Flip Retires

For those of you who know Flip Filippelli, you are aware of his dedication to swimming in Canada. Flip recently retired from his position as Canada's representative on the FINA Committee and has decided to tone down his activities within the swimming community. When Swim BC was asked for Flip's Bio 7 pages were received of not only his swimming achievements but also included were accomplishments in many other worthwhile volunteer organizations such as the Paraplegic Association, Junior Chamber of Commerce, Canadian Red Cross Society, the Scouts and Rotary.

Flip's motor accomplishments in swimming go back almost 40 years and he has held many positions such as President of Swim BC at least twice, President of Swim Canada and President of the Aquatic Federation of Canada again at least twice. He has been Registrar of BC Officials, Chair of the National Officials Committee and Director of so many swimming related Organizations and committees that a separate newsletter will be required to list them all.

His awards include the Air Canada Sports Administrator of the Year, Inductee BC Swimming Hall of Fame, Inductee Aquatic Hall of Fame of Canada (Twice), Swim Canada President's Award, Swim Canada Administrator of the Year Award and Sport BC Official of the Year to name a few.

More recently, Flip has been Canada's Representative on the FINA Technical Committee and SNCs Competition Committee.

Flip's ranking as an Official is so high there is no level ever mode into which he can be categorized. Suffice to say that he has attended all the Pan Am Games since 1979, all the Commonwealth Games since 1978, all the World Championships since 1979 and all the Olympics since 1984. His officiating career was crowned in 1996 when Flip refereed the Ladies events in the Atlanta Olympics.

Now we all know that when one retires, one can be busier than ever and I happen to know that Flip still works the occasional meet and was seen doing Stroke and Turn in Richmond the other day. 1 see also that he is on the Swimming Canada Technical Committee as a Technical Advisor.

Please join all the membership of the BCSOA in wishing Flip all the best in the future. If you see him, he has some great war stories to tell .............. Paul Jenkins

As an additional note, I think that Flip represented what we all got into the sport for in the first place. We may stay for the comraderie, etc. but we all came to help the swimmer in the first place. The best single feature of Flip, in my humble opinion, was that he never lost sight of that.

Duncan Laidlow