Meg Keller-Marvin, Author at International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF)

Coach Sally Hansell is ONE IN A THOUSAND!

Sally Hansell has been a longtime friend, visitor, supporter and contributor to ISHOF, but over the last year, she became a member of ISHOF’s One in A Thousand program. It’s people like Sally that help make ISHOF what it is today, help it continue to grow, as they help us with our mission and continue to support ISHOF financially.

Here is Sally Hansell’s story:

Sally Hansell, a Cooper City resident, is best known for her love of all aquatic sports, but diving is in her blood. She moved to Florida in the ninth grade and competed in swimming and diving, each year qualifying for the Florida State High School Championships. She began her coaching career when she was severely injured while training for diving on a trampoline and was unable to complete.

Sally began her career as head diving coach at Lakewood High School and St. Petersburg Catholic High School (St. Petersburg, Florida). In 1980, she moved to Broward County and became head diving coach, assistant swim coach and head water polo coach at Cooper City High School, where she remained until 2004. Hansell has been the head diving coach at University School of Nova Southeastern, and has also served as the director of the swimming & diving there, where she still remains today.

Hansell has coached over 100 diving and swimming athletes to the medal stand at the FHSAA State Championships. Seven of her divers completed their seasons undefeated in all competitions including the State Championships. She serves on the Florida Gold Coast Diving Association Board of Directors as president and has been a FHSAA-certified referee for over 20 years. She has been the recipient of “Coach of the Year” in 2011 at University School of Nova Southeastern, and two-time recipient of “BCAA All Star Water Polo Coach,” and “NJCAA Swimming and Diving Coach of the Year,” as well as a selection committee member for the NISCA High School All American divers. In 2017, Sally was inducted into the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame, right here in Fort Lauderdale, along with other greats in their own respective sports, like Miami Dolphins great, Jason Taylor, Football, Miami Marlin’s Cliff Floyd, baseball and Glenn Kaye, swimming, to name a few……

Induction into Broward County Sports Hall of Fame

Photo courtesy: sunny.org

Sally has been attending meets and bringing her athletes to the Hall of Fame since the 1980’s and has seen the many changes since that time.

“I love the museum, and the entire venue, and knowing it’s in Fort Lauderdale helps me show my friends it’s acknowledgement to athletes and how it showcases what they can and have achieved. I also advocate that they go visit the world of Aquatics” said Sally recently.

When asked why she donates to ISHOF, Sally went ISHOF highlights, it allows me to have a place I call home for something I participated in, and still coach and teach in.

I will always give to this institution in any way I can”.

Thank you Sally Hansell for always being a part of ISHOF, and this year for becoming “One in A Thousand”.

Join Sally and become a member of the One in a Thousand Club by helping ISHOF on a monthly or one-time basis.

$10 Monthly Commitment $25 Monthly Commitment $50 Monthly Commitment Make a One-Time Commitment

For larger corporate sponsorships and estate-planning donations, please contact us at customerservice@ishof.org.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame wants to know if you are one in a thousand? We think you are! Show how special you are and become a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One In A Thousand” Club. Help keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame moving forward toward a new vision and museum by joining now!

During these unprecedented times, the ISHOF Board is calling on every member in the aquatic community to make a small monthly commitment of support to show how special you are and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.

“Our goal is simple. If we get 1,000 people to simply commit $10, $25 or $50 per month, we will generate enough revenue to go beyond this Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis.” – Bill Kent – Chairman of the ISHOF Board

“Those that believe in our vision, mission, and goals can join us in taking ISHOF into the future and be a part of aquatic history.” – Brent Rutemiller – CEO and President of ISHOF

Since 1965, ISHOF has been 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. ISHOF’s vision for the future is to build a new museum and expand its reach by offering its museum artifacts digitally through a redesigned website.

The ISHOF Board of Directors is calling on all members of the aquatics community to make a small monthly commitment to show their dedication to aquatics and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.

PBS to Air Documentary Feature on “Ambassador of Aloha” Duke Kahanamoku (Video Trailer)

PBS to Air Documentary Feature on “Ambassador of Aloha” Duke Kahanamoku

PBS has produced a feature documentary titled, “American Masters: Waterman — Duke: Ambassador of Aloha,” a new look at a groundbreaking figure in American swimming.

The documentary is narrated by Jason Momoa. It features rare archival footage and interviews with world famous surfers Laird Hamilton, Kelly Slater and Carissa Moore as well as musician Jack Johnson. It will premiere May 10 at 9 p.m.

Kahanamoku was born in 1890 in Hawaii, long before it became an American state. He is credited as an innovator in both the sports of swimming and surfing, pivotal in helping both develop into their modern versions. As a dark-skinned Pacific Islander, he did all that while enduring prejudice throughout his life, with a story that was little appreciated outside of the Hawaiian islands. Kahanamoku was a 1965 inductee to the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

In the pool, he was a star at a time when swimming was just establishing itself. He won gold in the men’s 100-meter freestyle at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics to go with a relay silver. After a brief retirement around the cancellation of the 1916 Olympics due to World War I, he returned to repeat in the 100 free and add relay gold in Antwerp in 1920. At age 33, then ancient for an athlete, he won silver in the 100 free at the 1924 Paris Games.

Kahanamoku’s swimming prowess stemmed from his exertions on a surfboard. He helped popularize traditional long boards, one of which he used in 1925 to help save eight fishermen when their boat capsized off the coast of Newport Beach, Calif. He also seeded the surfing booms in both California and Australia with visits there in the 1910s.

Kahanamoku lived until age 77, long enough to watch Hawaii become a state and see some of his achievements memorialized. He dabbled in acting roles in Hollywood in the 1920s, a popular pathway for Olympic swimmers, and became known as the “Ambassador of Aloha” as a vital supporter of Hawaii’s tourist industry.

The award-winning American Masters, now in its 36th season, “illuminates the lives and creative journeys of our nation’s most enduring artistic giants — those who have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape — through compelling, unvarnished stories.”

“American Masters: Waterman — Duke: Ambassador of Aloha” is available on broadcast or to stream on PBS.org, the PBS Video App or through the PBS Passport program. The documentary is a production of Sidewinder Films, a division of The Foundation for Global Sports Development and Ungerleider-Ulich Productions in association with American Masters Pictures. Directed by Isaac Halasima. Produced by David Ulich and Dr. Steven Ungerleider. Michael Cascio is executive producer. Chet Thomas is Co-Producer. Michael Kantor is executive producer of American Masters.

For more information, visit the American Masters show page.

Post Office honor for French Jackson passes hurdle with Sasse support…..

by MATTHEW DE GEORGE – SENIOR WRITER

United States Senator Ben Sasse has offered the support needed for a bill to rename a post office for World War II hero Charles Jackson French.

The senator from Nebraska on Monday, the day before the deadline, wrote a letter of support to a bill before the Senate Homeland Security and General Affairs Committee. The bill, H.R. 4168, would rename a post office in French’s native Omaha in his honor.

“Petty Officer 1st Class Charles Jackson French is an American hero,” Sasse wrote in the letter. “Should the Committee consider and favorably report H.R. 4168, I intend to support it if it is presented to the full Senate, including by supporting unanimous consent requests to expedite its consideration as needed.”

French served in the Navy in World War II. During the battle of Guadalcanal in 1942, the ship on which French was serving as a mess attendant, the U.S.S. Gregory, was sunk by Japanese forces. French saved the lives of 15 sailors by swimming them to safety through shark-infested waters.

Honors for French, who died in 1956, have been delayed. But the post office honors and the naming of a Naval training pool in San Diego, where French lived later in life, in his honor are among the delayed recognition for his heroism. The post office that would bear his name sits at 63rd and Maple Streets in the Benson neighborhood of Omaha.

The drive to name the post office for French was led by Sen. Deb Fischer and Rep. Don Bacon, the latter of whom is a retired Air Force brigadier general. Bacon’s House bill was co-sponsored by Reps. Jeff Fortenberry and Adrian Smith.

“I’m hoping Ben will decide to support,” Bacon told the Nebraska Examiner last week. “It is right for Omaha and the French family. It is important to remember our legacy and honor our heroes.”

The effort required a largely perfunctory signoff from Sasse, since the rest of the state’s congressional delegation was on board. Sasse had held a policy of not sponsoring bills to rename post offices, but relented in this instance.

Members of French’s family last week urged Sasse to sign for the significance to the greater community.

“What it would do is, it would show that a person of color, what he achieved, it’s on the post office building,” French’s nephew, Chester French, said. “It would be something where if young adults, old adults might be within the Benson area, if they knew a little about the history of him, they would think that this would be quite an achievement.”

Dick Roth -the Story of Olympic Glory

by JOHN LOHN – EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 13 March 2022

At ISHOF, Appendix Is Piece of Memorabilia That Tells the Story of Dick Roth & Olympic Glory

Walking through the International Swimming Hall of Fame, any number of artifacts or pieces of memorabilia will catch the eye. Olympic medals. Warmups of legends. Suits. Caps. And…internal body parts.

Wait, what?

A packup process at ISHOF is currently underway, with every piece of memorabilia set to go into storage while a new facility – gorgeous in nature – is built in Fort Lauderdale. But before everything is boxed, a medical cup caught my attention during a recent visit. Could that possibly be a urine sample? No joke, that was the first thought that crossed my mind. And then I found out what was inside was even more stunning.

The first time the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo, there was no shortage of iconic moments. Dawn Fraser captured her third consecutive title in the 100-meter freestyle. Don Schollander doubled in the 100 freestyle and 400 freestyle. Donna de Varona was golden in the women’s 400 individual medley, leading an American sweep of the podium.

Also in Tokyo, a 17-year-old American captured the gold medal in the men’s 400 individual medley – major medical problems be damned. In what was a touch-and-go situation for a handful of days, Dick Roth battled through a bout of appendicitis, was given a green light to compete and delivered the performance of his career – and one of the gutsiest efforts in the history of the sport.

Photo Courtesy:

Heading into the Tokyo Games, Roth was pegged as the favorite for gold in the 400 I.M., having set a world record in the event just a few months earlier. It was the first time an individual-medley event was contested on the Olympic stage, with the 200 medley, in which Roth was also the world-record holder, added to the program for the first time in 1968.

Just before Roth was scheduled to step onto the blocks for the preliminaries of his go-to event, he was plagued by stomach pain. And it wasn’t minor discomfort from a bad meal or due to a virus. This pain was piercing and led to Roth being taken to a U.S. Army hospital.

“The diagnosis was acute appendicitis, but I said ‘no way I’m having surgery,’” Roth said during a 2012 interview with InMenlo. “Being just 17, I didn’t have the final say. I was kept in the hospital and prepped for surgery. They brought in someone from the Olympic committee and went looking for my parents, who were enjoying a day of sightseeing before the competition. By the time they found my parents, it was six or eight hours later. There I sat, fully prepped for surgery on the gurney. But by that time, things had stabilized. I begged them to let me swim. My parents wanted to give me the chance to swim. My mother was particularly strong-willed, shall we say. They called Dr. Robert Jamplis at Stanford. Jamp advised monitoring my white blood count and putting me on antibiotics. On a logical level, it must have been an incredibly difficult decision for my parents, but they let me swim.”

More than a half century after his ordeal, the fact that Roth was given a thumbs-up to compete is difficult to comprehend. Eating only Jello, not only were there risks of additional medical complications, Roth hardly seemed positioned to have an impact. And based on the way he performed during the preliminary heats, the teenager looked nothing like a medal contender.

Racing to a time of 5:01.3 during prelims, Roth was the fourth-fastest qualifier into the final and sat nine seconds off the leading pace of fellow American Carl Robie, who touched the wall in 4:52.0. More, Roth was 13 seconds slower than his world record. Although the final was not scheduled for two days later, an obvious question existed: While fighting appendicitis, how could Roth possibly get himself in contention?

A combination of factors enabled Roth to enter the final in considerably better form than prelims. For one, the antibiotics he was given had a major effect on his condition. More, Roth adopted an ahead-of-its-time approach and relied on visualization to mentally prepare for the race.

“I did what’s commonplace today,” Roth said of the downtime between prelims and finals. “I started to swim the race over and over in my mind. I also got progressively better. The finals were two days after the trial and that gave me time to recuperate physically and psychologically.”

In the final, Roth was a much different swimmer than the one who trudged through prelims. Putting his multi-stroke talent on display, Roth stormed to a world record of 4:45.4 to secure gold and finish ahead of American teammate Roy Saari (4:47.1) and Germany’s Gerhard Hetz (4:51.0), with Robie placing fourth in 4:51.4. Roth never led the race until the freestyle leg, when he overhauled Saari.

“Winning the gold medal (changed) my life,” Roth said. “It led to absolutely amazing, wonderful things. But being only 17, I couldn’t help but think, ‘what’s next.’ It informed my life a lot. The drive I had to win gold has always been there to call on. But sometimes self-expectations are high.”

Photo Courtesy:

For Roth, the gold medal was the obvious pinnacle of his career, which came to an end at 19, when Roth announced his retirement. Eventually, the future Hall of Famer was beset by another bout of appendicitis, this time requiring the removal of the unnecessary, but troublesome organ. Given the appendix by doctors after his operation, Roth eventually had an idea for its future. According to historian extraordinaire and former ISHOF CEO Bruce Wigo, when Roth was approached by ISHOF head Buck Dawson for a memorabilia donation to coincide with his Hall of Fame induction, Roth had a legendary option.

Roth isn’t the only American swimmer with an appendix-focused story. In 1960, just six days after undergoing an appendectomy, Jeff Farrell qualified to represent the United States at the Olympics in Rome. At the Games, Farrell was a member of two golden relays.

As strange as it might seem that an appendix is part of ISHOF’s memorabilia collection, its presence speaks to the depth and history of the museum. It also represents a unique moment in history – when toughness and guts prevailed.

Photo Credit: Maren Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale Beach

Every day you arrive at the ISHOF / Ft. Lauderdale Aquatic Center complex, something new has happened! I should clarify, we are not opened to the public yet, but we, who work here, still come to work everyday and get to see the daily changes…. (well I get to come in everyday for the three weeks I am in town, so it is a bit more exciting for me!)

Yesterday, I arrived to a new, cleaned up, blacktopped parking lot, with newly planted beautiful palm trees. As I walked down the complex, surprised that much of the machinery was not crowding the lot, I was able to really see an end in sight. It was marvelous!

Next, upon walking to the end of the complex, there was another GIANT SURPRISE!!!!!

The Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Centersign was up!!!!! (Excuse the port-a-potties)

What a great way to start the day! It made going to work extra special….but that wasn’t the end of the excitement….On the was home, we all stayed a bit late, running around and on the way out, we took a look out the window……

DURAFLEX IS IN THE HOUSE!!!!! Thanks to Honoree, Ray Rude!

The springboards have been put in place! Both the 1- and 3- meter boards!

Needless to say, they got a lot of the finishing touches completed yesterday and it was a very exciting day around here in Fort Lauderdale! Stay tuned!

Who knows what will happen tomorrow!

Dara Torres stops by ISHOF for a visit!

Dara Torres at the new Ft. Lauderdale/Hall of Fame Aquatic Center

Dara Torres, the five-time Olympian, stopped by ISHOF this past week to check out how the aquatic center is coming along…and boy was she impressed! The Florida Gator alum, got the VIP tour from aquatic center manager, Laura Voet, and it just happened to be the first day that all three pools were full of water! Also in town and accompanying them on the tour, was ISHOF Board Member and FINA Vice President, Dale Neuburger…..

Dara Torres at the top of the tower

Laura Voet and Dale Neuburger

Dara and Meg Keller-Marvin

After her tour of the aquatic center, Dara came back to the museum to say hello to the staff and check in.

Dara with ISHOF staff

Todd, Kim, Dara, Janet and Mark

Dara was inducted into ISHOF in 2016 as an Honor Swimmer. To read about her fabulous career, her bio is below……

Dara Torres (USA)

Honor Swimmer (2016)

FOR THE RECORD: 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4×100 m freestyle); 1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver (4×100 m medley), bronze (4×100 m freestyle); 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4×100 m freestyle); 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4×100 m freestyle, 4×100 m medley), bronze (50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly); 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver (50 m freestyle, 4×100 m freestyle, 4×100 m medley); 1986WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): silver (4×100 m freestyle); 1987 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100 m freestyle, 4×100 m freestyle, 4×100 m medley); 1983 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (4×100 m freestyle); SIX WORLD RECORDS: three individual (50m free), three relays (4x100m free, 4x100m medley)

Dara Grace Torres grew up in Beverly Hills, California, where she learned to swim in her family’s backyard pool. At the age of seven, she followed her brothers to swim practice at the local YMCA. During her junior year of high school, Torres moved to Mission Viejo, CA, to train with Hall of Fame Coach Mark Schubert, and in 1983 she broke the world record in the 50-meter freestyle. The next year, while not yet a senior in high school, she won her first Olympic gold medal as a member of the USA’s 4×100 freestyle relay team.

Swimming for Randy Reece at the University of Florida, Torres earned 28 NCAA All-American swimming awards and at the 1988 Olympic Games, she won two silver medals swimming on relays. She finished her collegiate athletic career playing volleyball and took two years off before returning to win her second Olympic relay gold medal in Barcelona, Spain during the summer of 1992.

After 1992, Torres lived what appeared to be a glamorous life. She moved to New York City, worked in television, and as a Wilhelmina model she became the first athlete model in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Then in the spring of 1999, despite not having trained in a pool for seven years, she decided to give the Olympics one more try.

Training with coach Richard Quick in Palo Alto and Santa Clara, Dara made the Olympic team for the fourth time, at the age of 33. She returned home with five medals, more than any other member of the team, including three in individual events, and retired.

In 2005, while pregnant with her first child, Dara began swimming three or four times a week at the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex, to keep fit. After giving birth to her daughter, Tessa Grace, in April 2006, she entered two Masters meets and posted times that emboldened her to try another comeback. She asked Coral Springs coach Michael Lohberg if he would coach her, and a little over a year later, she won the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Three days later, she broke the American record in the 50-meter freestyle for the tenth time – an amazing 24 years after setting it for the very first time. In 2008, Dara qualified for her fifth Olympic team and at the 2008 Beijing Games, she became the oldest swimmer to compete in the Olympics. Dara returned home with three silver medals, including the heartbreaking 50-meter freestyle race where she missed the gold by 1/100th of a second.

In 2009, Dara won the ESPY award for “Best Comeback,” was named one of the “Top Female Athletes of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated magazine and became a best selling author with the release of her inspirational memoir, Age is Just a Number.

Dara continued swimming after recovering from reconstructive knee surgery and with the encouragement of coach Lohberg, she set her sights on making a record sixth U.S. Olympic swim team. When she just missed making the London Olympics by nine-hundredths of a second in the 50-meter freestyle at the 2012 US Swimming Olympic Trials, she announced her retirement with a smile on her face and her six-year old daughter Tessa in her arms.

Olympian, television personality, fitness guru, Queen of the Comeback, best-selling author and mother. Dara Torres is many things to many people, but above all, she is an inspiration.

Passages: Thomas Maine, International Masters Swimming Hall of Fame Honor Swimmer, Dies at 96

by DAN D’ADDONA — SWIMMING WORLD MANAGING EDITOR– 10 March 2022

International Masters Swimming Hall of Famer Tom Maine, 96, of Carbondale, died on Sunday, Feb, 27, 2022, at the Cottages of Lake St. Louis.

He swam to 27 FINA Masters World Records, though not starting his masters career until age 70. He was elected to the U.S. Masters Swimming Hall of Fame in 2016.

Thomas Orin Maine was born Sept.4, 1925, to Ralph and Bernice (Thomas) Maine in St. Louis. After his birth, his family moved to Des Moines, Iowa. He graduated from Theodore Roosevelt High School in June of 1943.

He learned to swim at the age of 10, at a YMCA in Des Moines, Iowa. He continued swimming through high school, where he was an All-American for two years. He also swam all four years of college at Iowa State University, where he was co-captain. In between high school and college, Maine joined the Navy, entered the Navy in-flight training program, swam and trained with the military base swim team.

Maine has set 56 USMS records in six different age groups and he currently holds a total of 29 individual USMS records in the 80-84, 85-59 and 90-94 age groups. Internationally, Tom began setting FINA world records in 2005. He has been ranked in the Top Ten for 19 continuous years.

Tom has attended five FINA Masters World Championships and has won 15 World Masters Championship Titles. He has set 27 FINA World Records, 14 long course meter and 13 short course meters in the butterfly, breaststroke and the IM. Thomas had a big run in 2015, breaking nine world records in his new age-group, 90-94. He was named one of Swimming World’s Top 12 Masters Swimmers in 2010, 2015 and 2016.

Like many Masters swimmers there was a large gap where he did not swim. For Tom Maine, that gap was 35 years, due to married life, family and a career at McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Missouri. The next time swimming entered Tom’s life was when his new wife bought him a pass to the rec-center at Southern Illinois University. At first, Tom swam in Senior Games competitions, but in 1997, at age 71, he joined United State Masters Swimming, representing Illinois Masters.

In November of 1945 he married Florence Bright and she precedes him. On April 11, 1987 he married Shirley Lillard and she preceded him on Feb. 26, 2021. His brother, Richard Maine, preceded him in death as well as his grandson, Coulter Willis, on June 13, 2019.

He attended Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering in 1952. He then took a position as an Aerospace Design Engineer with McDonnell Aircraft Company which later merged with Douglas to become McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Company.

Tom Maine was a member of AARP and traveled to many annual national conventions throughout the United States. He began swimming with the Senior Olympic Competitions in Missouri, Illinois and National meets. He also joined the Masters swimming organization and swam in meets locally, nationally and internationally in Finland, New Zealand, Italy and Sweden. He holds world and national records as a Master swimmer and Senior Olympic swimmer. On September 23, 2016 Tom was inducted into the International Masters Hall of Fame.

Over the years, he and Shirley enjoyed boating on their cruiser and sailing. He became a lifetime member of Crab Orchard Boat and Yacht Club.

Tom Maine is survived by his sister, Dorothy “Dot” (John) Cachiaras; his children: Larry (Donna) Maine, Scott Maine, Jerri Maine and Suzanne (Bob) Theismann; step-children: Anne (Mike) Teymouri, Patrick (Brenda) Lillard, Daniel (Sheril) Lillard and Eric (Diane) Lillard. He was loved by his 10 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; 11 step grandchildren; 13 step great-grandchildren; and many relatives and friends.

1986 Honor Diver, Lesley Bush visits ISHOF

Lesley Bush, ISHOF East Museum, February 17, 2022

ISHOF Honoree Lesley Bush Visits ISHOF

Last week, ISHOF Honor Diver, Lesley Bush came over from the west coast of Florida to visit ISHOF. She had not been to ISHOF for some years, so being a diver, she was particularly interested in seeing the new 27-meter diver tower and of course the museum! She bought her Olympic medal over to share, which was quite a treat! Leslie won the gold medal on the 10-meter platform at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

To read Lesley’s 1986 Induction bio:

Lesley Bush (USA)

Honor Diver (1986)

Lesley Bush, 1964 Olympic 10-meter Champion

FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1964 gold (platform); 1968 member of US Olympic Team; PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1967 gold (platform); AAU NATIONALS (5): Outdoors: 1965, 1967 (platform); Indoors: 1967 (1m), 1968 (3m, platform); 1967 Lawrence J. Johnson Award.

Lesley Bush (USA), the pride of New Jersey and Indiana University was equally at home on the low board (1M), high board (3M) or platform (10m Tower). She won in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics on the Tower and came back three years later to win the Pan American Games off the tower. In between she won five AAU Nationals for Hall of Fame Hobie Billingsley’s Indiana University divers including the one-meter springboard at the 1967 AAU Nationals and the three-meter springboard at the 1968 AAU Indoor Championships. Her diving was so spectacular during the 1965-1967 period that she was awarded the Lawrence J. Johnson Award in 1967 as the USA’s outstanding aqua athlete in the sports of diving, swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo. She made a second Olympic team in 1968, but failed to medal. Coming from a diving family, Lesley’s brother, David Bush, was also an Olympic diver on the 1972 U.S. team.

CALEB RHODENBAUGH BREAKS ISHOF HONOREE STEVE LUNDQUIST’S 40-YEAR OLD SMU BREASTSTROKE RECORD!

SMU’s CALEB RHODENBAUGH BREAKS ISHOF HONOREE STEVE LUNDQUIST’S 40-YEAR OLD BREASTSTROKE RECORD !!!!

Caleb Rhodenbaugh

Coach Greg Rhodenbaugh

1984 two-time Olympic gold medalist and proud SMU alumni swimmer, Steve Lundquist, whose birthday was just two days ago- February 20, got quite the birthday surprise… the 1990 ISHOF Honor Swimmer learned the day after his 61st birthday, that his 40-year old SMU record in the 100 yard breaststroke was finally broken on Saturday at the AAC Conference Championships! And to top it off, it was broken by a young man named Caleb Rhodenbaugh. The name Caleb “Rhodenbaugh” may sound familiar because his father is the Head Swimming Coach of the SMU Mustangs, Lundquist’s alma mater. Not only is Caleb the son of the SMU Head Coach, but it turns out that that coach is the same guy that Lundquist swam side by side with while at SMU, day after day, for four years (in the early 1980’s) and to no one’s surprise, both swimming the breaststroke events. And they have stayed friends ever since.

Steve Lundquist

Greg Rhodenbaugh

Caleb broke Lundquist’s 40-year-old record on Saturday in a time of 52.42; lowering the long standing time of 52.48.

To quote Lundquist when I spoke to him yesterday, he said, “It was broken by the son of a great friend of mine. I couldn’t be more proud!”

Swimming really is a small world…….

Michelle Calkins is One in A Thousand !!!!

Michelle Calkins De Filippi is One in A Thousand.

Michelle has been a longtime contributor to ISHOF, but over the last two years, she has been a contributor to ISHOF’s One in A Thousand program. It is honorees like Michelle Calkins De Filippi that help make ISHOF what it is today, who help it continue to grow, and help us with our mission with their financial support.

Here is Michelle’s story:

Coach Debbie Muir of the Calgary Aquabelles had a knack for pairing the two most talented synchronized swimmers on her team. It was never more apparent than when she paired Michelle Calkins with Helen Vanderberg to win the 1978 World Championships duet in Berlin, Germany. It marked the first time that Canadian synchronized swimmers had won a World Duet Championship, an important milestone in the evolution of synchronized swimming in Canada. In 1977, Michelle and her Hall of Fame partner Helen were named to the Elaine Tanner Award as Canada’s best young female athletes of the year by the Sports Federation of Canada. And all took place even before synchronized swimming became an Olympic sport!

In 1969, Michelle won the ‘12 and under’ Alberta Provincial Figures Trophy and was on her way to synchronized swimming stardom. By 1971, she was a member of The Aquabelles Junior National Team Champions and in 1973 a Canadian Junior National Solo Champion. From 1973 to 1978, she won seven Canadian Senior National Championships in duet, team, and figures events. Her first international competition was winning the silver medal in the 1973 first World Championships team event in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. She won silver in the Mexico City 1975 Pan American Games team event. The Pan Pacific Championships of 1976 and 1977 were the warm-up to the gold medal performance of the 1978 World Championships. And all this was before synchronized swimming was an Olympic event. In 1978, she performed her synchronized swimming routine at the Edmonton Commonwealth Games as a demonstration before synchronized swimming became an official event at the Commonwealth Games, which took another eight years, not until 1986.

Michelle’s success was by virtue of her exacting technical skill. Her and teammate Helen’s 1978 combined figures scores were 87.30, a full 2.70 points above the duet silver medalists. She performed creatively and with intensely dramatic routines. Michelle, with partner Helen, instigated the great success of their home club in Calgary culminating ten years later in another gold medal duet win, this time by Carolyn Waldo and Michelle Cameron at the 1988 Olympic Games.

After retiring, Michelle continued with her passion for synchronized swimming, which never diminished, and she was the head coach of her Aquabelles as well as serving as a Canadian National Team coach from 1988 through 2000. She was the 1996 Canadian Olympic coach when Canada won the silver medal in the team event.

When asked why Michelle continually supports ISHOF, this is what she said: “To me the ISHOF stands for excellence and has considerable prestige worldwide. ISHOF has so much history and honor with a special emphasis on famous! And we are all very fortunate to be a part of this totality. I also love how they support everyone.”

Join Michelle and become a member of the One in a Thousand Club by helping ISHOF on a monthly or one-time basis.