Happy Birthday Krisztina Egerszegi!!
Krisztina Egerszegi (HUN)
Honor Swimmer (2001)
FOR THE RECORD: 1988 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m backstroke), silver (100m backstroke); 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 400m IM); 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m backstroke), bronze (400m IM); TWO WORLD RECORDS: 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke; 1991 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke); 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (200m backstroke); 1989 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver (400m IM);1991 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 400m IM); 1993 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly, 400m IM); 1995 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m backstroke, 400m IM).
Only one other athlete had ever won an Olympic gold medal in each of three successive Olympic Games (Dawn Fraser of Australia in 1956, 1960, 1964, 100m freestyle) when Krisztina Egerszegi did it in the 200m backstroke in 1988, 1992 and 1996. Not only did she win the Olympic 200m backstroke an unprecedented three times, she also won gold medals in the 100m backstroke and 400m I.M. In addition, she started her string of victories as the youngest swimming Olympic gold medal winner of all time at the age of fourteen.
Krisztina’s international competition began at the top at the 1988 Seoul Olympics where she won the 200m backstroke gold in Olympic Record time of 2:09.29 over Katherin Zimmerman and Cornelia Sirch of the German Democratic Republic. She placed second in the 100m backstroke to Kristin Otto (GDR). For the next six years, she would lose the 200m backstroke race only once. This occurred at the 1989 European Championships in Bonn, when Dagmar Hase (GDR) and Otto out touched her in the 200m and 100m backstrokes respectively. It was the last year that the East German athletes were to swim under the banner of their country.
For the next three European Championships in Athens (1991), Sheffield (1993) and Vienna (1995), Krisztina won every race she entered which included the 100m and 200m backstroke, 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley. She became the master of the new, no-hand touch, the 1991 backstroke turn-rule change which eliminated the requirement of swimmers touching the wall with their hand on every turn. In 1991 at the European Championships, she broke Ina Kleber’s (GDR) 100m backstroke World Record which had been set 7 years earlier in 1984 and Betsy Mitchell’s (USA) 200m backstroke World Record set in 1986. Her 200m backstroke World Record of 2:06.62 set in Athens in 1991 still stands today, 10 years later.
Krisztina became the “Queen” of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when she was the only female athlete to win three individual events – 100m and 200m backstroke and 400m I.M.. She was only the third swimmer in history behind Debbie Meyer (USA)(1968) and Janet Evans (USA)(1988) to win three individual events at one Olympic Games. Her 200m backstroke time remains an Olympic Record today. Four years later in 1996, at 22 years of age, she returned for another Olympics in Atlanta winning the gold for the third time in the 200m backstroke and a bronze in the 400m individual medley.
Her national team coach, Tamas Szechy, says she was a hard worker. She was Swimming World’s World Female Swimmer of the Year (1991) and European Female Swimmer of the Year (1990, 1991, 1992).
Krisztina never liked to predict her future, but through her competitiveness, tenacity, love for her sport and five Olympic gold medals later, she made her own place in it.
Happy Birthday Brendan Hansen!!
Brendan Hansen (USA)
Honor Swimmer (2021)
FOR THE RECORD: 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4×100m medley), silver (100m breaststroke), bronze (200m breaststroke); 2008 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4×100m medley), 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (4×100m medley), bronze (100m breaststroke); 2001 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (200m breaststroke); 2003 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (4×100m medley), silver (100m breaststroke), bronze (200m breaststroke); 2005 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 4×100 m medley); 2007 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (LC): gold (100m breaststroke), silver (50m breaststroke); 2004 World Championships (SC): 4 gold (50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke, 4×100m medley)
How many athletes can boast that they were unbeaten in their individual events throughout all four years of college? The Texas Longhorn breaststroker named Brendan Hansen, from Havertown, Pennsylvania, can claim this feat. Hansen entered the University of Texas at Austin, in 2000 to swim for ISHOF Honor Coach, Eddie Reese. By the time he graduated in 2004, he had never lost a breaststroke event during his entire NCAA collegiate career. He was a 16-time All-American and won 13 NCAA Championships, eight individual NCAA titles and five relay crowns. Hansen became the only person in history to win every breaststroke event all four years at the NCAA Championships.
Brendan swam for several teams growing up in the Philadelphia area. His first coach was John McFadden at Foxcatcher Farms, who Brendan credits for his approach to practice and work ethic. Hansen had a unique style of breaststroke, which incorporated a kick that is typically much narrower than most of his competitors.
By the time he reached the University of Texas, Hansen was already a member of the USA National team. In 2000, Hansen just missed making the Olympic team twice in the both the 100 and 200m breaststroke, placing third in both events at Trials.
His first big international win was at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, where he took gold in the 200m breaststroke and set a championship record. Two years later at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona, Hansen broke his first world record as part of the men’s 4 x 100 medley relay. In his individual events, he took silver in the 100, finishing just behind Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima along with taking a bronze in the 200. Then at the 2004 Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Hansen was unstoppable. He won both the 100 and 200m breaststroke, breaking the world record in each event, and made his first Olympic team.
Hansen went into the Athens Olympics completely prepared, but recalls his races being “sloppy.” Sloppy or not, he won his first Olympic gold medal on the USA’s 400m medley relay. Prior to the relay he won a silver in the 100m breaststroke and a bronze in the 200 breast. Hansen recalls the sheer pride he got when he put on that USA Olympic uniform for the first time. Working so hard to get there and battling back from his third-place finishes in 2000, made it all worthwhile.
Just two months following the Athens games, Hansen was back on US soil and in Indianapolis for the Short Course World Championships. He walked away with four gold medals in the 50, 100 and 200-meter breaststroke and the 400-medley relay. He was part of the world record medley relay, joining Hall of Famers Aaron Peirsol, Ian Crocker and Jason Lezak.
As a member of the 2006 USA National Team, Hansen broke the world record three times in a span of just 26 days in the breaststroke events. His first came at the 2006 US National Championships, where he broke the world record in both the 100m breaststroke (59.13) and 200m breaststroke (2:08.74). Days later, he traveled to Victoria, British Columbia, to compete at the Pan Pacific Championships. There, Hansen beat his own world record again in the 200m breaststroke, in a time of 2:08.50.
By most accounts, 2008 would prove to be another successful Olympic Games for Hansen. He had been elected Captain of the USA team and was part of the gold medal winning relay which allowed Michael Phelps to walk away with his historic eighth gold medal. It was a different story in the 100-meter breaststroke, however, as he placed fourth in the event. At the completion of the Games, he decided he was done with swimming.
Hansen retired after the 2008 games but returned in 2011 and qualified for his third Olympics a year later. At the 2012 London Olympics, he won the bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke, after gaining the last spot in finals and swimming in lane 8. He fought “tooth and nail” as he puts it, to get into the finals of that 100m breaststroke event. To this day, Brendan says, “that is still my favorite medal I have ever won.” He finished up the meet and his career by winning his third Olympic gold medal in the 400m medley relay.
Hansen finished his career with a total of three gold, one silver and two Olympic bronze medals. He is a ten-time world champion, breaking 11 world records in his career.
Happy Birthday Gary Tobian!!
Gary Tobian (USA)
Honor Diver (1978)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1956 silver (platform); 1960 gold (springboard), silver (platform); PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1959 gold (3m springboard); NATIONAL AAU Diving Titles: 8.
Gary Tobian, a successful Los Angeles business man, owned the tower as U.S. National Champion for six years, but won his international gold medals in both the Olympics and Pan American Games off the springboard. He was the last in a long line of U.S.C. National Collegiate and AAU diving champions medaling in two Olympics, 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome.
Happy Birthday Debbie Meyer!!
