World Para Swimming's ITO Tony Ward awarded British Empire Medal

World Para Swimming’s volunteer International Technical Official (ITO) and Technical Delegate (TD) for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Tony Ward, has been awarded at the British King’s birthday honours this month.

The 70-year-old Ward was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to swimming and Para swimming. The British Empire Medal is granted in recognition of meritorious civil or military service by His Majesty the King Charles III during the king’s official birthday celebrations in the month of June.

A former competitive swimmer, Ward went on to join the board of the Staffordshire Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and is now a life member of the association.

“I had so much fun myself as a competitive swimmer, and as a masters swimmer, that I felt I needed to give something back to the sport,” Ward said of his contributions, according to BBC News West Midlands. “Swimming’s been my life, and it’s been quite a journey really.”

Aside from competing, he has worked with national committees to develop the National Masters Championships as an elite competition and later became involved with Para swimming. 

He was appointed as an official to the Paralympic Games in Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020; and will once again serve as a TD at Paris 2024 in August.

Ward also volunteers as a motorcycle rider for the National Health Service (NHS) in England, delivering urgent supplies of blood and other requirements to hospitals.