The election of her friend, Kirsty Coventry, as president of the International Olympic Committee has reignited Katura Horton-Perinchief’s passion for leadership.

Just a few months after losing out by two votes to Peter Dunne in a tight election to become president of the Bermuda Olympic Association, Horton-Perinchief reveals she is determined to try again after being inspired by Coventry’s success.

“Having Olympians involved at the Olympic association level and at board level in our committees is very important, so I will definitely be trying again,” said Horton-Perinchief at her successful summer diving camp.

“I have no intention of leaving the Olympic movement. There is always an opportunity for change and there is always an opportunity for ameliorating the product we are giving to our athletes.”

Horton-Perinchief was chef de mission for the Bermuda team at the Paris Olympics last year and feels that it is important that top jobs in the Olympic movement are taken by former athletes

“What I think we saw on the back of the Paris Olympics was the difference having an Olympian as a chef de mission makes for the team, the team experience and the team outcomes,” the 42-year-old said.

“In order to be the president of the [International Olympic Committee], you have got to be an Olympian. I know that’s not the case at the national level, but there is a reason behind it — it’s about experience and knowing first-hand about what growing into an Olympian is.

“I’m happy to work with all of our Olympians and people who are building to be Olympians, and if that’s under Peter Dunne for the next four years, then I’m OK with that.”

Horton-Perinchief represented Bermuda at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, the same event at which new IOC president Coventry won three medals, including gold in the 200 metres backstroke. The two met on the island when the Zimbabwean visited a number of years ago and struck up a friendship.

“I have a great picture of myself, [late BOA president] Judy Simons and Kirsty, and we got to talk quite extensively about the importance of having female leaders in sport, which still even now is male-dominated,” Horton-Perinchief said.

“It was very exciting and I sent her a text message to say ‘great job’ when she won the IOC presidency. I think the world was stunned that she won so convincingly. It is inspirational for those of us who aspire to get to that level.”

There are not many places in the world where you can pop to your local pool and see Olympians teaching the next generation, but that is happening at the National Sports Centre this week as Horton-Perinchief hosts her summer camp alongside her mother, Ellen-Kate Horton.

“I absolutely love it and the kids have a blast,” she said.

“This is such an opportunity for Bermudian kids and kids who live in Bermuda to do this. It’s such a blessing to be able to bring it to them every year.

"This camp fills up every year. Depending on the number of weeks, we have anywhere from 120 kids to 170 kids every single year — it is No 1 on my list every year.

“Our goal and our mission is to have fun, to do it safely and everybody here is doing that and having a blast.

“The sport has given me and given Bermuda so much joy. You go to Admiralty House, you go to the bridges, people love the sport and inherently we love diving. Not only do the kids love to do it, but I know that when the kids I teach go to Admiralty House they are going safely.”

Horton-Perinchief followed in the footsteps of Goose Gosling and Mickey Johnson in representing Bermuda at the Olympics, but the lack of a year-round programme makes it difficult to find the next wave of divers.

“It’s just a programming thing, not for lack of interest, but I can’t run a programme year-round,” Horton-Perinchief said.

“We don’t have a dry-land facility, so with the facility lacking just a bit, it’s difficult to grow a diving programme. But I would love to.

“Not being able to run a year-round programme does tend to inhibit long-term athlete development. It would be great to do that, but these kids are great over the summer and they could be fantastic if we did this year-round.”