ISHOF is only 100 days out from hosting the Masters Induction, ISHOF Aquatic Awards, presented by AqualCal and ISHOF Specialty Awards in Fort Lauderdale
ISHOF is just 100 days out from hosting this year’s Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame (MISHOF) Honoree Induction Ceremony along with the ISHOF Aquatic Awards, presented by AquaCal, and the ISHOF Specialty Awards on Saturday, September 13, 2025 at the Sonesta Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, located at 999 Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd. To make your reservation, click here: http://International Swimming Hall of Fame
MISHOF’s Class of Honorees includes swimmers, Charlotte Davis and Diann Uustal USA, Tony Goodwin (AUS) and Hiroshi Matsumoto (JPN); Diver, Rolf Sperling (GER), Artistic Swimmer, Joyce Corner* (CAN), Water Polo Player, Gary Payne (AUS) and Contributor for Artistic Swimming, Barbara McNamee (USA). “It’s quite a remarkable group”, said Bruce Wigo, ISHOF Historian, and former CEO; “We look forward to welcoming them all to Fort Lauderdale this Fall!”
In addition, we will be presenting the annual ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal (formerly the Paragon Awards 1996-2022). The ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal are presented annually to individuals or organizations for outstanding contributions to aquatics. This year’s recipients include Craig Hunter (GBR) for Competitive Swimming, Mitch Geller (CAN) for Diving, Ana Maria Lobo (BRA) for Artistic/Synchronized Swimming; Bret Beecher Bernard (USA) for Water Polo, Lisa Zarda (USA) for Aquatic Safety and Mick and Sue Nelson (USA) for Recreational Swimming.
The ISHOF Specialty Awards will also be presented on September 13th in conjunction with the other awards. This year’s 2025 ISHOF Specialty Award Recipients include, Barry Goldwater, Jr. (USA) – 2025 Every Child A Swimmer Award, Ludmilla Rosengren (SWE) – 2025 Virginia Hunt Newman Award, Anita Mitchell (USA) – 2025 Buck Dawson Author’s Award: “God Took My Arms but He Gave Me THIS GIFT ~ The Story of Abbas Karimi, PLY”, Terri Mitchell (USA) – 2025 John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award, and Cynthia Potter (USA) – 2025 Al Schoenfield Media Award.
In addition, Richard Shoulberg (USA) will be receiving ISHOF’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
In addition to the MISHOF Induction, the ISHOF Aquatic Awards and the ISHOF Specialty Awards, ISHOF will once again be the site of the ISHOF (Coaches) Clinic, who recently partnered with the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA). Last month ASCA announced it was officially taking over the management and operation of the longstanding and popular clinics, including the Central States and Eastern States Swim Clinics, as well as the ISHOF Clinic effective in 2025. These clinics, renowned for their high caliber coach speakers and overall contributions to the professional development of swim coaches and athletes for more than four decades, will now be under ASCA’s guidance and leadership, partnering with ISHOF Honoree and Board Member, Coach Mark Schubert.
Make your plans now to attend the event, Saturday, September 13, 2025! To buy tickets, Click here: https://halloffameswimshop.com/collections/2020-ishof-induction-tickets/products/tickets-ishof-2025-awards-masters-induction-ceremony
For more information, Call Meg Keller-Marvin at 570.594.4367
deceased
ISHOF to induct US Swimmer Anthony “Tony” Ervin to its star-studded line up in Class of 2025
photo courtesy: World Aquatics
After graduating as the fastest high school swimmer in the nation, Anthony Ervin continued his rise to stardom upon entering the University of California-Berkeley. Under the guidance of coaches Nort Thornton and Mike Bottom, he capped his freshman years by winning individual NCAA titles in the 50 and 100 freestyle in SCM, breaking the world record in the 50. He went on to qualify for 2000 Olympic Games in two events.
In Sydney, the 19-year-old helped the United States to a silver medal in the 400-freestyle relay and then shared the Olympic gold with training partner Gary Hall Jr., in the 50 free. He furthered his international status the next year by winning both the 50 and 100-meter freestyle at the 2001 World Championships.
But shortly after the 2003 World Championships, Ervin walked away from school and the pool, to begin an intellectual and spiritual journey of self-discovery. A seven-year odyssey he vividly describes in his critically acclaimed autobiography, Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian.
