and she is deeply respected by her peers, parents, and swimmers alike.
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Graham Pearson (1952 - 2018)
Athlete, coach, administrator - inducted 2025
Graham’s swimming achievements started as an age grouper in Huddersfield and ended when winning a bronze medal at the European Masters Championships held in Slovenia in September 2018. In between he competed in many, many competitions and achieved many honours.
Initially, he started swimming through his school - New College, Huddersfield in 1964. He won the Yorkshire boys 100m breaststroke at age 16 and in 1966/7 won the Yorkshire Open 100m and 200m breaststroke events. He was part of the GB under 16 squad at 200m breaststroke and swam in Berlin where he broke the British junior record in 1967.
In 1971 he went to Newcastle University to read chemistry and swam for the University and the English Universities teams. On graduation he entered the teaching profession in Newcastle. He was asked to help establish and coach at the City of Newcastle club. There was a decade or so from the early 80’s when his involvement was on the ‘back burner’ but he recommenced coaching at Tynedale (Hexham) and also started Masters swimming in the early 1990’s. He was an active member of Gateshead & Whickham ASC in the 1990’s and early 2000’s but in his swimming career he also swam for Hadrian Masters, Ren 96 (Renfrew), Carnegie, Carlisle Masters and latterly Carlisle Aquatics.
His competitive spirit took him to many venues and competitions the length and breadth of the UK but he also roamed the world!
He competed in the World Masters competitions at Sheffield in 1996, Budapest in 2000, Christchurch, New Zealand in 2002, Riccionne, Italy in 2004 and again in 2012, Stanford (San Francisco) in 2006, Gothenburg in 2010 and at the European Masters in Stockholm in 2005, Kranj (Slovenia) in 2007, Yalta in 2011, Eindhoven in 2013, London (2016) and finally in Kranj, Slovenia again in September 2018.
At the European Masters:
- he took the gold medal in the 55-59 category in both the 100m and 200m breaststroke in Kranj in 2007
- and at Eindhoven in the 60-64 category he was again 1st in the 100m and 200m breaststroke.
- he was the silver medallist at Yalta (55-59 category) and London (60-64 category) both in the 200m breaststroke and Eindhoven (60-64 category) in the 50m breaststroke;
- he was the bronze medallist at Kranj in 2007 in the 50m breaststroke and Stockholm in the 200m breaststroke in the 50-54 category.
He won medals at the World Masters:
- silver in 2002 in New Zealand in the 50-54 age category in the 200m fly,
- bronze in the 200m breaststroke 55-59 category in Gothenburg in 2010
- and bronze again in the 200m breaststroke at Riccionne in 2012 in the 60-64 category.
He held many GB records at both SC and LC:
- in the 50-54 category at 100m and 200m breaststroke;
- in the 55-59 category and the 60-64 category at 50, 100 and 200m breaststroke
- in the 65-69 category at 100m and 200m breaststroke at both long and short course.
His final competition was in September 2018 in Slovenia where he swam in the 65-69 age category:
- 3rd in the 100m breaststroke in 1.28.37 (7th September)
- 6th in the 50m breast in 39.67 (3rd September)
- 6th in the 200m breast in 3.21.32 (4th September)
- 11th in the 3Km open water in 53.55.5 (8th September)
He came to Carlisle in the early 2000’s and competed for Carlisle Masters and began coaching in 2011 once he retired from teaching. He was the Swimming Manager and A Squad Coach for Carlisle Aquatics.
Having helped establish Hadrian Masters he was the club secretary, registration officer and treasurer.
He was active within Cumbria ASA; he sat on the Executive Committee representing Carlisle Aquatics; was the county team manager for several years for the annual National Inter County Teams event at Sheffield; he represented Cumbria ASA on the Swim England North West masters committee.
In honour of his contribution Cumbria ASA nominated him as the President-Elect for Swim England North West, and he would have been elected as President in September 2019.
Shortly before his death, Graham was made Honorary President of Cumbria ASA in recognition of his service not only to his adopted county but for his enduring passion and involvement in competitive swimming for over 50 years.
He was posthumously honoured by the Masters swimming community by being named as the winner of the 2018 Cherriman Award. This was the first time in the 26-year history of the Award that it been presented posthumously.
(The Vivienne and Leonard Cherriman Award is an annual award, presented by the Home countries Masters Swimming Management Group to ‘the person or organisation who or which has done the most to promote and foster the cause of Masters swimming in Great Britain’.)
(Interesting fact: Graham's Swim England membership number was 1893.)
