AGM at Driftwood Cafe, Ōrewa Estuary
Back row: Gerard Elwell, Alan Lennon, Joshua Vegar, Chris Jackson, Kay Drader, Helen Hammill, Russell Troy (Committee)
Front row: Michelle Impey, Seti Afoa, Bradley Nielsen (Vice President), Tony King (President), Tatjana Schmidt (Safety Officer), Sue White (Committe), Pauline Mills (Committee), Rhonda Vegar (Treasurer).
Ocean Swim Club has elected a new President and Vice-President as the Club looks ahead to the 2026–2027 season.
At the Club’s Annual General Meeting held on Sunday, 30 August, Tony King was elected President and Bradley Neilsen Vice-President.
Both are familiar faces within Ocean Swim Club and represent the two main swimming communities that have developed within the Club, with Tony a regular member of the City group and Bradley closely involved with the Ōrewa group.
Tony King – President
Tony King takes over as President following his unanimous election at the AGM.
Tony has been a regular participant in the Club’s city-based swims and brings a swimmer’s perspective to the organisation's leadership. Tony is very active as an all-rounder in multi-sports.
His appointment comes at an important stage for Ocean Swim Club as we continue bringing together our City and Hibiscus Coast swimmers and developing more opportunities for members to swim together.
Bradley Nielsen – Vice-President
Joining Tony on the executive is Bradley Nielsen, who was elected Vice-President.
Bradley is a regular member of the Ōrewa swimming group and brings that important Coast perspective to the executive. By day, Brad works as a Ranger at Wenderholm Regional Park.
Having Tony and Bradley representing the two principal areas of Club activity provides a strong opportunity to further connect our members across Auckland.
Experienced Team Re-Elected
Tony and Bradley join an experienced committee, with the other members of the Club leadership re-elected for another year.
Rhonda Vegar continues as Treasurer, Seti Afoa as Secretary and Tatjana Schmidt as Club Safety Officer.
Sue White, Pauline Mills and Russell Troy were also re-elected as Committee members.
The eight-member Ocean Swim Club Committee for 2026–2027 is therefore:
- President – Tony King
- Vice-President – Bradley Nielsen
- Treasurer – Rhonda Vegar
- Club Safety Officer - Tatjana Schmidt
- Secretary – Seti Afoa
- Committee – Sue White
- Committee – Pauline Mills
- Committee – Russell Troy
The new leadership comes as the Club prepares for another season of ocean swimming, with a particular emphasis on strengthening the connection between the City and Ōrewa groups and creating more opportunities for new swimmers and members.
Congratulations Tony and Bradley, and thank you to all members of the Committee for putting their hands up to serve Ocean Swim Club for another year.
END