Spotlight: Patrick Hunter

In this article, we turn the spotlight onto Patrick Hunter from the New England LSC.

Patrick Hunter began swimming at age 11 in Minnesota. Although he was never the fastest person in the water, he enjoyed the comradery and commitment swimming brought to his life. While specializing in the 100/200 breaststroke and 200 IM, Patrick also gained a strong interest in the different aspects of a meet - from the officials, computer system, and meet management.

His interest in the “dry side of the sport” led him to become a Minnesota Athlete Representative that served on the LSC’s Technical Planning Committee. This role connected him to LSC Officials' Chair, Bruce Green, who introduced him to the world of officiating. From there, Patrick became certified as an Administrative Official, Stroke & Turn Judge, Chief Judge, Starter, Deck Referee, and Administrative Referee.
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When studying at Boston College, Patrick served as the swim team’s manager, where he handled team operations, travel logistics, and swimming statistics. During this time, he continued to serve as an official at various meets. Locally, he spent many weekends at swim meets, but through hard work and experience, he was able to serve at higher level meets such as Sectionals and Pro Swim  Series. Although officiating at high level meets did not happen overnight, Patrick used USA Swimming resources, such as their mentorship program, and online education to further his skills. 

Patrick encourages athlete representatives to consider officiating, as he strongly believes that former swimmers make the best officials.

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“Swimmers truly get it - we know what a 200 breaststroke feels like, we know what it feels like to dive off a starting block, and we understand the anxiety and pressure that leads up to a big meet or big race…we can work together to make that experience the best it can possibly be for the athletes of USA Swimming.”

​A proud member of New England Swimming, Patrick currently resides in Boston where he works as a staff auditor in the Commercial Assurance practice of Ernst & Young. He is a 2019 graduate of Boston College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in management with concentrations in accounting and finance. Patrick continues to volunteer his weekends at local LSC meets, and also travels to national meets, such as US Open, Nationals, and Junior Nationals, to officiate. ​

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Author: Janelle Nguyen
Janelle Nguyen is originally from the Southern California Swimming LSC and has been an athlete rep for over 10 years. She currently serves as the AEC Programming & Events Chair and swam at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She currently attends graduate school at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA.