Poem floated on University of Stirling pool to celebrate ‘Game Changer’ Steve Tigg
The University of Stirling’s high-performance swim programme has been recognised as part of The National Lottery’s 30th birthday celebrations – with a specially composed poem floated on the pool.
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The University of Stirling’s high-performance swim programme has been recognised as part of The National Lottery’s 30th birthday celebrations – with a specially composed poem floated on the pool.
The text-based art installation – by world-renowned Scottish poet and artist Robert Montgomery – honours Head Coach Steve Tigg, who has coached Stirling athletes to 11 Olympic and 27 Commonwealth Games medals during his decade at the University.
Tigg – who has recently been appointed the new Aquatics GB Swimming Head Coach – is one of 30 ‘National Lottery Game Changers’ being recognised as part of the birthday celebrations.
Seven Game Changers are from the world of sport – and Montgomery’s poem reflects their collective achievements and the transformative impact they have had on their sport and community with the help of The National Lottery, which raises £30 million every week for good causes.
The first verse of the poem is installed at the National Swimming Academy at Stirling – Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence. The others are displayed at Wembley Stadium in London, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, and Ulster Boxing High Performance Centre.
The poem - entitled 'It's Not About Winning' - was launched by broadcaster Clare Balding CBE. In addition to Tigg, it pays tribute to the six other Game Changers: women’s football pioneer Baroness Sue Campbell; Paralympic GB’s most successful Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey; parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt; the first black woman to represent Team GB in swimming at the Olympics Alice Dearing; the coach behind the decorated Northern Ireland boxing team Damian Kennedy; and Welsh wheelchair rugby league coach Stephen Jones.
The first verse, installed at the University, reads:
Can you see the sky moving in the water
Swimming is the closest human beings get to flying,
When I started coaching I never thought we could do this,
Each swimming pool remembers the ocean
Water moves over the earth with freedom.
Swimming is a sanctuary where the mind quietens,
And movement becomes a language itself
It’s not about medals, it’s about personal growth.
Can you hear the wind of change in the water? Don’t let anyone
Tell you you can’t swim, we all have a right to learn how to stay
Safe in the water, to float and feel the music in the water
Regardless of background or colour
Here you can move like a bird.
Hear Clare Balding CBE recite the full poem in the film below.
Steve Tigg said: “I’m incredibly fortunate to be in a position where I can help athletes reach their full potential. The support from The National Lottery has been crucial in providing the resources we need to create an environment where high performance can thrive. But it’s not just about winning medals. It’s about fostering a love for the sport, encouraging personal growth, and ensuring that every swimmer, no matter their level, leaves with a positive experience. Seeing the impact we have, both on the pool deck and beyond, is what makes this work so rewarding.”
Clare Balding said: “Sport is about so much more than winning a gold medal, it’s about the impact it has on our lives. That’s why I’m honoured to be a part of championing these seven outstanding people who have truly changed the game in their sports and communities. Sport unites people across borders, bridges divides, and ignites the human spirit, reminding us that through perseverance, teamwork, and passion, we can achieve greatness beyond the limits we once believed impossible.
“The Game Changers exemplify the transformative power of sport – and the role The National Lottery has played in making their achievements possible has been vital. The University of Stirling Swimming Pool in Scotland is home to some of the most-successful Olympic swimmers we have seen in generations and is therefore a natural home for part of the poem to be displayed.”
Steve Tigg was congratulated by Clare Balding as part of the Game Changers celebration.
Tigg has risen to prominence over the past decade, thanks to his expert tutelage of some of Britain’s best swim talent and is today recognised as one of the world’s top coaches.
Hailing from Alloa, Tigg himself was a swimmer, based at Stirling. He started his coaching career as a volunteer at Alloa Swim Club in 2005 and it was there – just a few weeks into his role – that he met and started to coach a young Duncan Scott. It was the beginning of a special relationship which has seen Tigg coach Scott for almost 20 years, including a decade at the University.
Having held positions at swim clubs in South Ayrshire and in Falkirk, Tigg joined the high-performance programme at Stirling in 2014, supporting then Head Coach Ben Higson. Tigg was promoted to the lead role in 2017 when Higson left to become Head Coach at Swim Ireland.
Reflecting the success and growth of the high-performance programme under Tigg’s leadership, the University sent a record numbers of swimmers to this year’s Olympics (eight), and to the 2022 Commonwealth Games (16). During his time at Stirling, the University’s swimmers have won 11 medals at the Olympics – including Scott, whose recent gold and silver in Paris saw him become Scotland’s most decorated Olympian – and 27 medals at the Commonwealth Games.
Tigg has coached with Great Britain at the Olympics in Paris (2024) and Tokyo (2021), and at the World Championships on five occasions. He coached Team Scotland at the Gold Coast (2018) and Birmingham (2022) Commonwealth Games and was Head Coach of London Roar International Swimming League team.
His success has seen him celebrated with a plethora of Coach of the Year awards, including at the Team Scotland Sports Awards (2016 and 2018); British Swimming Awards (2018); British Swim Coaches Association Awards (2018); and Scottish Swimming Awards (2022 and 2023).
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that Tigg will replace Bill Furniss OBE as Aquatics GB’s Swimming Head Coach.
Impact
Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive, sportscotland said: “The National Lottery’s 30th Birthday is a significant milestone, and an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved over the past three decades. Our vision at sportscotland is to have an active Scotland where everyone benefits from sport and National Lottery funding has had a huge impact on Scotland’s sporting system. From helping to make sport more accessible in our communities, to helping our athletes achieve great things on the world stage.”
Game Changers
For 30 years, money raised by National Lottery players has helped create extraordinary sporting moments that have inspired the nation and helping to transform lives and communities through physical activity and the power of sport. Since 1994, more than £7.3bn has been raised to support elite and grassroots sport projects across the UK.
The Game Changers were nominated by members of the public and selected by a panel composed of members of The National Lottery family and partners. Twenty-eight will be revealed in September and October at installations which will focus on an area of National Lottery funding including, the arts and film, heritage, sport and community. The final two will be announced on The National Lottery’s New Year’s Eve Big Bash scheduled for broadcast on ITV on 31 December.