Reece Rackley
Vice President
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President
Wayne has been ASSA President since 2017, is also Chairman and foundation Board member of the International Swim Schools Association (ISSA).
A former CEO and Chairman of Paul Sadler Swimland (PSS), which has locations in Australia, Vietnam and Canada, he is now a Franchisee of several Swimland locations.
Wayne has enjoyed a range of business experiences throughout his career, in addition to 20 years in the Learn to Swim industry, including: Engineering (his first job out of college), Education (as a high school teacher and department head), within the retail industry (as a human resources manager and education manager) and as a sports administrator (as manager of Victorian Basketball Association).
A sports lover all of his life, Wayne has played basketball, Australian Rules football, cricket, softball, track, squash and has been a passionate scuba diver … oh, and he had a brief, unspectacular career representing his high school swim team. His current addiction is golf and (pre-COVID) he’s been known to search the world in pursuit of golfing nirvana.
Vice President
Previously a swimming and triathlon coach, Reece took over his family’s company in 2004, at that point a single swim school in Burleigh Heads. Using this facility as a launch pad, over the next 12 years the business expanded under his direction to where it is today. Reece has a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration from Griffith University to augment his industry knowledge. Reece’s family involvement in the Aquatic Industry spans three generations, and with that comes an immense ingrained knowledge of how to operate aquatic based leisure facilities.
Director
John is a Director/Owner of Carlile Swimming, Australia’s first Commercial Swimming School.
John is an Olympian who represented NZ at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and was the World Marathon Swimming Champion in 1981. With more than 40 years in aquatics, John has been the driving force behind the innovation and systemisation of Learn to Swim within Carlile Swimming. He has presented and consulted locally and internationally for nearly 30 years.
John is the recipient of the “Guiding Light Award” and the “Hall of Fame Award” from the US Swim Schools Association and the “Meritorious Service Award”.
For the last 30 years John has been a leader in developing Carlile Swimming facilities to be known as the global benchmark for swim school operators in terms of volume, efficiency and quality.
Director
As the CEO of Carlile Swimming, Jon has a unique set of skills developed in a career which has spanned an eclectic mix of commercial experiences in media, politics, the corporate world and sport. He has commentated elite athletes at the pinnacles of their careers and led teams to deliver great marketing and communications outcomes in complex stakeholder environments.
As the founder of successful media and consulting firm, Hark Attack, Jon was responsible for delivering strategic consulting services and has experience project managing and influencing stakeholders across multiple sectors.
Director
Sue Mayo is a learn to swim consultant and facilitator with over 40 years’ experience in aquatic education, recently completing a bachelor of Psychological Science Degree focusing on developmental psychology. Her background in business and teaching is extensive, commencing in 1970 in England, coaching and teaching in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia. She built her own purpose built 25m indoor heated pool in Hamilton New Zealand in 2001.
For 25 years Sue has presented nationally and internationally since 1998 on topics ranging from teaching & coaching of all ages, special needs, business management & development, more recently on trauma free research specifically targeting swimming lessons. Sue served on New Zealand Swim Coaches and Teachers Association Board for 10 years, receiving the Master Teacher Award in 2008 and was on the Board of Water Safety NZ for two years and is currently a Trainer and Assessor for AUSTSWIM.
Sue’s personal learning philosophy is that “The best teachers are the continual students”, and that “Your mind is a parachute. It only works when it is open”.
Director
Shawn started teaching swimming in 1986 and opened his own swim school, Shawn’s Swim School, in 1994 and is a graduate from Melbourne University with a Bachelor of Commerce. As of April 2013, Shawn’s Swim School take 2000 students per week and have 40 staff. He has attended many conferences, both in Australia and overseas, including the WABC conferences in Oaxaca, Mexico, Wellington , New Zealand and Vancouver, Canada. Also, the USSSA conferences in Las Vegas and Hawaii, and the International Swim School Conferences in Fiji. Shawn has been a speaker at WABC conference in Vancouver as well as several conferences around Australia both at national and State Levels. Shawn’s Swim School has won several awards of Excellence as well as the VAIC swim school of the year and the city of Wyndham business of the year.
Director
Mel with her husband Neil, are the driving force behind Aquatics Down Under, and bring together a strong combination of aquatic and management experience.
As Director of Aquatics Down Under Pty Ltd, Mel’s 25 plus years of accumulated knowledge and networking have provided her with extensive experience and contacts within the aquatic industry.
Mel is a highly regarded industry expert, qualified to provide education, guidance and assessment of swimming teachers and course presenters.
Director
Theresa is the Operations Manager of Healthways Recreation and Aquatic Centres in Melbourne.
With a Bachelor of Business, where she graduated with a dux of her class, she started her career in corporate management, finance and marketing roles overseas. In 2002, Theresa moved back to Australia and began working in the family’s health and fitness business. After working throughout her high school and university years as a senior gymnastics coach, her focus naturally became the swim school side of the business and she quickly grew the business and a second aquatic centre was opened.
In 2006 she won Victoria’s Swim School of the Year, and in 2010 she was elected President of Victoria’s Branch of Swim School Owners Association (Victoria’s industry association prior to ASSA). She is a mother of 2 primary school aged children, and is a sitting member of school council, elected in 2019 after coordinating the massive school fair in 2018. She is looking forward to contributing to the Australian swim school industry via ASSA’s board as of 2020.
Always looking for opportunities and innovations to expand business operations, she has overseen Healthways’ growth to two swim school locations, launched a highly successful government approved Children’s Education and Care service at the centre, launched highly successful collaborations with an onsite Karate Club and an onsite Dance School, oversees a fully equipped health and fitness suite of services (gym, group exercise classes, personal training), and collaborates the management of Australia’s longest running Ten Pin Bowling Alley at the centre. Most recently, she has been involved in the complete construction redevelopment of Healthways’ Mont Albert North centre, due for completion in 2021, and is currently studying her Diploma in Early Education and Care.
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