John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award

Established in 1994 by the Adaptive Aquatics Committee of the International Swimming Hall of Fame this award honors an individual who has made significant and substantial contributions to the field of adaptive aquatics (aquatics for persons with disabilities) as a participant, athlete, teacher, instructor, coach, organizer, administrator or media representative.

Julia Meno

2022

Julia Meno has a profound love and respect for the power of water as a healing instrument.

Individuals can learn the freedom of movement that they may not be able to achieve otherwise, thus opening up an aquatic world for opportunities to grow, socialize and exercise.

Julia is a lifelong mer-girl, having always been immersed in the aquatics industry. Her early exposure was with YMCA swimming and diving teams. She then moved on to National and AAU competitions as a 1 and 3-meter springboard diver with the Second Generation Diving Team of New England. Her rehabilitation from spinal surgery early in life was an experience that became her personal springboard into a lifelong career in adapted aquatics.

At the University of Idaho she was a Red Cross WSI adaptive swim instructor and diving coach. Julia’s educational focus was the medical model of Therapeutic Recreation, and Adaptive Physical Education. With her NCTRC, she became the Director of Therapeutic Recreation at St. John’s Hospital & Nursing Home in Jackson, WY. This passion became a career, as she sought out all available certifications and courses at the time in Aquatic Therapy, Adaptive Aquatics, and River Guiding.

She founded Therapeutic Aquatics, Inc. in 1996 and began providing aquatic therapy services and river guiding in Jackson, WY. She worked with orthopedic and neurologic clients referred by Jackson Hole Orthopedics. Julia also worked closely with the Jackson school district’s Adaptive Physical Education Program, L.I.F.E. Grants and Wyoming Medicaid Children’s Waiver, which all provided a platform to create Pediatric AquaHab© for children with challenges. She also became a Certified Massage Therapist, which complimented her aquatic training. At this time in her career, she studied and authored, “An Introduction to the Bad Ragaz Ring Method: A Visual Instructional Guide” (1999). Julia Co-authored: “PNF in the Pool” (2004), “Myofascial Aquatic Body Work” DVD (2006), “the Pediatric Aquatic Therapy Certificate Course” (2010) and “the AquaStretch™ Specialty Certificate Manual”, 1st ed. (2013).

In 2011, Julia worked for Brookdale Senior Living in Hilton Head, SC, as a Dementia Care Coordinator. She was also an instructor for Motivations, Inc. (2008–2011), providing continuing education, teaching Pediatric AquaHab©. Currently, she is a presenter and faculty for the Aquatic Therapy & Rehab Institute, Inc. Julia was the recipient of the ATRI Tsunami Spirit Award in 2002 and the Aquatic Therapy Professional Award in 2014, for her innovations and contributions in education to the aquatic therapy industry. Today she continues to provide individual and group aquatic therapy and wellness classes.

Ruth Meyer (USA)

2019

Meyer continued her education at University of Toledo where adapted aquatics and aquatic therapy were part of the Kinesiotherapy curriculum.

Ruth Meyer, MEd, RKT has been working in pools since the early 1970’s, teaching aquatics in suburban Philadelphia alongside her mother and sisters. Meyer swam competitively while at Conestoga High and received her WSI in 1973. Feeling driven to apply her love of water to her lifelong career while at Bucknell University, Ruth volunteered at Selinsgrove State School in 1977. While interning in the rehab department she developed a staff in-service on how to optimize the use of their uniquely designed therapy pool, improving safe access for clients and staff.

Meyer continued her education at University of Toledo where adapted aquatics and aquatic therapy were part of the Kinesiotherapy curriculum. Upon completion of her Master of Education in Kinesiotherapy, Ruth started working in 1980 at Fernald State School, in Waltham MA in 1980, teaching adapted aquatics. She then worked as a Kinesiotherapist in New Hampshire providing aquatic therapy, work reconditioning and Kinesiotherapy services at various pools and fitness facilities from Portsmouth to Nashua to Concord, with a strong focus on clients with back pain and disability. She continued her education becoming an AEA water exercise instructor, Arthritis Foundation water exercise/PACE and self-help instructor, and instructor-trainer; AAHPERD Adapted Aquatics Master Trainer, and ATRI aquatic therapist. She presented at various conferences: American Back Society, American Pain Society, NRPA, USWFA, ATRI, AEA, AF, AAHPERD, AKTA, MFA. She then became a Watsu practitioner and Watsu level 1 instructor.

She taught aquatic therapy, kinesiology and biomechanics at various institutions NEIWH (New England Institute Whole Health), NH Technical College, Macomb Community College, Virginia Commonwealth University, Murphy Deming School of Health Sciences (Mary Baldwin) and University of Virginia (master level adapted PE program aquatic section). She has offered aquatic therapy classes through ATRI, Medical Fitness Association and AKTA.

Ruth published various articles on health, wellness and was featured in her local papers about her work in aquatics and wellness. She completed her Federal Employee Wellness coaching certification in 2010 and presented at the first Federal Employee Wellness conference in Washington DC in 2012. Ruth wrote the chapter on Staff Training in Comprehensive Aquatic Therapy (Becker and Cole) editions 2 & 3. She taught with Dr. Becker’s aquatic therapy team in China in 2018.

She is an adapted ski instructor through PSIA and has volunteered at Wintergreen Adapted Sports for more than 10 years.

Ruth has recently been working at Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC as a kinesiotherapist in employee wellness, weight management, health coaching, rehab and aquatic therapy. Ruth continues to offer Watsu as a practitioner and instructor and consults with various organizations.

Kathy Bateman (USA)

2018

Kathy Bateman has been an advocate for adapted aquatics for many years.

Kathy Bateman has been an advocate for adapted aquatics for many years. She has effectively developed, led, trained and consulted personnel in interacting with and leading programs for those with special needs in aquatic and equine environments. She has coordinated volunteer programs, including recruitment, training, retention and development of skills needed for positive, successful interactions and uplifting outcomes for all.

Bateman has ten years experience with the Seattle Children’s Hospital working with physical, emotional, and mentally challenged individuals and their families in both aquatics and land environments.

She has worked collaboratively to grow Adapted Aquatics programming, promoted Therapeutic Riding, with the inclusion of highly impacted students with autism. She has extensive teaching experience with both children and adults.

Bateman founded the therapeutic riding program catering to all types of special needs, including all aspects. She also collaborated with educators to offer those with special needs a weekly swim class during the school year.

Kathy received her BA in Kinesiology from the University of Washington, and has degrees in Sciences, Anatomy, Physiology, Human Development and Psychology, and she is currently attending Western Governor’s University where she is studying Special Education K-12.

Igor Burdenko (USA)

2017

Igor Burdenko was born in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, in July, 1935. He lived with his parents and grandmother in a tiny apartment in the city. When the German army invaded the former Soviet Union during World War II, Igor’s father went off to the war. When the war ended, Burdenko was one of the lucky ones, whose father returned home, however he was severely disabled.

After being wounded five times in the leg, arm, back, stomach, and shoulder, his father was unable to work. There were no wheelchairs available, few pharmacies with medications, and limited access to doctors. Before the war, Igor’s father was a good swimmer and had taught Igor to swim before he knew how to walk. Thus, when he came home from the war so badly wounded, he turned to the water for healing. Igor helped his father to their small local pond, although he’s still not sure how he got him there, as his father was a very large man and Igor was just a little boy. In the beginning, Igor’s father could not swim and he could only maintain a vertical position, making small movements with his arms and legs. These small movements helped relieve the pain and began to enable him to regain some mobility. Slowly, he returned to his former self and eventually moved to America in 1979, two years before Igor did.

Igor believes that his father would not have recovered if it were not for the water exercise and alternative medicine. This experience had a great influence on Igor and his approach to injuries and recovery. At this point in his life, Igor had very special feelings toward the water, which he finds difficult to describe. These feelings for water have profoundly influenced his whole life and the professional path he has chosen.

Igor N. Burdenko Ph.D. is the founder and chairman of the Burdenko Water and Sports Therapy Institute. In May 2007, Dr. Burdenko was recognized by the Aquatic Exercise Association for his achievement and passion for aquatics, as he was the recipient of the Global Award for Lifetime. He has worked as a rehabilitation and training consultant to numerous athletes from the NBA, NFL, NHL, U.S. and Russian Olympic Teams, members of the U.S. Handicapped Olympic Team, and top international dancers and figure skaters. He was on the Board of Directors of the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation for the Prevention of Athletic Injuries and is a past member of the Aquatic Exercise Association Research Committee.

Educated in Russia, Dr. Burdenko received his Ph.D. in Sports Medicine and his M.S. in Physical Education. Dr. Burdenko has authored and co-authored four books and over one hundred achievement articles on health and fitness, training and conditioning. He presents seminars and lectures throughout the world, and consults on the design and implementation of therapeutic facilities.

More than thirty years of experience and research have made Dr. Burdenko one of the world’s leading authorities on the use of water for rehabilitation, conditioning and training.

Founded in 1984, the Burdenko Water and Sports Therapy Institute, of Newton, Massachusetts., has been dedicated to healing programs that combine traditional and alternative therapies. The Burdenko Method is a practical application of water and land exercises based on a holistic approach to rehabilitation. Their clients include people from all walks of life.

Dr. Burdenko believes that water is a great healer and the ideal medium for rehabilitation, conditioning and training. The hydrostatic (passive) and hydrodynamic (active) properties of water, provide an optimal environment for safe and effective therapy and conditioning. With little or no weight bearing in the water, the injured or deconditioned client is able to return to desired activities quickly and safely.

Henry Powell - USA

2016

Henry Powell began his lifelong career in adapted aquatics in the city of San Diego, where he worked for 43 years.

Henry Powell began his lifelong career in adapted aquatics in the city of San Diego, where he worked for 43 years. He taught his first swimming group of individuals with disabilities in 1964. Through Powell’s career in San Diego, he worked for the American Red Cross, San Diego City Schools, the AAHPERD, the Easter Seals and the YMCA.

Powell worked with United Cerebral Palsy/USA Swim from 1980 through 1989, where he coached a multi-disability swim team of physically challenged swimmers, ranging in age from six to 50, as well as having a deaf and hard of hearing swim team. He was the US coach representative to the US/Rotary International Junior Swimming Match for physically disabled and blind swimmers and the 1994 US/International Cross Disabilities Swim Team. Powell coached the San Diego swimmers who attended the 1993 and 1994 international swim meets and the 1992 and 1996 Paralympics. He also worked for United Cerebral Palsy San Diego from 1989 through 1999, where he established training for new and returning athletes, and coordinated training for all volunteers.

Powell worked for the San Diego Schools for 23 years, 1980- 2003. There, he developed and coordinated special populations’ swim programs for over 300 students in ten San Diego city pools, encompassing all disabilities, infants through adults. He was also responsible for training staff, and providing materials for classroom and pool teaching. He taught and coached children with hearing loss and developed a swim team for the deaf and hard of hearing. He also integrated a swim team into city and county USA Swimming competition. In addition, he in-serviced other coaches on working with swimmers with disabilities.

Henry Powell was a volunteer for Easter Seals from 1974 through 1989. At Easter Seals, he coordinated and provided swim programs for people with disabilities, aged three to 16, and provided the training and support for all volunteers.

Henry Powell moved cross country in the mid-2000’s and took his talents and guidance to the Northeast. He began helping the world of adaptive aquatics at the Adapted Sports Partners of North Country & Bretton Woods Adapted Ski Program in New Hampshire. In addition to swimming, Powell instructed new skiers with disabilities or those wishing to improve their skills; Powell developed an adapted swim program to follow skiing. Since then, the swim program has become an independent program thanks to Powell.

Henry Powell now lives in Marlborough, Massachusetts, where he has just recently retired as a Home Based Educator for Applied Behavioral Associated, LLC. He combined direct and indirect services for children with autism, behavioral disorders and/or developmental disabilities, including early childhood and school based programs. Adaptive Aquatics was used to assist in social-emotional development and positive self-worth.

Dr. Sam Britten - Cal Northridge

2015

Dr. Sam Britten is internationally respected in his field and is one of the most beloved individuals on the Cal State Northridge campus, where he taught for 44 years (1959-2003).

Dr. Sam Britten is internationally respected in his field and is one of the most beloved individuals on the Cal State Northridge campus, where he taught for 44 years (1959-2003). He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UCLA and then earned his doctorate at USC where he specialized in rehabilitation training and therapy. He realized his calling at UCLA when he was asked to take a group of blind students to Mexico for spring break.

As a kinesiology professor, Britten created a rehabilitation and physical education center on campus in 1959, where he worked with injured athletes as the head trainer and worked extensively with disabled veterans from the Korean War after they had returned from service. The center grew in scope and by the 1980’s the Center of Achievement for the Physically Disabled was established and had begun to earn a national reputation. In 2003, with Dr. Britten’s help, the university opened a new $6 million aquatic therapy center for the chronically challenged that is unrivaled in the United States.

For over 40 years, Dr. Britten, as a founding Director, has dedicated his life to providing the best quality adapted physical activity programs for people with special needs, while training students. His vision to build a most comprehensive adapted physical activity program for people with disabilities was completed by building a state of the art adapted aquatics center, the Abbott and Linda Brown Western Center for Adapted Aquatic therapy on the CSUN campus. Since 2003, Dr. Britten and his staff have started offering an adapted aquatics program for those who could not be easily accommodated on a land-based program. Thanks to his successful fundraising and procurement of donations, Dr. Britten was able to make his dream come true as well as help so many people in need of adapted aquatics services programs.

Marnie Young

2014

Marnie Young has been a leader in the adapted aquatics arena, as well as in other types of aquatic programs, including diving, for most of her life.

Marnie Young has been a leader in the adapted aquatics arena, as well as in other types of aquatic programs, including diving, for most of her life. Her commitment to excellence spans many different types of activities that she has been involved in, as a teacher and coach within her professional organizations. She believes that the goal of adapted aquatics is to ensure that students with disabilities are safe, comfortable and independent in the aquatic environment. Her leadership with the Oceanside Unified School District Adapted Aquatics and Adapted Physical Education Programs, for over 20 years, has made a huge positive impact on the lives of many children with disabilities.

Marnie has a Bachelor of Science Degree and a Masters of Science Degree from California State University, Long Beach, as well as teaching credentials in physical education and adapted physical education. Marnie has been active in her professional organizations and in leadership positions as Chair of the State Council on Adapted Physical Education (California), and the Conference Director for the 42nd National Adapted Physical Education Conference. Ms. Young has been recognized for her efforts with The Adapted Physical Educator of the Year and with an Exemplary Program Award from the California Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

The John K. Williams Adapted Aquatics Award’s Committee and International Swimming Hall of Fame are pleased to award Marnie Young this honor for her career of service to adapted aquatics.

José Luis Vaquero Benito

2013

José Luis Vaquero has been teaching swimming for over thirty years, twenty-five of which have been dedicated to training and working with people with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or visually impaired.

Mr. Vaquero began his career in aquatics as a swimming instructor in schools and swim clubs in Madrid. In 1987, he began to specialize as a swimming coach for the blind at the National Organization of Spanish Blind (ONCE), becoming first the Madrid Swimming Coach and ultimately the National Coach a few years later.

In 1994, Mr. Vaquero was appointed Head Swimming Coach in the Spanish Sports Federation for the Blind (FEDC), and continues to hold this position. For nearly 20 years, he has been the Director of the Spanish Swimming Team participating in all international competitions.

While his main focus has been on education and rehabilitation, much of his work has been dedicated to preparing multiple generations of swimmers for the National and World Championships and the Paralympic Games. He is responsible for the administration and organization of all National Championships and the National Teams’ pre-competition meets, as well as for the recruitment, training and preparation of young swimmers for competition. In addition he has worked in the field of early intervention and access in the aquatic environment for babies born with blindness and visual impairments.

With his professional training as a National Swimming and Water Polo Coach and his High Performance Master status imparted by the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), Mr. Vaquero has been responsible for 25 swimmers who have earned a total of 83 medals, 21 of them being gold, since the ’88 Games in Seoul.

Mr. Vaquero was appointed as Technical Adviser of the International Paralympic Swimming Committee by Anne Green (Chairman of the IPC Swimming) from 2000 to 2006. During this time, he leant his technical expertise and collaborated in the development of Rules & Regulations for Disabled Swimming and other technical aspects of sport and competition.

Mr. Vaquero has presented as a speaker and instructor at several swimming and educational technical conferences for people with disabilities held in Spain and other countries. He is currently a faculty instructor in the Master’s Degree of Sports Physical Activity for People with Disabilities and Social Integration program at the Autonomous University of Madrid.

Mr. Vaquero has published several articles on the subject of swimming and has co-authored books about swimming and blindness. He authored the script for the video “Aquatic Activity for the Blind and Visually Impaired,” and is currently writing a book on the same subject which covers a range of skills and techniques from beginning to high-performance aquatics for people who are blind and visually impaired.

José Luis Vaquero has dedicated his professional career to teaching, coaching, and cultivating aquatic opportunities for children and adults with disabilities particularly those with blindness and visual impairments. In doing so, he has opened the doors for all of us to be a more inclusive community and has grown and strengthened the field of adapted aquatics.

Peter Aufsesser, Ph.D.

2012

Peter Aufsesser grew up and obtained his education on the east coast of the United States, but did most of his adapted aquatics work at San Diego State University on the West Coast of the US. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education at Springfield College (1969), an Ed.M at the State University of New York- Buffalo (1971) and a PhD at the University of Maryland (1974), with a minor in Special Education and Human Development. He coached soccer, tennis, gymnastics and basketball at Newark State College (1970-72) and a year at the University of Georgia where he worked with Grace Reynolds and opened the Georgia Retardation Center. In 1975, he moved to San Diego, left his East Coast ties and has been at San Diego State University School of Exercise and Nutritional Science ever since. He was the founder and director of the Fitness Clinic for individuals with disabilities, where John K. Williams Jr. is one of his clients.

While not a competitive swimmer after the age of 12, Peter loved to swim and enjoyed being in and around the water. He began his involvement in swimming the summer after he graduated from high school (1965) as the life guard at the Sheraton Hotel in Albany, New York. He began teaching swimming at the University of Georgia where he was an Adapted Aquatics Instructor and Instructor Trainer, and directed the Physical Activity Program at the Georgia Retardation Center.

His involvement in San Diego was centered on being the only Instructor Trainer (IT) for Adapted Aquatics in San Diego County. In addition he helped develop an aquatics program in the Cajon Valley School District with Ed Greaves, the adapted aquatics physical education teacher. For three years he worked directly with a wide variety of children with mental retardation as well as a range of physical and neuromuscular disabilities. Upon meeting Mary Rafalovich of the San Diego Chapter of the American Red Cross, he was made the Instructor Trainer for Adapted Aquatics for all of San Diego County.

In 1983, Aufsesser wrote and received an OSE Federal Grand funding the Clinic for Individuals with Disabilities serving as Director for 28 years. Because of his duties, his time was limited to training adapted aquatics instructors only.

During his 38 years at San Diego University, Peter has authored or co-authored over 29 articles ranging in topics from “Personality of Wheelchair Athletes” to “Liability Consideration for Placement of Students with Disabilities in General Physical Education Classes”. He has written 37 referred proceedings and abstracts including “Fitness for the Physically Handicapped: From Pre to Robotics” and “The Role of Fitness in the Vocational Training of Individuals with Physical Disabilities”. He made professional conference presentations on 72 topics including “Assessment Tools in Adapted Physical Education (Billings, Montana, 1985), Physical Fitness Programs for the Physically Disabled Adult (Las Vegas, Nevada,1987) and “Ethical Practices in Adapted Physical Activity’ (Long Beach, California, 2000).

Peter mentored over 27 graduates and reviewed their thesis presentations. He solicited hundreds of thousands of dollars in endowment funds to benefit the “Make Adapted Physical Education Dynamic” program. He held almost every office and leadership position available in the field in California and around the country. He has served as a consultant and an expert witness. He is a USIH and works with Special Olympics. Peter has served as the Chairman of the John K. Williams Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award Committee since 2004, having replaced Dr. Julian Stein.

Bruce Becker, M.D., M.S.

2011

For the past 30 years, Dr. Bruce E. Becker has been studying the effects of the water and aquatic activities on people with disabilities, athletes and people recovering from injuries and aliments.

For the past 30 years, Dr. Bruce E. Becker has been studying the effects of the water and aquatic activities on people with disabilities, athletes and people recovering from injuries and aliments. His research underscores that when it comes to maximizing exercise and rehabilitive recovery, water exercise plays a valuable role. Dr. Becker’s research has found that simply being submerged in water up to the neck increases cardiac output by more that 30 percent in a sedentary individual. Sitting in water neck-deep, the hydrostatic pressure on the body increases cardiac volume by nearly one-third, increasing cardiac output by 32% at rest and proving that water exercise is aerobically efficient.

