I, Gillian Melton, was born in England and qualified as a Swimming Teacher and Coach with the ASA in 1972. I moved with my family to South Africa in 1980. I began teaching swimming in Kempton Park, Johannesburg. I became the Head Coach of the Kempton Park swimming club and in a very short time had brought the club from bottom of the Transvaal 4th. League to 3rd. In the Transvaal 1st. League. I remained at Kempton Park Swimming Club for 18 years, producing numerous National and Provincial champions and my team of swimmers held numerous South African and Provincial records. I was chosen to represent South Africa at an International meet in Darmstadt, Germany in 1994 and awarded her Springbok colours for swim coaching. The following year I was one of the team at the 1995 World Short Course Championships in Rio, Brazil . I re-located to New Zealand in April,2012 to be closer to my two daughters who live in Auckland.
In Auckland I worked as a swimming teacher and deck supervisor at the Millennium Institute of Sport and Junior coach for Northshore Swimming Club based at the Millennium Institute. In 2014 I started my own club on the North Shore called Island Bay Swimming Club. In the first year I had 4 swimmers qualify for NZ Junior Nationals. The squads are all young age groupers with their sights on becoming NZ representatives one day.
I started as head coach at the Birkenhead Swim Club in February, 2014 previously named Island Bay swimming club. Since it’s inception I produced swimmers at all levels of competition, NZ Junior Nationals and NZ Age Group championships.
I re-located to Brisbane, Australia 2017 to take up a position at the SPW swimming club by invitation of their Head Coach, Michael Bohl, Australian Olympic Coach. As from December, 2024 I have resigned my position as Head Coach to their Junior Group 2 squad and relocated to the Sunshine Coast.
I relocated to Brisbane, Australia in 2018 where I took a position as Age Group Junior Coach at St. Peter’s Western College, Brisbane, I was lucky enough to work with Australian Olympic Coach, Michael Bohl and Australian Olympic Coach Dean Boxall until December, 2024.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY TIME AT SPW SWIMMING
Queensland Schools Championships 26th – 28th. March, 2024
7 Swimmers from Squad made it to these Championships.
Zoe Guthrie, Aaliyah Mabsout, Jake Lewis, Eva Sun, Rafael Rubio, Kalyani Wijesuriya, Christian Benedetti
All swimmers PB’d and Eva Sun finished 1st in 50m and 100m Back and Zoe Guthrie finished 2nd in 100m Free. Both swimmers went through to the National School Championships.
At the Championships Eva Sun won Gold in 100m Back and silver 50m Back . Zoe won silver 100m Freestyle.
Queensland State Sprint Championships February, 2024.
!0 years 50m Back Girls Eva Sun 3rd. Place Bronze medal
11 years 50m Back Girls Aalyiah Mabsout 3rd. Place Bronze medal
National Schools Ausgust, 2023 . Gold medal 200m Breaststroke Aarvi Dua; 100m Free Zoe Guthrie silver:
50m Back silver Aaliyah Mabsout: 100m Back Ethan Schiemer Gold medal.
Brisbane Relay Sprint Championships 2023
10/U 4 x 50m Free Girls 1st. Gold.
10/U Girls Medley relay 1st. Gold.
10/U 4.x 50m Free Mixed relay 1st. Gold.
- Brisbane Relay Sprint Championships 10/u girls 1st place 4 x 50m Medley relay and 2nd Place 4 x 50m Free Relay 2022
- July, 2021 Brisbane S/C junior Championship medal winners. Chelseas George, Isabella Lau, Zahra Olowoniyi, Georgia Pettigrew. Marcus Raine, Luke Aldridge.
- September, 2021 Chelsea George chosen by Brisbane swimming Brisbane Patrons team. Swimmers from SPW Group 2 squad chosen to swim for Brisbane Patron Shield.
- Darling Downs, 2021
- March, 2022 4 swimmers made Queensland National Schools Championships
- March 2023 8 swimmers made Queensland National Schools Championships to be held in Sydney, NSW August, 2023.
- August,2023 National schools team Medal winners
- U/10 Zoe Guthrie,Gold. U/11Aaliyah Mabsout Gold. U/10 Eva Sun Gold. U/12 Aarvi Dua Gold 200m Breast 12/U.
- Utilized positive communication to encourage team and promote integrity and respect.
- Assessed strengths and weaknesses of opponents to develop valuable techniques and increase preparedness.
- Monitored team practices to establish high level of performance.
- Motivated athletes to become stronger, more agile, and more effective through training habits and proper nutrition.
- Analysed and evaluated team performance metrics to identify areas of improvement.
Below is a brief outline of my history and achievements.
Gill Melton Summary of Swimming Qualifications
Amateur Swimming Association Teachers Certificate 1972
Amateur Swimming Association Advanced Teachers Certificate 1973
Royal Life Saving Society Distinction Award 1978
British Coaches Association Coaches certificate 1978
Swimming Teachers Association Diving Teachers Certificate 1979.
St. John’s First Aid Course 1988
S.A. Bronze Life Saving Certificate 1989
NOCSA Senior Coaches course 1995
S.A. Advanced Resuscitation Award 1998
FINA course October, 1995
Professional experience and achievements:
Employed by the I.L.E.A. 1973-1974 teaching school children to swim.
