“Sports, like swimming, can have life altering impacts.”

There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer, and over the next few weeks, Swim Ontario will be featuring stories about some of our many volunteers who give back to our sport. Thank you to all of our hard working and dedicated volunteers!

Robert Giggey learned a great deal from his childhood days.

Some would call one of those situations as simply being a challenging experience in their life story. For him, it was a word called - survival.

For most people, certain memoirs in their lives tend to bring about flashbacks.

Giggey has one, too.

When you approach the topic of his early years, and life as a youngster playing near the water, reality tends to hit home. It was while camping with his family, that Giggey got caught up in a gloomy scenario that saw him ruffled by a strong river current.

Six years old and reminded by his parents about rules that included being careful near water, Giggey - like many kids - flirted with opportunities along the shores of a river in Alberta. He would later get pulled from that same estuary by his frantic mother.

Giggey learned quickly that rules were just that - rules that needed to be followed. He was fortunate to survive – and reality would hit home. Those moments and the spirit of caring are also entrenched in his mind, his career, and his life.

While times have changed dramatically since those days, Giggey has benefitted immensely from many things. Knowledge, experience, and opportunities are three of them. Oh yes, add swim lessons that followed that scary episode, and the wisdom of an instructor, who noticed Giggey had shown potential as a competitive athlete.

“Back then, I was this hyperactive kid and I vividly remember that feeling (in the water) and how it scared my family more than me,” said Giggey. “Those swim lessons came at a good time. Later, like most swimmers, I thought about competing at the Olympics. Then, when that didn’t happen, I felt the pain of disappointment.”

Swim lessons may very well have been the start of some cherished positive memories and even a part of current challenges in his life.

For years, his father had served in the Canadian Armed Forces, which also meant that the younger Giggey would gain valuable experience at several swim clubs. There was time with the Petawawa Pet-a-fins, GO Kingfish and the Nepean Kanata Barracudas (NKB).

The latter is where Giggey set several club records, earn a place on the podium at the Canadian Junior Nationals, and a spot in the finals at the 2000 Canadian Olympic Trials. That’s where he caught the attention of university recruiting coaches.

Graduating from Ottawa’s Confederation High School, Giggey would be the recipient of an athletic scholarship to the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Academics were important, but so was swimming.

Giggey would set several UMBC records in the water, while serving as team captain his senior year, and taking home an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) title. but he would also earn a Bachelor of Science degree at a thriving academic school known for combining cutting-edge biomedical research and undergraduate teaching.

For him, the road to success would continue in the classroom and in the pool. Next came a Masters degree via the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa. Career plans would become a priority, but he still finds time to swim for fun and enjoyment.

As an expert in digital services, Giggey is focused on a different set of results. They are the ones that tackle empowerment, engagement, and innovation. With Service Ottawa, he manages a $1.5 million municipal communication network.

Skilled and experienced in time management, he’s embracing the sport of swimming in another way.

“I was on the Board with NKB, did a fair amount of volunteer work and what caught my eye was having an opportunity for a bigger impact on swimming in Ontario,” said Giggey, who was nominated to the Swim Ontario Board of Directors in 2019.

“Joining the Swim Ontario Board, I knew there would be an opportunity to examine ways to strengthen the sport.”

While decorated personal swim memorabilia remain at his home, Giggey has forged a close bond with a variety of professionals, who make up the governing body of the largest provincial swim organization in Canada.

“I have always felt that sports, like swimming, can have life altering impacts,” said Giggey. “I want to do my part and give back to the community in a meaningful way and also try to make the lives of people better. It’s something that I am very passionate about.

“On the (Swim Ontario) Board, we all have our views, but we become a team and unite our knowledge, skills and experience to achieve the goals of the organization.”

The Swim Ontario Board, consisting of nine members, are elected by the membership of the organization. Priorities include direction and governance, to dozens of clubs, focused on effective operation and management.

David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 45+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations.