It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Diving Victoria and Diving Australia Life Member Peter Panayi on Friday 12 February at the age of 90.  “Peter Pan the Diving Man” was well known to many for his years of service as a coach, mentor, advisor, official and friend.

Some of the positions Peter held were:

Honorary Coaching Director (1980 to 1990)

National Coaching Director (1990 to 1993)

President of the Asiana World Diving Coaches Association

Representative on the FINA World Diving Coaches lecturing panel

As well as Victorian and Australian National Selector

He received both the Australian Coach of the Year and Victorian Coach of the Year 9 times during his career and has been the Diving Victoria Official of the Year on two occasions.  He received the Master Coach Award in 1993 as well as the Australian Sports Medal 2000 for Services to Diving.

As well as being a successful coach Peter was a diving judge for over 50 years achieving the standard of FINA Level 5 diving judge.

Peter was instrumental in the development of dive coaching throughout Australia.  He developed Australia’s first Diving coaching manual and assisted in the production of both the Teaching of Diving Video and Learn to Dive Video. We organized and delivered numerous courses on coaching at both State and National level at National Coaching Development camps and seminars.

Every year from 1976 to 2004 Peter represented Australia at International competitions including 4 Olympics, 6 commonwealth Games, 12 World Junior Championships and 6 World Championships.

Peter has coached an outstanding list of divers over the years that have either achieved success under Peter or gone on to achieve international success for Diving Australia.

Some of his divers include Chantelle Michell, Irina Lashko. Dean Pullar, Shaun Panayi, Jenny Donnet, Jodie Rogers, Russell Butler and Stephen Foley.

Current Diving Victoria President Dean Pullar writes: “I was very lucky to have Pete as my coach and mentor. Even when Shaun was coaching me in Melbourne, Pete was watching. When I went to Brisbane at the AIS and Mr Wang was coaching me, Pete was watching and giving me feedback. At the Olympics in Sydney when Chen was coaching me, Pete was volunteering on pool deck and he was watching. He’d pull me aside and say “your dropping your heels on inward” or “get your hips up on reverse”. I was struggling in that week leading up to comp and Pete’s calming input helped me relax and enabled me to achieve my fantastic results.”

Peter and wife Shirley founded the longstanding Melbourne Amateurs (MelAm) Diving Club in 1984.  A club rich with history and success that continues to this day to provide inclusive and quality programming to its members.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Shirley, son Shaun, daughter Sharon and their families.

Unfortunately due to COVID-19 density restrictions, Peter’s service on Friday 10:30am will be by invitation only, but the family will be streaming via Vimeo. 

https://vimeo.com/512713062/4393be7d1f