Debbie Meyer (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1977)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 gold (200m, 400m, 800m freestyle); WORLD RECORDS: 15; PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 1967 (2 gold); NATIONAL AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS: 19; AMERICAN RECORDS: 27; “World Swimmer of the Year”: 1967, 1968, 1969; 1968 Sullivan Award winner.
Debbie was the first to win 3 individual golds at one Olympics (1968 Mexico). She won 2 Pan-American golds in 1967. She was the first woman to swim 1500m under 18 minutes and the first to take the 400m under 4:30, the 500 yd. under 5 minutes and the 1650 yd. under 17 minutes. She held 24 American Records. In 1967 she was chosen Tass News Agency’s “Woman Athlete of the Year”. Debbie Meyer , between the ages of 14 and 18, was the world’s greatest female swimmer. In 7 years prior to the 1968 Olympics (she began at the Camden Y and finished as belle cow of the Arden Hills Swim Club) she swam 30,000 miles in 7 years to set training standards no girl before her had achieved; and yet she remained a happy all-American girl in appearance as in performance setting standards. Just for comparison and a little argument in the battle of the sexes, Debbie’s 4:24.5 in the 400m would have beaten Murray Rose in the 1956 Olympics and her 17:19.9 in the 1500m would have been 39 seconds faster than his 1500m time.
Happy Birthday Jan Henne!!
Jan Henne (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1979)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 gold (100m freestyle; 400m freestyle relay), silver (200m freestyle), bronze (200m individual medley); U.S. NATIONAL AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS: 9; NATIONAL COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4 AMERICAN RECORDS: 8.
In July, 1968, Jan Henne and her coach, George Haines, decided she was to become a freestyler and 3 months later she medaled in 4 events at the Mexico City Olympics. Primarily a breaststroker and water polo player, Henne was an AAU All-American in 1965, 1966, and 1967 with American Records in the 100, 100 and 250 yard breaststroke. A breaststroke finalist in the Nationals starting in 1963 and in the 1964 Olympic Trials, Jan shifted to Santa Clara in the fall of 1967 and was a sensation in the 1968 Indoor Nationals with 4 gold medals in the 100 yard breaststroke and the 3 American Record relays, plus third in the 200 yard breaststroke and 200 yard individual medley. She won 4 events for Arizona State in the 1970 National Collegiates. Her coaches were John Williams at Palo Alto, George Haines at Santa Clara, and Mona Plummer at Arizona State.
Happy Birthday Anita Lonsbrough!!
Anita Lonsbrough (GBR)
Honor Swimmer (1983)
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1960 gold (200m breaststroke); 1964 British Tokyo Olympic team (individual medley; relay); WORLD RECORDS: 6 (100m, 200m breaststroke; medley relay); COMMONWEALTH GAMES: 1958 gold (220yd breaststroke; medley relay); 1962 gold (110yd, 220yd breaststroke; 440yd individual medley), silver (medley relay); EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP: 1962 gold (200m breaststroke), silver 9400m individual medley), bronze (medley relay); ASA BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIPS: 8 (1958-1962: 220yd breaststroke; 1963: 220yd freestyle; 1963-1964: 440yd individual medley).
Anita Lonsbrough dominated British swimming over a 7-year period (1958-64) during which she won 7 gold medals, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals in the three major International Games available to her. She set World Records in the Olympics, British Commonwealth, European and her A.S.A. National Championships. Her titles were in breaststroke, individual medley and freestyle. A definite “P.M.’r” she had to get up at 4:00 a.m. in order to be ready for preliminaries at 10:00 a.m.. In 1960, after beating the World Record holder Wiltrud Urselmann for the breaststroke Olympic gold in a new World Record, Anita was named the Daily Express (British) “Sportswoman of the Year”, and British Sportswriters’ “Sports Woman of the Year”, honors which she repeated in 1962 after her 3 gold Commonwealth Games. She was the first woman to receive the B.B.C.-TV “Sports Personality of the Year”, and the following year, won the distinguished M.B.E. for services to swimming. In Tokyo 1964, she was the first woman to carry the Union Jack in the Opening Ceremonies Olympic parade. In 1965, she married Hugh Porter, an Olympic cyclist, who went on to win the World’s Professional 5,000m pursuit, (the only man to win this title four time).
Happy Birthday Jesse Vassallo!!
Jesse Vassallo (USA)
Honor Swimmer (1997)
FOR THE RECORD: 1980 US OLYMPIC TEAM: Boycott; 1984 US OLYMPIC TEAM: 4th (400m IM); WORLD RECORDS (3): 200m IM, 400m IM; 1978 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m backstroke, 400m IM): silver (200m IM); 1979 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (200m IM, 400m IM), silver (200m backstroke); US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES (17): 7 short course (200yd backstroke, 200yd, 400yd IM, 400yd medley relay), 10 long course (200m backstroke, 200m 400m IM); NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE: (400yd IM); 1978 WORLD SWIMMER OF THE YEAR.
He began his swimming career at Club Deportivo de Ponce and became the most successful swimmer ever from the Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico. Given the name Jesus David, dubbed Cheyenne by his mother, Daise, but known throughout the world as Jesse, this young swimmer, at an early age, became the hero to many a younger competitor. During his six year international career, Jesse Vassallo set three world records in the individual medley, lasting a combined five years.
Because his father wanted better and faster training for Jesse and Jesse’s four brothers, and also to improve upon their English, the family moved from Ponce, Puerto Rico, to Miami, where, at age 11, in 1974, Jesse began swimming with the Hurricane Swim Club. Soon he won his first national record at age 13 in the 200m backstroke. At that point, his father, a successful businessman and professional basketball player, knew his son had what it took to be a champion. That year became a pivotal year for Jesse and the family as they moved to California to train under the famed Mission Viejo coach, Mark Schubert.
Under Schubert’s cautious guidance, Jesse improved enough to compete in his first National Championship meet (1976) and win his first National Championship race (1977) at Kelly Pool in Philadelphia.
In 1978, as a 17 year old “Gold Fish,” Jesse got gold fever at the Berlin World Championships, winning both the 200m and the 400m individual medleys and setting a world record in the 400m individual medley, a record he broke once more and held for four years; all while he was still in high school.
In 1979, Vassallo claimed five more US National Championships and prepared for his first swim in his native Puerto Rico since his family had left seven years previously. “I was a little nervous about swimming at the Pan American Games in Puerto Rico, a little unsure how the people would like me having gone to the United States to train. But they were great. Once I got there, I knew I wanted to swim super fast for the people and for my family,” Vassallo said. And super fast he swam, winning the 200m IM in world record time (2:03.29) and the 400m IM, and taking the silver in the 200m backstroke. Friends and relatives, all sporting yellow “Vassallo” t-shirts led the crowd in “Viva Vassallo” cheers.
Jesse Vassallo was the Kid of the IM; world record holder in both the 200m and 400m IM, World Championship gold medalist in the 400m IM, and Pan American Games gold medalist in both the 200m and 400m IM. Swimming World magazine selected him as World Swimmer of the Year and the European press chose him as one of the world’s top ten athletes, among major sports stars as Mohammed Ali, Bjorn Borg and Mario Andretti.
But hardships fell upon Jesse. He was riding high to compete at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. Like many other athletes, his dreams were shattered with the Olympic boycott. His father was struck by a car on the road and never recovered, and during his illustrious career as a student athlete at the University of Miami swimming under Coach Bill Diaz, Jesse seriously damaged his left knee ligaments, requiring surgery and almost two years of recovery, keeping him out of the 1982 Guayaquil World Championships. “You don’t know what you’ve got until you don’t have it anymore. Now I want it back,” said Jesse.
Propelled by his passion for sports he inherited from his father, and the relentless spirit of a true champion, his comeback in 1984 included another national title in the 200m backstroke and another spot on the US Olympic Team where he managed a fourth place in the 400m IM race at Los Angeles.
The recovery time before the Olympics was not quite long enough to fully heal and prepare for international competition.
After 14 years, following the 1984 Games, he announced his retirement from competitive swimming. Since then, he has conducted swimming clinics in the US, Puerto Rico and Central and South America and currently coaches the swim team in his hometown. He and his brothers have established a successful manufacturing operation. Jesse lives with his wife Bethsabee and their three children Jess, Victor and Alejandro, in Puerto Rico.
Happy Birthday YOSHI OYAKAWA !!!
YOSHI OYAKAWA (USA)
1973 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1952 gold (100m backstroke); NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS: 7 gold; NATIONAL AAU CHAMPIONSHIPS: 9 gold; BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 6; WORLD RECORDS: (100yd, 100m backstroke).
Hawaiian Yoshi Oyakawa won 23 major titles in his remarkable career as the last of the great straight-armed backstrokers. He won the 1952 Olympic backstroke crown at Helsinki in 1:05.4 finally breaking Adolph Kiefer’s Olympic record of 1:05.9 set in 1936. Oyakawa won 6 Big Ten, 7 NCAA and 9 NAAU gold medals during his distinguished career under coaches Sparky Kawamoto, Hilo, Hawaii, and Mike Peppe (Ohio State).
Oyakawa started competitive swimming late (15), turned over on his back at 16, and was on his way to the Olympics at 18. Yoshi went to his second Olympics (1956 Melbourne) as an Air Force Second Lieutenant, finishing 8th after breaking his 1952 Olympic record in the prelims. Neither time was as good as his 1:04.7 to win the U.S. Olympic trials in Detroit.
After 2 years active duty this great backstroker and his Ohio State Sweetheart Mariko Yamane settled in Cincinnati where they have raised four daughters and a son and enough good swimmers at Oak Hills High School for Yoshi Oyakawa to be named Ohio High School Coach of the year for 1972.
Others have bettered Oyakawa’s 100 yd. and 100m world records but none since Oyakawa have done it going straight. The newer bent arm techniques have left his records intact, as the fastest ever straight-armed backstroker.
Oyakawa marked the ending of at least one other era, the domination of world swimming by the Hawaiian Islands. Their last Olympic champions were Oyakawa and Ford Konno in 1952. Not since the six Hawaiians (including Oyakawa) swam in the 1956 Games, has one of the islanders made a U.S. Olympic team.
Yoshi Oyakawa (USA)
2017 Honor Masters Swimmer
INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS (SWIMMER): World Points-634, Pre 1986 Points- 11, Total Points-645; Since 1974, he has competed in 9 age groups (40-44 through 80-84). 27 FINA MASTERS WORLD RECORDS.
Yoshinobu Oyakawa, born on the Kona side of the big island of Hawai’i, was a swimming stand-out at Hilo High School. He continued his career of swimming though his college years at the Ohio State University under the great Hall of Fame Coach, Mike Peppe. While Oyakawa was attending Ohio State, he made his first Olympic team at the age of 19. He represented the United States of America, when he travelled to Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Yoshi did not disappoint. He won the gold medal in the 100m backstroke.
In 1956, Oyakawa again made the Olympic team, where, along with Ford Konno, he was elected co-captain of the US team. At that time, he was also a 2nd Lt. in the United States Air Force.
Yoshi is considered to be the last of the great “straight-arm-pull” backstrokers, and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in 1973. Now, 44 years later, Yoshi is again being recognized by ISHOF, but this time, for his career in Masters swimming.
Swimming has always been a big part of Oyakawa’s life. Growing up in Hawaii, Yoshi says, the ocean, the rivers and the pool at the Naval Air Station made swimming an everyday occurrence for him. So, when Ransom Arthur started Masters Swimming in the 1970’s, Yoshi says he was first in line!
