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Making Waves: Olympic swimmer Bobson Mansaray brings his passion to the Bega Valley

Bobson Mansaray knows what it means to swim for your life.

Olympic swimmer and local Coach, Bobson Mansaray.

Olympic swimmer and local Coach, Bobson Mansaray.

19 June 2025

Bobson Mansaray knows what it means to swim for your life.

Not in the way that medals measure, or that stopwatch numbers tell. But in the raw, desperate, life-changing way that sets the course of a life forever.

As a 12-year-old in Sierra Leone, he was a passenger on a boat that capsized while travelling to a neighbouring country. People he knew—friends—drowned.

“I watched all my friends pass away,” Bobson says, quietly.

Witnessing that tragedy changed everything. Bobson turned away from soccer, his sport of choice and devoted himself to swimming, determined to master the water and help others do the same.

“I decided to push myself…I know the trauma I’ve been through and that is how I started to have a passion for swimming.”

Emotional stamina. It’s a phrase Bobson returns to often because to him, swimming is as much about resilience as it is about technique.

It’s what he brings to the Bega Valley, where generations of young swimmers have done us proud.  With Bobson now on board as the shire’s swimming coach, local talent is building on a strong foundation and reaching for new heights.

“It’s not about profession, it’s about passion for the sport,” he says about his role of Coach.

In a place where the love of swimming runs deep, from school carnivals and regional meets to the legacy of our local swimming and surf lifesaving clubs, the foundations have always been strong.

“Our local swimming teachers and coaches do an extraordinary job nurturing local talent and instilling a lifelong love for the water,” Aquatic and Leisure Facilities Coordinator, Nic Hoynes says.

“But the remoteness of this beautiful place and seasonality of facilities has made it difficult to attract new coaching talent to the area.”

"And then out of the blue, Bobson’s application landed in my inbox. After a few chats he decided to make the move to the Bega Valley and it’s safe to say we’re thrilled and honoured to have him here."

Bobson Mansaray is no everyday coach. He is an Olympian, having represented Sierra Leone at the Atlanta Olympic Games. He has coached at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, FINA World Championships and led national squads. But perhaps more remarkably, his career has been carved out of pure resilience and grit.

After that early tragedy, he devoted his life to swimming, eventually restoring a crumbling public pool in Sierra Leone with his own hands and determination. That pool became a beacon for young swimmers in his community. But when it was unfairly reclaimed by government officials, Bobson had to start again, rebuilding his coaching journey in Abu Dhabi, then Melbourne and now right here in the Bega Valley.

“It’s been a challenging path at times, but every step made me better equipped to find solutions in difficult times,” he says.

With credentials that include a scholarship to the U.S. Olympic Committee’s prestigious International Coaching Enrichment Program, and experience leading squads in elite programs in Melbourne and Abu Dhabi, Bobson brings not only technical expertise, but something even more powerful: heart.

“Without having drive, there’s no way to make it,” he says. “There’s going to be a lot of obstacles that require a system of tiny improvements every day.”

Currently based at the Sapphire Aquatic Centre in Pambula Beach, Bobson is already making his mark. Morning squad sessions are earlier and sharper, and kids leave the pool not only stronger but smiling.

“He believes in them,” Mr Hoynes says. “And that belief is contagious.”

After decades of quietly producing serious competitors in the pool, the Bega Valley swimming community has a coach who knows what it means to swim for something bigger than the win.

With Bobson on deck, the next generation is learning that real strength starts well before the dive. It comes with patience, focus and the will to keep showing up.

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