The World Aquatics Masters Championships – Singapore 2025 were a fantastic celebration of the strength of the global aquatics community, both in and out of the water. For the first time, World Aquatics introduced a dedicated Masters Education Programme, giving participants the chance to deepen their knowledge and skills alongside their competition events.
Between 26 July and 22 August, more than 6,000 Masters participants from across the world gathered in Singapore to compete in swimming, diving, water polo, artistic swimming and open water swimming. In parallel, athletes joined a series of targeted educational sessions designed to help them train more efficiently, stay healthy and make the most of their Master’s journey.
The programme combined online and in-person experiences:
Seasonal Training to Maximise Your Best Performance for Masters
Delivered online by Dr James Miller, this session drew participants from across the world. Dr Miller, a member of the World Aquatics Sport Medicine Committee, shared strategies on planning seasonal training cycles, recovery, tapering and long-term athlete development.
Stroke Technique for All Four Strokes
In Singapore, 45 participants joined World Aquatics Masters Chairperson, physiotherapist and swim coach Nadine Day for an in-depth workshop on freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly. The focus was on efficiency, speed and reducing injury risk - lessons athletes could take directly into their training.
The Journey of an Olympian from an Oceanian Country
Fifty participants had the opportunity to hear from Ryan Pini, four-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Chair of the WADA Athletes’ Council. Ryan’s story - from Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) to the Olympic stage - offered an inspiring perspective on perseverance, resilience and the importance of clean sport.
Reflecting on the experience, Ryan Pini said:
“Having come through all stages of competitive swimming, I know how critical the right guidance is, training smart, staying injury-free, mastering technique."
"I’m proud to contribute to the Singapore 2025 Masters Education Programme, helping athletes of all ages benefit from expert knowledge, and showing what’s possible when experience meets opportunity"
Nadine Day, World Aquatics Masters Chairperson, Physiotherapist and swim coach added:
“I love combining my professional expertise and coaching skills with my passion for aquatics to help people stay healthy and enjoy the water for a lifetime…I am excited about the World Aquatics Masters Education platform. The platform gives aging participants opportunities to learn, allowing them to stay healthy and keep swimming during their lifetime.”
The Masters Education Programme reinforced World Aquatics’ vision: United by Water, with key events serving as a means to not only bring together swimmers, divers, artistic swimmers, open water swimmers and water polo players to compete, but to learn and grow as a community.