Even though Oyakawa started swimming Masters in the early 1970’s, he didn’t seriously pursue it until 1985. He has been in the Top Ten for a total of 28 times. He has set a total of 27 FINA Masters world records, 13 long course and 14 short course meters, all of them in the backstroke. He has competed in three FINA Masters World Championships, winning eight gold, two silver and one bronze medal in the backstroke and freestyle events.
Yoshi says that Buster Crabbe once told him many years ago that swimming was the BEST SPORT and the people involved became your BEST FRIENDS! HOW TRUE, Yoshi says!!
Happy Birthday Gianni Lonzi!!
Gianni Lonzi (ITA)
Honor Water Polo (2009)
FOR THE RECORD: ATHLETE: 1960 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold;1964 OLYMPIC GAMES: 4th; 1968 OLYMPIC GAMES: 4th; 1963 MEDITERRANEAN GAMES:gold; 1967, 1968 ITALIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; COACH: 1976 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver; 1975 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze; 1978 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; 1977 MEDITERRANEAN GAMES: gold; 1977 EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; ADMINISTRATOR: 1988 to Present: VICE CHAIRMAN LEN EUROPEAN WATER POLO COMMITTEE; FINA TECHNICAL WATER POLO COMMITTEE: MEMBER SINCE 1992, CHAIRMAN SINCE 1996.
He was born in Florence in 1938, just steps away from the famous swimming club, Rari Nantes Firenze. On his first visit to the club, the legendary water polo figure Giordano Goggioli, threw him into the river Arno, saying: “Now you have to swim”.
He excelled in swimming and at the age of fifteen won a national title in the backstroke, but Gianni Lonzi could not resist the fascination of the ball and the cage of Water Polo. In 1953, he made his debut in the 1st Division of the Italian Water Polo league, where he proved to be an all around and tenacious player. He played for RN Firenze from 1953 to 1963 combining the roles of player, captain and coach. In 1964, he moved to Camogli assisting his team to its promotion to the 1st division. In 1967 and 1968 he played for Pro Recco, winning two National Championships. He played on the National team from 1958 up to the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games, winning the gold medal at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games and then participated in Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968.
After he concluded his career as an athlete in 1968,Hall of Famer Mario Majoni, the National team’s coach, called on him to coach the National Junior team. In a few years he replaced Majoni and led Italy to a bronze medal at the1975 World Championships, silver at the 1976 Olympic Games and the gold at the 1978 World Championships. During this time he also coached the 1977 and 1982 junior teams to gold medals. If that wasn’t enough, he became the Vice Chairman of the LEN water polo committee in 1988, was appointed to the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee (TWPC) in 1992 and became Chair of the TWPC in 1996 – a position he will continue through 2012.
Among his many achievements as Chairman of the committee that sets the agenda for world water polo, are the addition of women’s water polo to the Olympic program and the establishment of the FINA World Water Polo Leagues for both men and women.
Happy Birthday Shelley Taylor-Smith!!
2022 Poseidon Award Winner
Shelley Taylor-Smith was one of the top elite swimmers of her generation. She won 7 majors (marathon world championships), set world speed records, beat all the men in 9 races and scored 51 victories in National, Regional and International races.
Shelley was the Honorary Secretary of the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and had oversight of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit, the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix series, the FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships, the 10km Marathon Swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2012 London Olympic Games.
She has been an active coach since 2009, and her swimmers have been successful in 9 solos and 2 relays across the 33 km English Channel and more than 700 solos and relays across the 19.75 km Rottnest Channel.
Finally, Shelley was on the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF) Board of Directors from 2011 to 2014 and was one of the most dedicated Honorees in attending the Induction and Awards Ceremonies in 2011 (New York, USA), 2012 (Los Angeles, USA) and 2014 (Bute, Scotland). Her involvement helped IMSHOF establish a successful ceremony tradition.
She was inducted as an Honor Swimmer in IMSHOF in 1990. In 2008 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and also received The Irving Davids/Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award.