SwimmingSA mourns the passing of Edward ‘Ted’ Mason, a beloved life member and long-time contributor to South Australian swimming, who passed away on Wednesday 23 April.
Ted’s journey in swimming started like so many others - as a parent on the sidelines. But from those early days, he became one of the quiet forces behind the sport in regional South Australia. He led Jamestown Swimming Club for many years, helping build it into the strong, community-first club it remains today. The clubrooms that still stand are thanks to his advocacy and persistence - a brick-and-mortar legacy of his belief in what swimming can do for a town.
Alongside his wife Maxeen, Ted was a familiar face at meets right across the state. He was a fixture in the Country Championships recording room and later became a starter. Ted was always calm, always kind, and the first to offer help to someone new.
For anyone who’s ever check started at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, you’ll understand how it might confusing walking down to the 50m start end via the breezeway. On his very first go, Ted led an entire heat of swimmers - not to the pool deck, but straight into the female changerooms. It’s a moment he never lived down, and one that still brings a smile to many of our officials today.
Ted was driven by a deep belief in the value of our sport and the people who keep it going. His legacy extends well beyond the events he supported or the roles he held - it lives in his commitment to making swimming welcoming, sustainable, and strong, especially in our regional communities.
We extend our condolences to Maxeen, his family, and everyone who knew and worked with Ted. His legacy lives on in the clubrooms he helped build, in the stories we tell, and in the communities he helped shape.
