Erin Collis - Swimming
Australian Sports Commission
Erin Collis’s mother was a scout leader and a huge advocate of community service and Collis always knew she’d follow suit … she just didn’t expect to do it as a swimming official. The 42-year-old started in the sport when her children joined a local swimming club after the family moved from
Cairns to Townsville in 1999. Collis said she did became involved largely to meet people, but didn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen making food or sitting in the stands spectating. Now, as her son Blake has progressed as a local and state representative swimmer, so has Collis—as an official. She juggles her officiating with raising a family and working as a police officer in Townsville’s Traffic Branch and says the parallels between her day job and officiating are very similar. “I never realised it straight away, but with both you’re watching people, you’re examining people and you’re penalising people for doing the wrong thing. It’s beyond reasonable doubt the same as in swimming.” With the help of her National Officiating Scholarship, Collis hopes to go to become a FINA referee and officiate at a world championships or commonwealth games.
