Goodbye Patricia Stanton

Last Thursday a great Italian coach and former competitive swimmer sadly passed away! 

As well as a great coach, Patricia Stanton, was an excellent swimmer and member of the Australian National Team in the 50s. Daughter of Len Stanton, well respected Queensland and National Coach.

Her family had Irish roots (Northern Ireland) and she loved coming over with her Italian team for competitions. Some of you might remember her and probably met her, with her son Diego Del Bianco, at one of the Irish Summer National Championships.

I was lucky enough to be able to call her my friend! 

In recent years we got very close and we shared a lot. I will always remember with fondness our journeys to the NAC and back, chatting non-stop about swimming, coaches, swimmers. I will always treasure our chats in front of a glass of wine in the evening after competitions. Our jokes, our laughter!

I was always impressed by her knowledge and deep understanding of anything swimming related, as well as of history, art and literature. By her passion for life as well as a hint of restless attitude towards it, towards swimming, towards her achievements. A restless attitude that was more like hunger to improve, to know more, to achieve more, to create more. 

She was a true lady and a very interesting one to talk to. Well-mannered and well-educated, she also had a kind heart.

I was also very impressed by the way she was not only coaching swimming but coaching life to her swimmers and by how much they respected and loved her in return.

As I said, I was very lucky to have met and to have known her!

I am already missing you lots Patricia, R.I.P.