By combining physical medicine rationale and aquatic rehabilitation, Dr. Becker forms a scientific theory with set clinical procedures using water immersion for the restoration of physical mobility and physiologic activity.

For example, he has shown that the aquatic environment produces physiologic changes that help remove metabolic waste, improve cardiac function, lower blood pressure, and assist the body in tissue healing as well as aiding the circulatory, pulmonary and musculo-skeletal systems.

Dr. Becker’s school and university course work includes: Fargo Central High School (diploma) (1961); Iowa State University (BS) (1965); University of North Dakota (BS Medicine) (1967); Tulane University (Doctor of Medicine) (1969); U. of Washington (MS Rehabilitation Medicine) (1976) and Post Graduate Course at Ohio State University in Electrodiagnosis and Electromyography (1976). He has medical licensures in the states of Washington, Oregon, Michigan, Montana and Idaho. He has been associated with thirteen hospitals in three states. His academic affiliations include University of Oregon (Associate Professor) (1978-1985); U. of Washington (Dept. of Rehabilitation Medicine) (1985-2001); Wayne State University School of Medicine (1993-1997); Washington State University (2004-present). From 1970-1975, he served in the U.S. Military as a Medical Officer rising to the rank of Major. He has been listed Who’s Who in Aquatic Leadership by the U.S. Water Fitness Association and Aquatics International magazine. Since 1975, he has published over 91 publications, chapters, abstracts and research papers. He has delivered over 203 presentations at conferences and symposiums on topics including: “Biomechanics and Therapeutic Exercises in Water”, “Aquatic Therapy and the Amputee”, “Aquaphysiology: The Cardiovascular Benefits of Immersion”, “Aquatic Therapy: The Scientific Rationale” and “Biophysiologic Aspects of Hydrotherapy”.

While at Wayne State University in 1997, Dr. Becker along with Andrew Cole edited their first of three editions of Comprehensive Aquatic Therapy, a composite of research and innovation studies by researchers in the field. Becker has promoted the transfer of medical treatment efficiently into the community setting, building fitness and conditioning as a lifestyle and rebuilding the community pool into a health and wellness center integrated with the health care system.

Ruth Ann Hood Wieser, Ph.D.

2010

Dr. Ann Wieser is recognized for her contributions to aquatic therapy and rehabilitation and to adapted aquatics.

Dr. Ann Wieser is recognized for her contributions to aquatic therapy and rehabilitation and to adapted aquatics. She used her background as a Red Cross Instructor Trainer, Adapted Aquatics Faculty, and her Ph.D. in Education along with her desire to help others and used them to originate and implement one of the first university undergraduate aquatic therapy professional preparation programs in the United States. During this first 1999-2000 school year, over twenty five students enrolled in the unadvertised major at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, one of the first university undergraduate programs in the United States. A strong advocate for the aquatic therapy industry, she continues to sponsor one of very few adapted aquatic instructional credentialing programs in the nation.

As an active and vocal member, she served on the Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Standards Committee setting guidelines for the industry, the Water Safety for Therapy and Rehabilitation Practitioners Committee making therapists and their patients safer in the water.

Additionally, she was on the Guidelines and Operating Criteria for Aquatic Therapy Pools Committee working to make warm water pools safer for all users.

Dr. Wieser also conducts peer reviews for The Aquatic Therapy Journal. She mentors aquatic therapy students to become national presenters, write for publication, and to become excellent aquatic therapists.

During her long-standing involvement in aquatics for individuals with special needs, she has provided workshops and demonstrations at national conferences and conventions in the academic and the aquatic worlds. Ann is a member of the AAHPERD/AAALF Aquatic Council and the Adapted Aquatics Specialty Committee. Developing standards for any national program is a very difficult task, second only to administering those standards. Dr. Wieser plays a significant role in both.

Ann’s involvement in aquatics began almost fifty years ago when she began teaching swimming in the early 1960’s. By 1980, as the High Point, North Carolina YMCA Aquatics Director, she initiated both Special Needs and Special Olympics programs for the High Point City Schools. Moving to Greensboro in 1985, she began similar programs in the city and at the university. In 2000, she received the Aquatics Therapy Professional of the Year Award.

Susan J. Grosse

2009

Generations of students at F.J. Gaenslen Orthopedic School in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Public School System are glad that Sue Grosse taught at their school.

Generations of students at F.J. Gaenslen Orthopedic School in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Public School System are glad that Sue Grosse taught at their school. With over 17 years at the K-21 school for children with physical and multiple disabilities, she taught them to enjoy, become more proficient and be safe in the water.

But Grosse’s influence in Adapted Aquatics goes back more than 40 years, when in 1966 she began a resource development which has grown into a database of over 800 annotated publications in Adapted Aquatics. This reference database is now a part of the Sport Information and Resource Center (SIRC) in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Sue continued to update this valuable database yearly.

For over 20 years, Sue has been a Red Cross Instructor Trainer in Swimming for the Handicapped (later Adapted Aquatics). When the ARC eliminated that credential, she joined the revised Swimming and Water Safety Program Team in 1992, specifically charged with writing the chapter, Swimming for Individuals with Disabilities. From 1992 to 2000, she served as the Adapted Aquatics Specialty Chair for the Aquatic Council of the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). She developed the council’s position paper on Adapted Aquatics as well as the Adapted Aquatics credential, which she administered for eleven years. Additionally, she is a senior faculty member of the Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute and teaches workshops on the Halliwick Method, balance and gait training, water learning and a variety of safety and management tools.

Sue has been Editor of the Aquatic Therapy Journal and has written several relevant text publications including Water Learning (Human Kinetics) and The Halliwick Method: Water Freedom for Individuals with Disabilities. For over 30 years, she has written and published numerous articles in the field for over ten periodical publications. She has presented related topics at world-wide conferences as well as at a variety of colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Currently, Sue is the president of Aquatic Consulting & Education Resource Services in Milwaukee and is a sought-after speaker have presented in Ireland, Egypt, Canada and across the United States.

Dr. Christine Stopka

2008

When it comes to educating and preparing individuals to teach and work in the field of adapted aquatics, Dr. Christine Stopka is the teacher of teachers.

When it comes to educating and preparing individuals to teach and work in the field of adapted aquatics, Dr. Christine Stopka is the teacher of teachers. She is a passionate and productive professional who is a dedicated advocate for training, instruction and promoting grassroots efforts in the field. She is one of only 12 persons officially educating and training Adapted Aquatics Instructors in the United States and in over 20 years of teaching, she has developed programs that involve not only public schools, but local parks and recreation as well.

Dr. Stopka was trained as a Master Teacher of Adapted Aquatics through the American Association of Health Physical Education Recreation and Dance and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation. She has taken and implemented the program to fit adapted aquatics programs at the University of Florida and for the past decade has been credentialing instructors and assistants in the field. She has worked hard to adapt, implement and evaluate lessons for children and teens with disabilities in order to give her instructor candidates a safe and effective “practicum” experience. She has touched thousands of lives through her work with undergraduate and graduate students who have taken her university classes and worked in her clinics.

For the past ten years, she has been the reviewer of the textbook Adapted Aquatics Programming and has written numerous journal articles to explain equipment modifications for children and teens with disabilities. She has contributed to the World Congress on Disability with numerous presentations to both professionals and parents. She speaks in a very articulate fashion and exhibits a positive energy and future vision for adapted aquatics.

Mary O. Wykle, Ph.D.

2007

Dr. Mary Wykle knows the benefits of using water for rehabilitative and therapy purposes.

Dr. Mary Wykle knows the benefits of using water for rehabilitative and therapy purposes. Within her life-long involvement with all aspects of aquatics she has designed and implemented numerous programs which aid individuals in need of rehabilitative measures.

Starting as a swimming instructor at Saint Mary College in Leavenworth, Kansas, in the 1970’s, she integrated adapted aquatics’ techniques into her courses to meet the needs of many students with chronic medical conditions. She began working with breast cancer survivors in the water.

In the 1980’s, she began to focus more on rehabilitating orthopedic injuries and surgeries. Today, Dr. Wykle has become a dominate force in promoting the use of the aquatic medium in rehabilitating injured military personnel. The wife of a retired general, Mary arranged to meet both the U.S. Surgeon General of the Army and the Army’s Chief Physical Therapist about the benefits of using the aquatic medium in treating injured solders and providing training and rehab in aquatic therapy for solders in Iraq and Afghanistan. This has led to her spearheading the initiation of aquatic rehab training for solders with overuse orthopedic injuries in Iraq. Programs are set up at various hospitals including the main program at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. In April 2006, she gave the White House Wellness Briefing on the benefits of aquatic therapy and exercise to broaden the awareness of positive aquatic activities. She has published numerous articles on aquatic therapy in the military including her book, Transitioning Yoga and Pilates Between Land and Water, along with videos, standards and position papers.

Currently an assistant professor at Northern Virginia Community College, Mary earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in Physical Education at West Virginia University and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Saint Louis University. She is the Chairman of various aquatic therapy committees and has developed Safety Standards and Guidelines for Therapy Pools, Safety Standards For Aquatic Therapy Practitioners and trademarked a course as Aqua Pi-Yo-Chi utilizing Yoga, Pilates and Ai Chi. She developed the RAST (Risk Awareness and Safety Training) Course providing instructors and practitioners with tools to evaluate and modify their practice facility and ways to work with clients and participants. The course provides basic safety information and underlines special skills for use in therapeutic and rehab situations. It is used by national organizations such as Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute, USA Swimming and Aquatic Exercise Association. She wrote the comprehensive manual upon which the course is based.

She developed an international aquatic program “Aqua Pi-Yo-Chi” which serves those persons in need of balance and core strength. The program, as well as her workshops in Balance and Gait-retraining, Lumbar/Pelvic Stability for Spinal Fusions, Ai Chi for Lower Extremity Amputees, Aquatic Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis, Essentials for Aquatic Programming, Transitioning Sports Rehab to Water, Grounding Ai Chi and Program Validation through Research in Aquatic Therapy provide state-of-theart education for adults who work with individuals with disabilities.

