Dorothy ‘Dot’ Padget
Swimming Builder - Inducted 2019
Dorothy worked her way up through the judges ranks in the sport of synchronized swimming (renamed Artistic Swimming in 2017) to ultimately become a ‘Level A’ FINA judge, the highest designation there is. She judged more than fifty international competitions in more than twenty countries worldwide. Involved in the sport since the late 1960s to 2019, she also wrote judge’s training materials and was a clinic leader – where she mentored and evaluated both athletes and officials. Dorothy served on boards, committees, and held administrative roles, which included the UANA (North, South Central America Aquatic) Masters committees from 2007 to 2019.
From 1970 to 1985, Dorothy earned her various levels of accreditation in Canada. Once she made the FINA officials list in 1985, she travelled internationally with the National, Provincial and Club teams until retiring from FINA in 2015. She judged World Championships, World Cup events, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Games and many other high profile International competitions. Highlights included judging the 2015 FINA World Masters Championships, the 2015 Pan American Games, the 2008 Olympic Qualifiers in Beijing, and the 1990 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand.
Dorothy also trained and developed beginner and intermediate level officials in Calgary and throughout Alberta. She worked tirelessly to enhance judging for others as she wrote numerous manuals and handbooks - which created a valuable resource for the sport. Dorothy revised and produced the Judges Training and Accreditation (J-TACS) Level II Manual in 1985. She helped develop the Synchro Alberta Figures Official program and developed the Officials Handbook. She was instrumental in continuing the development of training manuals for judges and produced the International Officials Handbook.
Dorothy was the sole clinician at FINA Seminars in Jamaica in 2003 and Calgary in 2008. She also served on the FINA (International Federation) Masters subcommittee developing Technical Elements. Active in numerous areas of the sport, Dorothy also participated with event organizing committees for both National and International Seminars.
Dorothy originally had her first synchronized swimming lessons in 1959. As recently as 2015 she was still competing in Masters events at the provincial, national and international levels. In 2005 she was on the team that won the World Masters Games Trio and Team events. At the FINA World Championships in 2014, Dorothy and the team won the Team and Combo events, and then in 2017 she was back on the podium with gold in the Team event and silver in the Combo event. In 2015, at the UANA Masters’ Championships in Colombia, South America, Dorothy won gold in the solo technical and free events.
Dorothy received the Alberta Sports Park and Wildlife Foundation Officials Award in 2005, the Synchro Canada Bridge Builder Award in 2012, the Aquatics Canada Service Award in 2017, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Canadian Artistic Swimming in 2018.
