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Cumbria ASA Hall of Fame
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).
Roll of Honour
Wendy Burrell
Swimmer - 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.
She retired from competitive swimming in August 1971.
The Wendy Burrell Trophy
After Wendy’s return from Mexico Colin Dobson editor of Cumberland Newspapers established the Wendy Burrell trophy. A panel of judges was invited by the editor to assess annually the greatest achievement by a swimmer under the age of 21 in Cumberland. (Later this was extended to include Westmorland.)
Wendy was the first winner of the trophy for 1968 and was presented with the trophy in January 1969 and again in 1971 for her performances in the 1970 European Championships. The trophy was presented for several more years and it seems to have been repurposed by Cumberland Newspapers in 1980. After that the trophy disappeared from view until it was rediscovered over 40 years later during the clearance of the James Street pool in Carlisle. It has now been restored following the decision by Cumbria ASA to reintroduce the trophy. Wendy made the initial presentation to the 2024 County Championships top swimmer - Amber Rigg of Cockermouth SC.
Wendy has handed back to the county a silver salver which she had been presented with in 1971 by Cumberland and Westmorland Swimming Association in recognition of holding all 10 Ladies County records for all the strokes at 100 and 220 yards and the 4x100 yards Ifour of which were faster than the men’s records !
Wendy Burrell, a remarkable lady and swimming champion.
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