Mary is the founder of MW Aquatics offering specialized consulting in aquatic health and safety and MW Associates, consultants in aquatics and health management. She is a member of various advisory committees and boards including the Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Institute, Inc.; International Council for Aquatic Therapy and Rehabilitation Industry Accreditation Committee and the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity representing the United States Water Fitness Association. She has served as Area Chairman of the American Red Cross in Japan, Okinawa, Philippines, Guam, South Korea, Germany, and throughout the Middle East and Europe. At Scott Air Force Base, Mary implemented a health living program “Turn Unwanted Fat into Fitness” (TUFF). It was selected as the best program in the U.S. Air Force. She developed a program for military spouses to improve time management, stress management, leadership, team building and protocol. In Seoul, South Korea, she trained solders in First Aid, CPR, Lifeguarding and as Water Safety Instructors.

She has published eleven manuals and twenty-three articles on aquatic therapy, rehab, nutrition and general fitness.

Phillip Conatser

2006

For almost 20 years, Phillip Conatser has worked to advance the field of Adapted Aquatics through his teachings, publications, presentations and research.

Phillip received his Baccalaureate Degree from West Texas A & M University in 1989 and his Masters Degree from Texas Tech University. He immediately served as an adapted physical education specialist for the Lubbock Texas Independent School District where he worked with different disability populations including autistic, mentally retarded, orthopedically handicapped, emotionally behaviorally disturbed, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and learning disabled. His involvement went beyond the schools to homes and hospitals from grades K – 12. During this period, he was the school district Therapy Pool Supervisor.

Next at the South Plains Educational Coop in Levelland, Texas, he performed the same functions with children and adults ages 2 – 21. All the while, he coached many Special Olympic sports including swimming. In 1999, he earned a PhD in Adapted Physical Activity, Statistics and Infant & Family Intervention at the University of Virginia. Then, after a year at Slippery Rock University where he taught classes in Adapted Physical Activity, Aquatics and Adapted Physical Aquatics and Rehabilitation, Phillip moved back to Texas and became an Assistant Professor in the Area of Adapted Physical Activity and Biometrics at West Texas A & M University.

Phillip has delivered over fifteen research papers at conference proceedings and written over twenty-six articles appearing in numerous periodicals. He has given over twenty international presentations and thirty-two state and national presentations. He has presided over twenty-two workshops, reviewed over twelve publications, served on eighteen professional committees and helped devise numerous courses in Adapted Aquatics.

As an athlete, Phillip was a Four Year Letterman in football at West Texas A & M earning Outstanding Defense Player of the Year honors his last year. He also tried out for the Denver Broncos at their training camp and participated in NCAA Track and Gymnastics.

Phillip saw a need for a normative assessment tool for adapted aquatics. He collected data and then published the Conatser Adapted Aquatics Swimming Screening Test. This useful assessment tool provided normative data on swimming development of children with different disabilities. This instrument has been used worldwide and has provided a simple yet effective way for aquatic instructors to chart the abilities and progress of their students. Additionally, he has collected, presented and submitted data both nationally and internationally on attitudes and aquatic instructors towards inclusive swim programs. This groundbreaking research shed new light on the attitudes and perceived needs of aquatic instructors towards including children with disabilities in general swim programs.

His warm, friendly, down-to-earth personality is engaging to everyone he meets. He is willing to help in virtually any situation from writing a research paper to helping set up the pool for someone else’s class. Presently, Phillip is an Assistant Professor in the Program Area of Adapted Physical Activity and Adapted Aquatics at the University of Texas Brownsville.

John Spannuth

2005

For almost 50 years John Spannuth has been a leader and innovator in almost every field of aquatics, including Adapted Aquatics, working with and developing programs for persons with disabilities.

For almost 50 years John Spannuth has been a leader and innovator in almost every field of aquatics, including Adapted Aquatics, working with and developing programs for persons with disabilities. From his first full time job in aquatics in 1956 as Aquatics Director of the Reading, PA, YMCA, he has developed outstanding programs. He has been the Aquatics Director and Head Swimming Coach for Phillips Petroleum Co., developing one of the best age group teams in the country; the National Aquatics Administrator for the AAU, where he organized the first Masters national competition; the International Director of the Special Olympics for Eunice Shriver in Washington, D.C.; and the director of aquatics, sports and recreation in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

John is the creator and founder of many innovative programs and conferences including: The World Swimming Coaches Clinic 1969, which is now run by the American Swimming Coaches Association; Masters Swimming (1970), where he implemented Ransom Arthur’s ideas and decrees to begin a competitive fitness program for adults; Masters Synchronized Swimming (1975); National YMCA Masters Aquatic Championship (1976); Water Walking as a program (1986), which began as a water fitness program for individuals who were not great swimmers or who needed water therapy work; National Aquatics Directors Certification (1996); National Programs Award (recognizing the top programs in the country); Top Water Fitness Programs (1990); Top Aquatic Programs (1997); Top Water Exercise Program (1998); and National and State Leadership Awards (1990).

One of the major influences that helped to inspire John to include all Americans in aquatics, regardless of abilities or disabilities, was a conversation that he had with Clarence Pendelton in 1950. Mr. Pendelton was Aquatics Director at Howard University and on the CNCA Board of Directors with John. Mr. Pendelton convinced John that, “The average aquatic program in the United States is designed for and includes young healthy white children.” He said, “Go to the average swimming pool on a Sunday afternoon and who do you see? Young, healthy, white children.” He asked John to help him to change this. As a result, John developed a philosophy that everybody in the world should be in a swimming pool, including people with various disabilities. Since then, John has gone on to promote aquatic activities for people with disabilities; Pendelton went on to be named chairman of the National Civil Rights Commission by President Reagan.

