Master swim coach and comic Ken Wood dies in Brisbane, aged 88
Swimming Australia: June 18, 2018: Ken Wood, Master Swim Coach who forged the careers of some of Australia’s greatest Olympic, Commonwealth Games and World Champions has died in Brisbane, after a short illness. He was 88.
The swimming and coaching fraternity is in mourning, remembering not only a great coach, with an eye for a champion but also “the funny man” who will be remembered for putting a smile on the faces of all who knew him.
The coaching raconteur and poolside comic who had that rare knack of producing countless champions and nurturing them all to greatness – names like Geoff Huegill, Leisel Jones and Jessicah Schipper to name but a few of the hundreds of swimmers who came through the Ken Wood swim schools – spanning over almost five decades and so many out of Redcliffe Leagues-Lawnton.
There was a continual production line of Ken Wood coached swimmers who made Australian teams for almost 50 years – all products of the Melbourne-born Wood who became known to fellow coaches as “Dr Woo” and who had quite a remarkable sporting career before swimming became his life.
The former used car salesman and Sydney cab driver, who actually played in the VFL for Footscray, was a first grade cricketer for North Sydney and Cairns, who was also a patrol captain and champion surf boat rower and lifesaver with Warriewood SLSC on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
When he arrived at the MCG to watch the 2000 AFL Grand Final as a member of the Sydney Olympic team he turned to those in earshot and said, proudly…”I played here…several times for the old Footscray.”
He turned his hand to swim coaching in Gordonvale, North Queensland in 1967 and became successful almost immediately, particularly with female freestyle sprinters.
During a celebrated career Wood served on seven Olympic campaigns from 1988 in Seoul, 1992 in Barcelona, 1996 in Atlanta, 2000 in Sydney and 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing and finally 2012 in London.
He also coached swimmers on Commonwealth Games teams from 1974 in Christchurch, 1982 in Brisbane, 1986 in Edinburgh, 1990 in Auckland, 1994 in Victoria, 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, 2002 in Manchester and 2006 in Melbourne.
As well as countless World Championship and Pan Pac Teams – became a life member of Swimming Queensland, the Australian Swimmers, Coaches and Teachers Association (ASCTA) Queensland and ASCTA.
Among the first success stories were 1976 Montreal Olympian Lesleigh Harvey and 1984 Los Angeles bronze medallist Michelle Pearson and Fiona Moore, who swam the 1979 World Cup and Coca Cola Meet in London.
He also put Julie Pugh and Jackie Grant on the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games Team.
Wood was also an assistant coach on the AIS Swim Team between 1982 and 1984 before being appointed as head coach of the St Bernadette’s Swim Team in Brisbane.
While at the AIS Ken made several overseas tours with teams and was on the coaching staff if the Australian Team for the 1979 FINA World Cup and the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games.
He was also head coach of the AIS Development Tours of USA and China in 1980 and 1981 and 1985 Commonwealth Games development tour of Holland and France.
Australian Swimming And Coaches Association president Tony Shaw has paid tribute to Wood saying “he was a giant among Australia’s coaching fraternity and an amazing personality…who kept coaching right till the end.
Issued on behalf of Swimming Australia by
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