In 2011, Cal’s women’s coach, Teri McKeever began nurturing him back into the water, initially for emotional and physical rehab. The training organically led to him joining coach Dave Durden’s training group at Cal and qualifying him in the 50 free for his second Olympic Games. Although he got off to a bad start and finished fifth, his return was both inspiring and motivational.
After disappointing swims in the 2013 and 2015 World’s, Ervin relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, to train with David Marsh in March of 2016, to fix his troublesome start and prepare for the 2016 Olympics.
After comfortably moving through the rounds of the 50 freestyle, Ervin put together his finest performance in the final, where he edged defending gold medalist Florent Manaudou of France by .01 and, at 35 years old, becoming the oldest male Olympic swimming champion in history. More, his 16 years between Olympic crowns was nothing short of phenomenal, a testament to his belief, hard work, talent and passion for swimming.
ERVIN Anthony USA Gold Medal
Men’s 50m Freestyle
Rio de Janeiro 12-08-2016 Olympic Aquatics Stadium
Swimming Nuoto
Foto Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
Join Anthony Ervin and the other 11 outstanding Honorees who will be inducted this year at ISHOF’s Diamond Anniversary in Singapore! Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony in Singapore in conjunction with the World Aquatics World Championships
WHEN: Monday, July 28, 2025, 1:00 PM
WHERE: Park Royal Collection, Marina Bay, Singapore
Tickets are NOW ON SALE ~ purchase them HERE!
Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony
ISHOF Class of 2025
Anthony Ervin (USA) Honor Swimmer
Ryan Lochte (USA) Honor Swimmer
Federica Pellegrini (ITA) Honor Swimmer
Joseph Schooling (SIN) Honor Swimmer
Ous Mellouli (TUN) Honor Open Water Swimmer
Chen Ruolin (CHN) Honor Diver
Endre “Bandi” Molnar (HUN) Honor Water Polo Player
Andrea Fuentes (ESP) Honor Artistic Swimmer
Gregg Troy (USA) Honor Coach
Captain Husain Al Musallam (KUW) Honor Contributor
Sachin Nag* (IND) Honor Pioneer Swimmer
Guo Jingjing (CHN) Honor Diver (Class of 2016)
*deceased
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is proud to announce this truly international Class of 2025. This year, ISHOF will induct 12 honorees from nine countries. In addition, ISHOF will be inducting Honorees from four new countries that we have never had Honorees inducted from before, Kuwait, India, Tunisia, and Singapore.
Swimming History of South Africa announces the passing of 1982 ISHOF Honor Swimmer Joan Harrison (RSA)
Today on Facebook, on the Swimming History of Southern Africa Page, they announces the death of Joan Harrison Breetzke, who was inducted into ISHOF as an Honor Swimmer in 1982. Joan came to Fort Lauderdale in 1982 for her induction to celebrate the milestone. Pictured below is Joan accepting award, doing her footprints in cement and looking at her ISHOF display.
Joan Harrison (RSA) 1982 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1952 gold (100m backstroke); COMMONWEALTH GAMES: 1950 gold (400m freestyle), bronze (100m freestyle); 1954 gold (100m backstroke; relay), silver (relay), bronze (100m freestyle).
Born in 1935 of a swimming mother and a rugby-playing father in East London, South Africa, Joan Harrison wasted little time taking advantage of her sporting heritage. At 13, she already held three Jr. and two Sr. national records, and that year won the 220 and 500 yd. Senior Freestyle National Championships.
In 1950, at age 14, she won the 440 yd. freestyle at the Commonwealth Games in Auckland, New Zealand, beating the old record by 13 seconds and finishing 7 seconds ahead of the field. It was her first international competition and she was declared the outstanding woman swimmer in the Games.
Her second International Games was the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, where she won South Africa’s first and only Olympic gold medal for swimming. In 1954, at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, she won two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze before retiring at the ripe old age of 17.
She won the Helms Foundation Award for the best African athletic performance in any sport in 1952, and while concentrating on field hockey after 1954, she did manage to come back two more years to win the Nationals in her favorite 100 meter backstroke and in the 300 I. M. in 1956. She was South Africa’s supreme swimmer in freestyle, backstroke and I.M. for six years.
RIP Joan Harrison Breetzke.
Today is International Museum’s Day; Let’s see how ISHOF became International and then visit the International Swimming Hall of Fame…..
Did you know that ISHOF has FINA, now World Aquatics, to thank, for it’s International status? When the Swimming Hall of Fame first became an organization we were just a national museum, the “Swimming Hall of Fame. But, in 1968, during the Mexico City Olympic Games, FINA, Federation Internationale de Natation Amateur, the world governing body of the aquatic sports, at their annual meeting, officially recognized the Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale as International, and from then on, we became the “International Swimming Hall of Fame”.
Today, the ISHOF Museum is closed and all of our amazing artifacts are in a climate controlled, state of the art storage facility, as we await the completion of the $220+ million dollar renovation to the ISHOF complex (aquatic facility not included ~ it has already been done). We are looking forward to a new state of the art museum and Hall of Fame to continue to honor ISHOF’s almost 900 international Honorees from around the globe! This year, 2025, our 60th anniversary, we are actually adding four new countries to the ISHOF list, Kuwait, Singapore, India and Tunisia. Welcome!
The 2025 ISHOF Induction Ceremonies will be held in Singapore in conjunction with World Aquatic’s 2025 World Championships, on Monday, July 28 and if you can join us, it will be an experience you won’t want to miss. To read more about it, click here: https://ishof.org/buy-your-tickets-now-ishofs-2025-honoree-induction-ceremony-in-singapore-with-world-aquatics-championships-july-28/
In the meantime, will we all await the new ISHOF, but you can watch this video from 2010, when ISHOF was voted The Best Sports Museum…….
And just for fun, here are some photos from the original museum, that Buck Dawson and Ted Keller created in the 1960’s and 1970’s…….
One day in the near future, we’ll get a new Hall of Fame, a better one, that we’ll make lots of new memories in, but for now, it’s fun to look at the good ole days on International Museum Day!
Singapore’s Joseph Schooling to be inducted as ISHOF’s first Honoree from his country
Joseph Schooling will be the very first Honoree to be inducted into ISHOF from the country of Singapore, and it will take place in his own back yard.
It is probably the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro which Joseph Schooling is best remembered for and where he produced his greatest performance. Through the preliminaries and semifinals, Schooling established himself as one of the favorites and in the final he dominated, winning the title in an Olympic-record time of 50.39, three quarters of a second clear of Phelps, Laszlo Cseh and Chad le Clos, who shared the silver medal in a historic, three-way tie at 51.14
His victory, the first for his country, regardless of sport, at the Olympic Games, serves as a powerful message, especially for athletes from smaller nations. That seemingly insurmountable goals, like beating a legendary figure like Michael Phelps, are achievable if you are willing to believe in yourself and make a commitment to the hard work and sacrifices that will make your dreams come true. He is a role model not just for his competitive career, but by his example after his retirement from competitive swimming – through Sports Schooling, a business committed to Raising Active, Confident And Growth-Minded Children Through Sports, and his role as co-founder and principal in the investment firm of Swaen Schooling Capital.
Join Joseph Schooling and the other 11 outstanding Honorees who will be inducted this year at ISHOF’s Diamond Anniversary in Singapore! Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony in Singapore in conjunction with the World Aquatics World Championships
WHEN: Monday, July 28, 2025, 1:00 PM
WHERE: Park Royal Collection, Marina Bay, Singapore
Tickets are NOW ON SALE ~ purchase them HERE!
Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony
ISHOF Class of 2025
Anthony Ervin (USA) Honor Swimmer
Ryan Lochte (USA) Honor Swimmer
Federica Pellegrini (ITA) Honor Swimmer
Joseph Schooling (SIN) Honor Swimmer
Ous Mellouli (TUN) Honor Open Water Swimmer
Chen Ruolin (CHN) Honor Diver
Endre “Bandi” Molnar (HUN) Honor Water Polo Player
Andrea Fuentes (ESP) Honor Artistic Swimmer
Gregg Troy (USA) Honor Coach
Captain Husain Al Musallam (KUW) Honor Contributor
Sachin Nag* (IND) Honor Pioneer Swimmer
Guo Jingjing (CHN) Honor Diver (Class of 2016)
*deceased
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is proud to announce this truly international Class of 2025. This year, ISHOF will induct 12 honorees from nine countries. In addition, ISHOF will be inducting Honorees from four new countries that we have never had Honorees inducted from before, Kuwait, India, Tunisia, and Singapore.
Every Child a Swimmer Legislation Expands Nationwide: Arizona and New Mexico Become Latest States to Pass Life-Saving Water Safety Bill
Photo: Barry Goldwater Jr. Emma Linquist, Casey McGovern, Representative Matt Gress (Arizona)
Fort Lauderdale, FL — The Every Child a Swimmer program proudly announces the successful passage of its life-saving water safety legislation in Arizona and New Mexico, with each state’s governor officially signing the bills into law. These states join Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, and Washington State in adopting this critical initiative aimed at protecting children from drowning and promoting water safety education.
The Every Child a Swimmer legislation is designed to educate parents and guardians about the importance of teaching children how to swim and practicing water safety measures. By ensuring that families receive this essential information, the legislation empowers communities to prevent drowning tragedies.
“Drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for children, and education is our strongest tool in preventing these heartbreaking losses,” said Casey McGovern, Executive Director of the Every Child a Swimmer program. “We are thrilled to see Arizona and New Mexico take this significant step in prioritizing the safety of their children.”
The legislation requires that parents are provided with water safety information when enrolling their children in schools, raising awareness about the importance of swimming lessons, supervision, and other safety measures.
Every Child a Swimmer Legislation: States Passed
Florida
Georgia
Arkansas
Washington State
Arizona (New)
New Mexico (New)
The Every Child a Swimmer program, a division of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, is on a mission to ensure that every child has access to life-saving water safety education and essential swimming skills. Through its learn-to-swim scholarship program, ECAS provides critical support to underserved communities, guaranteeing that each scholarship recipient learns how to safely exit the water without assistance. In 2024 alone, the program awarded an impressive $632,000 in learn-to-swim scholarships through its network of 300+ trusted swim school partners.
Pictures from left to right:
Representative Sanchez, Casey McGovern, Marco Serna (New Mexico)
Casey McGovern testifying on behalf of HB-2019 Arizona
For more information about the Every Child a Swimmer program and how you can support its mission, please visit www.everychildaswimmer.org or contact Casey McGovern at Casey@everychildaswimmer.org.
Media Contact: Casey McGovern Executive Director, Every Child a Swimmer [Phone 954-275-9035] [Email: Casey@everychildaswimmer.org]
First Indian in History to be inducted into ISHOF ~ Sachin Nag, 2025 Pioneer Swimmer
Sachin NAG* (IND) 2025 Honor Pioneer Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: 1948 OLYMPIC GAMES: participant – 100m freestyle & water polo; 1952 OLYMPIC GAMES: participant water polo – first goal for his country; 1951 Asian Games: gold (100m freestyle; first gold medal for India), bronze (4x100m freestyle relay, 3x100m medley relay)
Sachin Nag is an Indian legend in the record books but was never given his legitimate place to galvanize Indian popular culture in sport. Even after seven decades, his records are unparalleled, but he never got his due, until now.
His career blossomed in 1937, when he was invited to live and train in Calcutta, and within just one year, he was breaking all national records. He even began dreaming of competing in the Olympic Games. He competed in 6K and 10K races in the Hoolghly River and began playing water polo.
Nag competed in the 1948 Olympic Games, finishing a respectable sixth place in the 100-meter freestyle event. He also played for the Indian water polo team and scored four goals in a 7–4 win over Chile.
Nag’s real moment of glory, however, came three years later at the inaugural edition of the Asian Games in New Delhi. On March 8, 1951, Nag won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle and in the audience watching him win the first gold medal for India was Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. According to media reports, Nehru was so overjoyed that he broke protocol, embraced Nag and presented him with the red rose from the breast pocket of his coat.
Besides winning gold in the 100m freestyle, Nag also won bronze medals in the 4×100m freestyle relay and the 3×100m freestyle relay. In addition, he would go on to compete in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games, representing India in water polo.
Following his incredible achievements in the pool, Nag would train future generations of Indian swimmers. Sachin Nag passed away on August 19, 1987. Looking at a photograph of the muscular, six-footer, one can only wonder what a swimmer he might have been had he had the coaching and opportunities afforded swimmers in the west or Japan at the time. Sachin Nag, the first Honoree inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame from India.
Join the family of Sachin Nag and the other 11 outstanding Honorees who will be inducted this year at ISHOF’s Diamond Anniversary in Singapore! Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony in Singapore in conjunction with the World Aquatics World Championships
WHEN: Monday, July 28, 2025, 1:00 PM
WHERE: Park Royal Collection, Marina Bay, Singapore
Tickets are NOW ON SALE ~ purchase them HERE!
Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony
ISHOF Class of 2025
Anthony Ervin (USA) Honor Swimmer
Ryan Lochte (USA) Honor Swimmer
Federica Pellegrini (ITA) Honor Swimmer
Joseph Schooling (SIN) Honor Swimmer
Ous Mellouli (TUN) Honor Open Water Swimmer
Chen Ruolin (CHN) Honor Diver
Endre “Bandi” Molnar (HUN) Honor Water Polo Player
Andrea Fuentes (ESP) Honor Artistic Swimmer
Gregg Troy (USA) Honor Coach
Captain Husain Al Musallam (KUW) Honor Contributor
Sachin Nag* (IND) Honor Pioneer Swimmer
Guo Jingjing (CHN) Honor Diver (Class of 2016)
*deceased
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is proud to announce this truly international Class of 2025. This year, ISHOF will induct 12 honorees from nine countries. In addition, ISHOF will be inducting Honorees from four new countries that we have never had Honorees inducted from before, Kuwait, India, Tunisia, and Singapore.
ISHOF Honoree Gary Hall Jr. Gets replacement medals in Lausanne at IOC
We all remember the devastating wildfires that swept across Los Angeles earlier this year, but it really hit close to home when the swimming community learned that Hall of Famer, Gary Hall Jr. barely escaped the blaze of the home he was renting with nothing but the shirt on his back and his dog. He lost everything including his 10 Olympic medals.
Today, Hall, Jr. was in Lausaunne, Switzerland, home of the IOC where he was presented exact replicas of his medals.
A post from his father, ISHOF Hall of Famer, Gary Hall Sr’s organization, The Race Club said:
“Gary Hall Jr.’s medal ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland, is a testament to resilience. After the LA wildfires claimed his Olympic medals, the IOC created precise replicas. This ceremony symbolizes a bright future ahead.”
We couldn’t agree more!
Endre “Bandi” MOLNAR of Hungary ~ ISHOF 2025 Honor Water Polo Player
Endre “Bandi” Molnar began playing with the second division team of Budapesti Építők and in 1960, he moved to Budapesti Spartacus, a first division team, where he remained until the end of his career. Molnar played in a total of one hundred and eighty-nine games for the Hungarian National Team between 1966 and 1980. During this time Hungary won four Olympic medals, three at the World Championships and two at the European Championships.
His first Olympic medal came in 1968, at the Mexico City Games, where Molnar and his teammates came away with bronze. In Munich, 1972, they bettered their record by winning the silver medal. Then in Montreal in 1976, they went undefeated in the round-robin tournament to win the gold. 1980 would be Molnar’s fourth and final Olympic Games in Moscow where the Hungarian Team won bronze, being outmatched by only the Soviets on their home stage and the Yugoslavians.
In addition to his four Olympic medals, Molnar won the gold medal at the first edition of the FINA World Championships in Belgrade, Yugoslavia in 1973, beating out the Soviets. With Endre Molnar in goal, the Hungarians were also two-time European Champions.
Endre Molnar is one of only a handful of individuals who has won four medals in Olympic water polo competition. He was named Hungarian Water Polo Player of the Year six times and is considered one of the best, if not the best goalkeeper in the history of the sport. In 2000, he was selected for the Hungarian Water Polo Team of the 20th Century, became a member of the board of Hungarian water polo in 2008, and received the Officer’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit in 2020.
Join Endre “Bandi” Molnar and the other 11 outstanding Honorees who will be inducted this year at ISHOF’s Diamond Anniversary in Singapore! Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony in Singapore in conjunction with the World Aquatics World Championships
WHEN: Monday, July 28, 2025, 1:00 PM
WHERE: Park Royal Collection, Marina Bay, Singapore
Tickets are NOW ON SALE ~ purchase them HERE!
Buy your tickets NOW for ISHOF’s 60th Anniversary of the Honoree Induction Ceremony
ISHOF Class of 2025
Anthony Ervin (USA) Honor Swimmer
Ryan Lochte (USA) Honor Swimmer
Federica Pellegrini (ITA) Honor Swimmer
Joseph Schooling (SIN) Honor Swimmer
Ous Mellouli (TUN) Honor Open Water Swimmer
Chen Ruolin (CHN) Honor Diver
Endre “Bandi” Molnar (HUN) Honor Water Polo Player
Andrea Fuentes (ESP) Honor Artistic Swimmer
Gregg Troy (USA) Honor Coach
Captain Husain Al Musallam (KUW) Honor Contributor
Sachin Nag* (IND) Honor Pioneer Swimmer
Guo Jingjing (CHN) Honor Diver (Class of 2016)
*deceased
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is proud to announce this truly international Class of 2025. This year, ISHOF will induct 12 honorees from nine countries. In addition, ISHOF will be inducting Honorees from four new countries that we have never had Honorees inducted from before, Kuwait, India, Tunisia, and Singapore.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame announces the 2025 ISHOF Specialty Awards
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is proud to announce this year’s recipients of the ISHOF Specialty Awards. The ISHOF Specialty Awards are presented annually to individuals for outstanding contributions to aquatics. This year’s awards will be presented on Saturday evening, September 13th in conjunction with the ISHOF Aquatic Awards, presented by AquaCal and MISHOF Honoree Induction Ceremonies in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. Ticket information will be forthcoming shortly or call 570 594-4367.
This year’s 2025 ISHOF Specialty Award Recipients:
Barry Goldwater, Jr. (USA) – 2025 Every Child A Swimmer Award
Ludmilla Rosengren (SWE) – 2025 Virginia Hunt Newman Award
Anita Mitchell (USA) – 2025 Buck Dawson Author’s Award: “God Took My Arms but He Gave Me THIS GIFT ~ The Story of Abbas Karimi, PLY”
Terri Mitchell (USA) – 2025 John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award
Cynthia Potter (USA) – 2025 Al Schoenfield Media Award
Barry Goldwater, Jr. — 2025 Every Child A Swimmer Award
The Awards and Recognition Committee of the International Swimming Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2025 Every Child A Swimmer Award is Barry Goldwater, Jr. The Every Child A Swimmer Award is presented to someone for their long and exceptional leadership, insight, and dedication to the water safety of children and the cause of making “Every Child A Swimmer”.
Barry M. Goldwater, Jr. is a distinguished American leader whose influence spans public service, business, and civic advocacy. The son of legendary Arizona Senator and 1964 Republican presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, Barry Jr. has carved out his own legacy over decades of service and leadership.
Among his most recent and impactful civic achievements, Barry Goldwater, Jr. played a key advisory role in the passage of Arizona’s “Every Child a Swimmer” legislation—a critical child safety law that ensures swimming instruction is accessible to all young students across the state. This initiative aligns with Barry’s lifelong dedication to protecting families and promoting public well-being.
Known for his charisma, tenacity, and deep understanding of both business and government, Barry remains an influential figure across the U.S., continuing to shape policy, advise leaders, and inspire community impact.
About G. Harold Martin: Back in 1908, G. Harold Martin almost drowned in the Ohio River. Over the next two decades drowned two more times. From these experiences evolved a mission to make “Every Child A Swimmer.” His civic involvement led to the building of Fort Lauderdale’s first municipal pool in 1927. Kiwanian sponsored free swim lessons at the pool, and eventually influenced the decision by ISHOF to be in Fort Lauderdale. An active Kiwanian his entire adult life, he was instrumental in making the Key Club an integral club within Kiwanis International and the adoption of Every Child A Swimmer as a Kiwanian project.
Ludmilla Rosengren (SWE)— 2025 Virginia Hunt Newman International Award
The Awards and Recognition Committee of the International Swimming Hall of Fame is pleased to announce that Ludmilla Rosengren will be the 2025 recipient of the Virginia Hunt Newman International Award.
Dr Ludmilla Rosengren entered the world of infant swimming purely by chance in 1989 when her eldest daughter was two years old and began her swimming lessons. From the very start, she became actively involved and saw opportunities to develop the program. Shortly thereafter, alongside her medical studies, she founded her infant swimming school: Linnéas Simskola.
After completing her medical degree, Rosengren realised that she needed to hire instructors for the school to grow and maintain its quality. In 1997, she took another major step by launching a training program for infant swimming instructors and founded the Swedish Babyswim Association (Svenska Babysimförbundet).
She has also emphasised how crucial it is for parents to be properly prepared and informed, given that the child’s sense of security is entirely dependent on how secure the parents feel. For this reason, she wrote Babysimboken (The Baby Swim Book), which is not only included in beginner courses at her swimming school but is also used by many others and serves as course material for instructor training programs. The book is also available in English.
Since its inception in 1993, Linnéas Simskola has operated in six different cities and 18 different pools. In 2016, Ludmilla built her own swimming facility in Uppsala, where all instruction is now centralized.
About Virginia Hunt Newman: Newman was a swimming instructor of infants, and is best known for developing the non-forceful, non-traumatic method of teaching infants to swim. Her methods and distraction from normal fears associated with learning to swim and rewards for trying and performing skills, have been accepted by thousands of swim instructors world-wide.
Anita Mitchell ~ 2025 Buck Dawson Author’s Award
The Awards and Recognition Committee of the International Swimming Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2025 Buck Dawson Author’s Award is Anita Mitchell for her book, “God Took My Arms but He Gave Me THIS GIFT ~ The Story of Abbas Karimi, PLY.
This award is presented by ISHOF in the name of William F. “Buck” Dawson, ISHOF’s founding Executive Director, to an author of work that promotes, educates or entertains individuals about aquatics. He was always spreading the word, and always willing to talk and teach swimming and swimming history to anyone who would listen. He wrote hundreds of articles and was the author of eight books, ranging in subjects from bathing beauties to war, but especially swimming.
Anita Mitchell earned her BA in Communications from Michigan State University in 1972. She taught English in the Broward County School System from 1974-1980. She eventually went back to school and earned her master’s degree in journalism from Florida International University., where she went on to get a job as a freelance writer for the Miami Herald. She was hired in 1989 by WSVN-Channel 7, where she worked for almost thirty years as a Field Producer and writer.
She began swimming for Swim Fort Lauderdale Masters Team in 2004 and still swims there today, which is where she met Abbas Karimi, whom the book is based on. Masters Coach Marty Hendrick is the one who put Anita and Abbas together to write this book.
The Book: God Took My Arms but He Gave Me THIS GIFT, ~ The Story of Abbas Karimi, PLY. by Anita Mitchell
It is the unlikely story of how an armless Afghan boy became a world champion swimmer.
The road to the Olympics and Paralympics comes from unlikely places and often reveals the best of humanity. The future looked bleak for Abbas when he was born armless. With so many other problems in Kabul, Afghanistan, people with disabilities there are a low priority. After years of being bullied he sought refuge and peace in the water where he learned to swim and began to compete.
If 15-year-old Abbas wanted to excel with his unusual skill as a swimmer, he knew that he had to leave his large and close family. How he left, how he traveled through Iran, how he petitioned the UNHCR to come to the United States, how he made the Tokyo refugee Paralympic team, how he became a US citizen and what complications ensued in his life is a beacon of triumph and a salute to the human spirit.
Abbas is a role model not only for people with disabilities, but for anyone with a lofty goal where detours are placed along the way. He always had a champion’s mindset, whether it was in how he played marbles, performed martial arts or eventually excelled to world class levels in Paralympic swimming. Today, Abbas is training with Swim Fort Lauderdale Masters Swim Team, training under Marty Hendrick, for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.
About Buck Dawson: Dawson was a veteran of WWII who served as assistant and publicist for Generals Gavin and Ridgeway in the 82nd Airborne. From the time he was chosen to lead ISHOF in 1962, until his death in 2008, Buck traveled the world armed with Hall of Fame brochures, books, and bumper stickers.
Terri Mitchell (USA) — 2025 John K. Williams, Jr. Adapted Aquatics Award
The Adapted Aquatics Committee of the International Swimming Hall of Fame is pleased to announce that Terri Mitchell will receive the 2025 John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award. The annual award, honoring individuals or organizations who have made significant and substantial contributions to the field of adaptive aquatics.
Terri Mitchell loves water, where she has spent much of her time during her career as an Aquatic Specialist. She has extensive experience teaching aquatic fitness classes and providing aquatic rehabilitation. She has written and published articles and taught workshops focused on Bridging the Gap to manage the transition from rehabilitation to fitness and wellness.
She is also a retired Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) of 30 years with an Aquatic Specialty, having provided orthopedic and neurological patients with techniques and guidance for improved functional outcomes. She finished her PTA career in the out-patient setting working in the pool with orthopedic and neurologically involved patients.
Terri was a Trainer with the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute for 25 years, teaching various aquatic therapy techniques to Physical Therapists, Therapeutic Recreation Specialists, Occupational Therapists and Adapted Aquatics Professionals. Terri is adept at specialty aquatic programs including Ai Chi, AquaStretch, PNF, PiYoChi, Ortho Aquatics, Intervals, and more. She co-authored a manual and video on bringing PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation) to the Pool, a technique for treating patients with neurological deficits.
Cynthia Potter — 2025 Al Schoenfield Media Award
The Awards and Recognition Committee of the International Swimming Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2025 Al Schoenfield Media Award will be Cynthia Potter for outstanding contributions to the promotion of aquatic sports through journalism. This award is presented by ISHOF in memory of Al Schoenfield.
A four-time member of the USA Olympic Diving Team (1968, 1972, 1976, 1980) with 20 gold medals in world competition and a 28-time National Champion making her (still) the winningest U.S. female diver in the sport (1968-1977), gave Cynthia Potter a leg up in her next career.
Potter began her broadcasting career at ABC in 1983, her first show was covering the US National Championships for the ABC Wide World of Sports with Frank Gifford, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, along with 1964 Olympic gold medalist Ken Sitzberger, covering the men. Since then Potter has been the face of diving coming into our homes during all major events.
With the exclusion of the 1988 Games, Cynthia has covered every Olympic Games from 1984 in Los Angeles through this last Games in Paris, 2024 and most of them working with last year’s 2024 Al Schoenfield recipient, Peter Diamond.
Potter has worked for just about every broadcasting company there is, including, Turner, ESPN, ABC, CBS, and NBC. She also began covering the NCAA’s starting in the 1980’s too, and she just finished covering the 2025 NCAA’s in Federal Way, Washington.
She has covered World Championships all over the world, as well as World Cups, Grand Prix’s, Goodwill Games, University Games, and many other events and she has worked with many different people. Early in her career, she was lucky enough to work with leaders in the industry, people from other sports. In addition to Frank Gifford, she worked with Jack Whitaker – Main play by play people from other sports, people who already knew the television business, when she did not ~ she was just starting and out and learning, and they gave her all the help she needed.
About Al Schoenfield: He was the Editor and Publisher of Swimming World Magazine (1960-1977) and served on various international committees of swimming, including the FINA Technical Swimming Committee (1980-1984). Schoenfield’s life was a commitment to swimming, and he participated in its administrative structure and spread its stories through his magazines and promotions. Al died in 2005, but his legacy will forever endure to all who have benefited from his lifetime of service to swimming.
Additional Awards During the evening of September 13th, 2025
2025 ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal
2025 ISHOF Aquatic Awards presented by AquaCal Recipients:
Competitive Swimming: Craig Hunter (GBR)
Water Polo: Bret Beecher Bernard (USA)
Competitive Diving: Mitch A. Geller (CAN)
Synchronized Swimming: Ana Maria Lobo (BRA)
Aquatic Safety: Lisa Zarda (USA)
Recreational Swimming: Mick and Sue Nelson (USA)
About ISHOF
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) museum opened its doors to the public in December of 1968 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That same year, the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) – the governing body for Olympic aquatic sports – designated the ISHOF museum as the “Official Repository for Aquatic History”. Today, ISHOF’s vision is to be the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports.