Courtesy: U.S. Artistic Swimming
The sudden loss of a legend is never easy to accept, but for those lucky enough to know her, Judy McGowan would have asked us to celebrate her life. If anyone could talk to her right now, with a glowing smile, she would tell a story from her incredible life that would give us a laugh, challenge us to think and encourage us to dream bigger than we believed we could.
The sport of artistic swimming and countless members of our community are where they are today because of the loving heart Judy possessed. She knew how to lift people up, get things done and make dreams come true. Judy genuinely cared about you, your friends, your family, and she cared about our sport.
In addition to her irreplaceable character traits, she also served as a trailblazer for women in the sport of artistic swimming. There are special people meant to be in the right place at the right time, and that is what Judy was for this sport. A sport that she worked tirelessly, but joyfully to build for more than a half-century. We are all so fortunate to have had Judy McGowen in our lives and in the sport of artistic swimming.
As an organization, it gives us so much happiness to know that before Judy passed, we were able to qualify the team to the Olympic Games. It meant as much to her as it did anyone. USAAS President Denise Shirley shares, “She was a champion for our sport and athletes. She was so proud of our team who qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games and always had words of encouragement and support for our previous national team and Olympic athletes. She knew they represented all that was best of the USA to the world.”
The admirable list of accolades of Judy are described below. We hope that you will take the time to read through her accomplishments and while they map important moments of her life, it is everything in between that made her truly special.
Judy was an amazing person and an incredible addition to our Aquatic World. She will forever represent a beautiful part of our history. She will be missed dearly.
–Bill May, US Artistic Swimming, World Champion
It’s important to acknowledge the passing of one of the all time greats in our sport and aquatics. Artistic swimming isn’t the sport that it is today and the organization most certainly isn’t what it is without Judy.
–Adam Andrasko, USA Artistic Swimming Chief Executive Officer
Judy was an icon of leadership in Aquatic Sports. She was always kind and engaging with me and always interested in diving. Her encouragement to me was most appreciated.
She will be missed.
–Steve McFarland, Past President of United States Aquatic Sports and USA Diving
Judy was an amazing individual – truly a pathfinder for synchronized (now artistic) swimming.
No one had a greater impact on the growth and popularization of the sport than Judy, especially in her role with FINA in introducing synchronized swimming at the Los Angele Olympic Games.
She was incredibly generous with her time and her expertise, and so many people were impacted by her passion for the sport and for the athletes over more than five decades of leadership and service.
She truly will be missed.
–Dale Neuburger, World Aquatics Treasurer, Past President of USA Swimming and United States Aquatic Sports
I found Judy to always be welcoming and a supporter of the Aquatics family in the United States. She shared helpful thoughts and experiences with us all as we moved forward to the betterment of our sports. Reading her background and accomplishments, one is left with a feeling of loss but also of how privileged we were to have Judy with us.
–Ron Van Pool, Past President of USA Swimming
Judy McGowan – Hall Of Fame Contributor
- Spent 55 years as a competitor, coach, judge, and administrator in synchronized swimming.
- Served as a member of the FINA Technical Synchronized Swimming Committee from 1984-1996, including as chairwoman from 1984-1992.
- Was the primary author and editor of the first international training manual for synchro judges.
- Named the U.S. Chef De Mission for the 1982 World Championships.
- She was the competition manager for Synchronized Swimming at the 1996 Olympics.
- Drafted the first set of rules and guidelines for synchro technical routines and conducted 37 international clinics.
- Was a synchro judge/official at five Olympics, five World Championships, five Pan American Games, and seven World Cups.
RECORDS
- Became the first woman ever appointed to chair as a FINA committee, serving in that role for eight years.
- Developed the first-ever video tape series for training international routine judges.
- Authored and edited the first FINA synchro judging manual in 1988.
Judy McGowan Career
Since 1953, Judy McGowan has been active as a synchronized swimming competitor, coach, judge and most importantly, as an administrator both nationally and internationally.
In her younger days of competition in Baltimore, Maryland, she was coached by 1912 British Olympic gold medalist and Hall of Famer Belle Moore Cameron and then by Dot Muhly. It all helped to prepare her for the many years of commitment and service she gave back to the sport.
In 1974, she was the U.S. delegate to the First International Conference on Synchronized Swimming in Ottawa, Canada, and was then elected to chair the International Judges Study Group from 1974-1984. In 1979, she was editor and primary author of the First International Training Manual for Synchronized Swimming Judges. She organized the Second International Conference on Synchronized Swimming in 1979 in Washington, DC.
Six years later in 1984, she became the chair of the Technical Synchronized Swimming Committee (TSSC) – the first woman ever appointed to chair a FINA committee. She served in this position for 12 years, including eight as chairwoman. During her tenure, she innovated and improved judging and scoring procedures, initiated development clinics around the world, and developed training materials.
In 1988, she edited the first FINA Judging Manual, revising it in 1992. She chaired the FINA – TSSC Ad Hoc Committee on Degrees of Difficulty and authored its report, which established a systematic approach to assigning degrees of difficulty to FINA figures. She developed the first video tape series for training international routine judges by writing the script, selecting video clips, designing the format, and doing the video voiceover. She also wrote a teaching manual to accompany the tapes. She drafted the first rules and guidelines for technical routines and organized the first FINA Coaching Symposium for elite synchro coaches in 1992 at Olympia, Greece.
As an international clinician, she conducted and/or served 37 international clinics around the world including in Argentina, Australia (three), Brazil, Canada (two), China, Columbia (three), Cuba, Dominican Republic (two), Finland, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Japan, Korea (two), Mexico (two), Puerto Rico (two), Russia, Soviet Union, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, USA (seven), and Venezuela.
On the home front, she was the Founding President of U.S. Synchronized Swimming where she incorporated the organization, hired the first executive director and established the national office between 1977–1984. During this time, the U.S. National Team Program, National Age Group Championships and Master’s programs began and the concept for the first USSS Coaches Certification Program was developed.
McGowan became the chairman of the U.S. Olympic Committee Task Force to investigate the status of Coaches Education in the United States for Pan American and Olympic Sports. All recommendations were subsequently adopted, including the establishment of a USOC Coaching Education Program. From 1984-1988, she chaired the Coaches Education Committee, organizing the first coaching education seminars for the USOC.
She became a member of the USOC Executive Board from 1980-1984 and was appointed by USOC president Bill Simon as the liaison for the Athletes Advisory Council. She served as an international judge at the 1984 and 2000 Olympic Games, serving as Chief Olympic Referee in 1988 and 1992 and as Competition Manager in 1996.
She was also a judge at the 1978, 1998, and 2005 World Championships; the 1979, 1997, and 1999 World Cups; the 1993, 1997, 2002, and 2004 Junior World Championships; and the 1979, 1983, 1987, 1999, and 2003 Pan American Games. She served as Chief Referee at the 1986 and 1991 World Championships; the 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1991 World Cups; and the 1989 and 1991 Junior World Championships. She was the competition manager at the 1995 World Cup and was the U.S. Chef de Mission at the 1982 World Championships.