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Judith Pearson
Athlete - inducted 2025
 
Judy Pearson and Jim Messenger - January 2025
Judy started swimming when she was 10 years old and represented Scotland as a junior in the late 1970's but then had to stop swimming due to a back injury which required surgery. She restarted her competitive swimming in 1997 and has been competing at a myriad of masters events ever since.
Judy has held multiple county, national, European and World records records since she began competing in masters in various strokes and distances and has repeatedly broken the British and European records for 100m Fly, 200m Fly and 200M IM.
To list her career successes would be very complicated but to try to give some idea of Judy's longevity and range of achievements:
- In 2005 she set a SC world record in the 100m fly in the 45-49 age group in a time of 1:07.65 and broke a record which had stood for nearly ten years.
- At the World Masters Championships in Gothenburg in 2010 she set championship records in 50-54 years 200m fly and 200m IM and won all five of the events she entered - 50/100/200m fly and 200/400m IM (she doesn't take the easy option!).
- More recently:
- In 2022 she was the European champion for the Womens 60-64 years 100m Fly and 200m Fly and 2nd in the 200m IM.
- At the 2024 European championships in Belgrade she was 1st in the 60-64 years 200m fly, 100m breast and 200m IM and 50m fly (in a championship record time) and 2nd in the 100m fly.
- In Doha at the 2024 World Championships she won 200m Fly setting a championship record.
- Judy has won the Women's British Swimming Masters Decathlon Competition in 2022, 2023 and 2024. (This competition is an annual one in which swimmers accumulate points for up to 10 swims out of the 18 different swimming events available.)
- At the time of writing (January 2025) Judy:
- Holds virtually every Cumbria record in the 45-49, 50-54, 55-59 and 60-64 year age groups;
- Holds a number of British SC records including from 100m fly set in 2005 in the 45-49 age group and the record in the same event set in 2021 in the 60-64 age group;
- Holds the British LC records for 100m fly and 200m fly in the 60-64 years age group;
- Holds the European 60-64 years record for 100m fly set in 2020 at Carlisle.
- Is the current British champion (for 2024) for 60-64 years age group at 50m and 200m fly.
Judy is still involved in Carlisle Aquatics in coaching when she can and training with and leading the masters sessions. All of her records and achievements have been accomplished whilst working full time running her own physiotherapy business, and being a mother and grandmother. She is truly inspirational.
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Administrator - inducted 2025
James Moore was instrumental in establishing the Cumberland and Westmorland Swimming Association and gave a lifetime of service to swimming at club, county and district/regional level.
James Moore is first recorded as a swimmer in 1904 swimming in a handicap race at a gala in Wigton swimming pool. He was secretary/treasurer of Wigton S&WPC by 1911.
In 1913 he was canvassing opinion amongst aquatic organisations in Cumberland (and doubtless Westmorland and Furness) about the creation of a county wide association; there are newspaper accounts in April and May of 1913 noting his contact with Carlisle ASC and the Maryport Regatta Club seeking their views. Nothing further is recorded (presumably because of WW1) until 1923 when there were meetings in June and July which led to the creation of Cumberland & Westmorland Swimming Association on July 3rd 1923.
Mr Moore was by this time living in Carlisle, working as a solicitor’s clerk and was secretary/treasurer of the re-formed Border City SC; he was the first secretary/treasurer of C&WSA and served in these positions until 1928. He was chairman of C&WSA from 1936 to 1946 and was elected as President for 1944.
From 1936 until 1947 he was the local officer for C&WSA to Northern Counties ASA and on his retirement from that position was elected as an Hon.Vice president of NCASA for life in recognition of his work over many years with the NCASA.
In 1926 he and a Mr. R W Pickering donated a silver trophy that was known as ‘The Cumberland and Westmorland Squadron Championships Trophy’. (Current whereabouts unknown.)
In 1930 he became chairman of the Cumberland Handicapping Board; in 1936, 1938 and 1939 trophies were presented to C&WSA by the Handicapping Board for use in the championships from the proceeds of handicapping fees. (Two of these trophies are still in use.)
In 1929 he was elected as the first life member of C&WSA in recognition of his services: the citation reads ‘Mr Moore was the sole parent of the association having conceived and organised it and being the principal instrument in the success which it has achieved.’
In the 1920's and 1930's he was a judge and starter at swimming competitions and a water polo referee at club and county events.
In 1947 he was elected as a permanent honorary vice president of C&WSA.
He died in 1964 and a trophy was purchased in his memory – this is still in use. It was allocated initially to the Men’s 50 yards championship (freestyle) but was reallocated to the 100 yards butterfly championship 1968 when the 50 yards championship was discontinued for several years. For reasons unknown the first engraving of this trophy was in 1968.
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