The GLSA Citation of Honor to John Martin
The GLSA Citation of Honor is presented to the Vice President of the International Life Saving Federation of Europe, John Martin MBE, for his outstanding and long contributions to drowning prevention and lifesaving sport worldwide. Mr. Martin is one of the tireless and unsung heroes of European and global water safety. The awarding was made by the Olympian and President of the Hellenic Olympic Winners Association, Voula Zygouri and the GLSA President Dr. Stathis Avramidis.
The awarding ceremony took place during the International Experts Symposium on Lifesaving as Olympic Sport. The symposium was organized by the Greek Lifesaving Sports Associatation and held at the Hellenic Olympic Committee in Halandri, Greece 20-21/-5/2023. The event was endorsed and supported by 30 prestigious (inter)national organizations and 39 authorities by 18 nations.
In 1975 John
joined his local surf life saving club in the small village where he grew up on
the North Cornwall coast of Great Britain. As a dedicated lifesaver who
always did his voluntary patrols, he soon developed a strong interest in
lifesaving Sport. He represented Portreath SLSC in National Championships from
1980 onwards. By 1984 he focused more on competition management and
qualified as a National Referee. He was appointed as the Chief Referee at 5
separate Lifesaving World Championships from 1994 to 2002. He has had a
significant role at every LWC in the ILS era since 1994. As Cornwall
Region Chair, from 1986 he joined the Surf Life Saving Great Britain (SLSGB)
Board of Directors. He quickly progressed to become SLSGB Vice Chair in 1988
and then he took over as the SLSGB Chair in 1990, holding the role for 5 years
before stepping back for a couple of years to focus on his work career. In
1998 he re-joined the SLSGB’s Board as the Sport Director for 9 years and has
continued as a member of that Board ever since. In 1994, he was elected to
the ILS Board of Directors and represented Europe until 2017 when he stood down
to take on his current role as the ILS Event Director. For Europe he has
been a member of the ILSE Board since 1994, and since 2012 has served as an
ILSE Vice President. Additionally he has been the Secretary of the ILSE Sport
Commission since 1994, and the ILS Sport Commission from 1994 to 2017. In
November 2009 John was invested with the award of Member of the Order of the
British Empire by the late Queen Elizabeth II. In 2004 he was appointed as
a Knight in the ILS Order of Lifesaving and as a Grand Knight in 2008, and in
2015 became an Ambassador of the European Order of Lifesaving.