Based at Camberwell and Ladywell Baths London, England.
Private Swimming School Que Que, Rhodesia 1974 –1976
Chief swimming teacher at The Blackheath High School for Girls,
London, England 1979-1980.
Began The Melton Swimming School, Kempton Park, South Africa 1981. The school operated for 18 years and during that time produced Provincial, National and International swimmers. The school closed down in 1998 when my family and I relocated to Durban, KZN. During my years at Kempton Park I was accepted as the Kempton Swimming Club Head Coach in 1985. When I started at the club the team was bottom of the Transvaal 3rd. league. In 1986 the club was promoted to 2nd. League. In 1987 the club was again promoted to 1st. league and finished 3rd in the 1st league behind Old Edwardians and Wanderers ASA. This was a magnificent achievement as the Kempton Park club had only 42 registered swimmers. Some of the Club’s Transvaal records still stand in Gauteng to date. I produced National and Junior Champions during my office at Kempton Park Club. Since 1987 – 1998 I have placed swimmers on the Transvaal Provincial team to compete at the National Championships.
Denise Melton 1st place South African Junior Age Group Championships in Bloemfontein, 13 year age group 100m Butterfly, 1987.
Gill was selected Assistant Coach to the Johannesburg squad that competed at the Macau Age Group Championships in Macau, 1992. The Squad finished 2nd overall and took home numerous medals and South African Junior records.
Placed four swimmers on the South African High School team 1994 that competed at Crystal Palace, London, England.
Mia van Biljon age 13 years chosen to swim on the S.A. National junior team to compete at the All African Age Group Championships Cairo, Egypt 1994. Mia competed in 100m and 200m Breaststroke.
Mia van Biljon was also, chosen to compete in the National Age Group Team to swim in Darmstadt, Germany 1994 in 100m/200m Breaststroke.
Head Coach at the Lenasia Development Camp 22nd. January, 1995. This camp was televised.
Chief Swimming Coach grade 0 – matric at The Bishop Bavin School, St. Georges, Gauteng 1992 –1994.
S.A. National Championships 1995 – 5 swimmers finaled. Viki van den Barselaar 2nd 200m Breaststoke.
Viki van den Barselaar, age 14years, chosen to compete in the South African Age Group Team at Crystal Palace, London, England 1995. Viki took 1st place in 100m Breaststroke in a new S.A. Age Group record and 2nd. 200m Breast, also, new age group record.
At the The Queensland National Age Group Championships, Australia, 1995/96, I took a team of 27 swimmers to these championships. The team took several gold, silver and bronze medals at these championships and broke several S.A. junior records.
S.A.S.C.A.T.A. – junior swimmer of the year 1994/95 Viki Van Den Barselaar.
National Championships, Durban 1996
Yolandi Talyard 2nd 800m Free.
S.A. Junior Team competing at the British National Championships, Crystal Palace, London two swimmers on team, July 1995.
Yolandi Talyard,
Viki van den Barselaar
Viki van den Barselaar awarded her Springbok colours. A member of the S.A. Swimming team to compete at the World Short course championships in Rio, Brazil 1995.
S.A. National short course championships Cape Town 1996 – 8 qualifiers competed. Yolandi Talyard 2 silver medals, Viki van den Barselaar 3 bronze medals, Lynne Rutherford 1 bronze medal 400m I/M and Qualified for World short course championships. The Kempton Park relay team took a bronze medal at these championships in the 4 x 100m medley.
S.A. Primary schools February, 1998 13 swimmers chosen from the Melton Squad. Sasha Theron took a gold medal in the 50m and 100m Backstroke and broke the S.A. record.
S.A. High schools February, 1998 5 swimmers chosen.
Gauteng Championships, Delville pool February 1998 the squad did very well.
S.A. High Schools team to compete in Taiwan 2 swimmers chosen Yolandi Talyard and Viki van den Barselaar.
After the 1998 season my family relocated to Durban, KZN. I accepted a position as Head Coach at the D.P.H.S. This involved teaching the boys from grade 0 to grade 7 as well as coaching the school swimming team. At the 1999 Durban and Districts annual gala D.P.H.S. team came 1st in the ‘A’ league and 1st in the ‘B’ league with their ‘B’ team. The ‘B’ team was promoted to the ‘A’ league. This was the first time in the history of the gala that a school had 2 teams in the ‘A’ league. I remained with D.P.H.S for 8 years and during that time the school remained unbeaten in KZN D and D gala. I started to develop a small swimming squad at this time but decided not to return to top level coaching. Some of the swimmers began to improve to such a standard that I was asked to return to the coaching scene once more. Hence in 2006 I resigned from D.P.H.S. and returned to coaching. Although I still had a relatively small squad, 13 swimmers they proved to be a force to be reckoned with. I have swimmers at all levels of SSA galas and have taken numerous medals. The most successful was Jessica Bragason who took 1st place at Level 3 champs 100m Free, 2nd 50m Free and 50m Fly. She was also, chosen to swim on the provincial squad for KZN.
July,08 Guest speaker at SSA workshop at Kings Park pool 26th. July, 08, Children with low muscle tone.