Denis Lifetime Membership Recognised at IASC Awards Night

What a fantastic awards night last night at the Rugby Club. Details of all winners and some photos of the night have been added to the Members Page. Inverness Amateur Swimming Club - CLUB NEWSLETTERS. Unfortunately due to the weather and other sporting events some swimmers were unable to attend so we hope to be able to present some of our trophy winners with their awards over the coming days.

In October last year, the club held their first ever mini meet. A trophy for the winning club was purchased and the committee unanimously agreed to call this the ‘Denis Mackintosh Trophy’ which will be awarded annually from now on. As well as that, at the IASC Awards Night, Denis was officially recognised as a Lifetime Member. A brief history of his swimming journey was read out which outlined his inclusion in the Scottish Water Polo team and then latterly his entry into Swim Coaching and his various roles in the technical aspects of competitive swimming. A gift of a bird house for his garden was presented to him and we were also delighted to present Viv his wife with some flowers. We thanked Denis as a coach, a technical official and as a friend. 

Below is some of the speech read out by Matty in recognition of Denis - 

Thank you Denis so much for presenting The Denis Mackintosh trophy to IASC, who were the first club winners of the first IASC mini meet. Very fitting that our club won this in it’s first year. The club are very grateful for you coming down to do this. However, there is another reason the club are delighted to have you here in person Denis. I’ve known you personally for a number of years now and as well as coaching with you at firstly Culloden and the Leisure Centre built up a great working relationship with you when we sit side by side when you are AOE and I’m announcing. With that in mind, I was delighted when Vikki asked me if I would like to say a few words about you tonight. I think it’s fair to say that all of us here at the club know and value you. We all recognise the commitment and dedication you put into the club and we all feel that this should be recognised.

Think we should go back to the beginning. You met Viv around 1964 and you were already involved in Water Polo. That must have been so hard to play back then as everything was still in black and white. Your dedication to this sport I believe earned you a call up for Scotland Water Polo team. You married Viv in 1969 and had 3 sons. Of those 3 sons, Myles started with the club aged 8 and your love for the water led you down the coaching route for which we are very grateful. You began your coaching career working alongside other coaches such as Ally Russell, Richard Edwards and Donnie Mackay. It is testament to the fact that you continue to coach to this today. To be able to be involved and to see your son Myles swim for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games must have been such a proud moment for you both.

Aside from coaching however, you have also dedicated a fair bit of your swimming journey to the Technical side having been involved in this since 1986. In 1998 you were awarded for your service to the North District. Also that year you became ND Vice President along with Tom Tracey as president. Last year, 2024, you were presented with the John Gunning Award for the ND. This SS award is handed out to a volunteer from each district who has made a constant and continuous contribution to the Club and District level in the preceding year. It is of note that the previous years winner was our own Jayne Prosser, mother of Fay.

The club have recently aligned themselves in a friendship link across the Atlantic with the Inverness Recreation Swim Club . However I wonder how many in the club know about IASC travelling to our twinned city ‘Augsburg’ in Germany for ‘return leg’ swimming competion, initially sending off from the pool in a double decker! This must have been a fantastic trip and I can vouch for seeing the photos. I still can’t unsee the photo of you in a female swimsuit poolside. Maybe we can arrange to share this out or add a few photos to Team News?

By way of recognising all this Denis, IASC would like to recognise your service to the club. To do this we would like to officially present you with a “Lifetime Membership” of IASC. I emphasise the word “Officially” as we do not intend doing this by I don’t know ….printing on an A4 piece of bright yellow paper, landscape with no logo and handed to you and Tom Tracey at the poolside for example! I believe this happened at the Glebe Street Swimming Pool!!! We the club would like to say Thank you Denis and please by way of our appreciation give you this small gift from us to you. Please can everyone stand up in recognition of this lovely man, our coach, STO and our friend Denis Mackintosh.