During the period from 1969 to 1971 he became a FINA judge, timekeeper, referee and starter and he remembers his time at the Edinburgh Commonwealth pool with great affection.
[citation needed] English Schools champion, British Universities Champion, and second in the ASA National Championships in 1959, Read was selected to represent Great Britain in Swimming in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome but unfortunately due to injury, was never able to compete.
He joined the Channel Swimming Association (CSA) in 1969, making his first crossing that year and became a committee member in 1973.
On one occasion when the event was held in Ullswater, he was second in the ASA 25 km; only two swimmers finished but he was judged out of time.
Read was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1978 and has been made an Honorary citizen of both Nikiti in Greece and Dervio in Italy.
Read was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 New Year Honours for services to swimming.