John’s first experience of conducting an adapted swimming class was when he was the Aquatic Director of the Reading (PA) YMCA in 1956.

In 1977 when Louise Priest wrote a book, Adapted Aquatics, for the National Red Cross, John served on the editorial committee along with other leaders in adapted aquatics.

One of John’s greatest accomplishments was to work successfully with a wide variety of national organizations at the first ever National Adapted Aquatics Summit held in Fort Lauderdale May 10-12, 2001, which John organized and directed. As a result of that conference a five year plan for promoting Adapted Aquatics programs was established. At the same time John helped John K. Williams, Jr. Chairperson of ISHOF’s Adapted Aquatics Committee to organize and conduct a national meeting of the ISHOF committee.

Spannuth has been a speaker at various national conferences regarding adaptive aquatics over the past 50 years. The U.S. State Department sponsored a trip to Brazil, where John conducted a national conference regarding physical education, recreation and sports for people with disabilities. The United States national wheelchair basketball team accompanied John to give demonstrations and answer questions.

John has been on the Advisory Board of the Disability International Foundation (DIF) for a number of years. He was a featured speaker and panel member at their national fitness and rehabilitation conference held in Longview, Washington (2003); he was awarded DIF’s Sevier-McCayhill National Award for outstanding service to youth with disabilities and he was awarded a Career Achievement Award by DIF for the development of education, sports and specific population (2004). The award recognized John’s extraordinary leadership as Executive Director of the International Special Olympics, during which time, with the help of June Krauser, he wrote the general rules and sports rules for Special Olympics competition.

John first met John K. Williams, Jr. in Reading, PA in 1975 at a national aquatic conference and for the past 30 years had been one of John K.’s mentors.

Dori Maxon

2004

Dori Maxon PT, PCS, MEd is a physical therapist recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association as a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy (1996).

Dori Maxon PT, PCS, MEd is a physical therapist recognized by the American Physical Therapy Association as a Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy (1996). She has been involved in providing aquatic services to a variety of populations since 1978. In 1991, she founded and continues to direct the Special Needs Aquatic Program (SNAP) in Richmond, California, which provides aquatic physical therapy and adapted aquatic services to infants, children and teens in a community-based setting. She works with infants through teens with a variety of conditions including cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, Noonan’s Syndrome, developmental delays, sensory integration needs and autism. She works in small groups, stressing self confidence and the joy of movement and fitness in a safe, noncompetitive and success-oriented atmosphere.

Dori has been a physical therapist since 1991, a Red Cross water safety instructor since 1978, an adapted aquatics instructor since 1983, and a lifeguard since 1977. She is a Master trainer for teachers of adapted aquatics through the Aquatics Council of the AAHPERD, is certified by the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute, is a certified instructor for the Arthritis Foundation and Aquatic Exercise Association, and is a certified WATSU™ practitioner. Dori received a Master’s degree in Perceptual and Motor Development from George Washington University in 1987 and a Master’s degree in Community Health and Physical Therapy from Old Dominion University in 1990.

She has taught perceptual and motor development at the YWCA of Vienna, VA, Washington, DC area preschools, Arlington, VA Public Schools and Aurora (CO) Public Schools in all grades of special populations from 1983 to 1989. From 1989 to 1995, she has been associated with hospital care in orthopedics, skilled nursing and acute care. She has attended over 45 continuing education sessions in aquatics and aquatics certification courses, seating, orthopedics, neurodevelopment and sensory integration and manual therapies.

Dori combines many types of intervention in her work including neurodevelopment treatment, sensory integration principles and motor learning theories. She believes in a philosophy of empowerment which helps children believe in themselves and helps practitioners engage children as active participants in their learning. In addition to her work with SNAP, Dori has presented at numerous professional conferences, hospitals, clinics, and community centers in the U.S., Germany and Spain on the topic of pediatric aquatic therapy.

She has logged over 270 hours of professional instruction, teaching 45 professional courses since 1995. Subjects include water exercise for special populations, aquatic physical therapy for the child with cerebral palsy, aquatic therapy for children, developing pre-gait and gait skills, and more. She has been the author of several articles on special needs aquatic programs as well as the newsletter writer and publisher for “SNAP News” (1997-2001) and newsletter editor of the Association of Pediatric Therapist’s “APT Newsletter” (1996-2001). Additionally, she is a resource for manufacturers in equipment development advice for pediatric needs.

Dori Maxon has made a huge difference in the lives of many children with disabilities and their families. Her programs help the children shine, despite their disabilities. As spirits are encouraged and confidence builds, children can meet new challenges both in and out of the water. In addition to building the child’s spirit, her programs help to improve the child’s physical condition by addressing cardiovascular and respiratory fitness and flexibility.

Dori has received the 1999 Tsunami Award for creativity and innovation in aquatics and the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute 2001 Professional of the Year Award.

Elizabeth “Libby” Andersen

2003

Elizabeth “Libby” Andersen is the consummate professional whose interests vary from swimming programs for a variety of different types of individuals to fitness programs for all types of individuals. Her professional development shows a long-standing commitment to swimming programs for individuals with disabilities. This commitment to swimming for the disabled is natural, as she is indeed herself a swimmer.

Her involvement with swimming for the disabled started with the San Diego County Chapter of the American Red Cross’s “Adapted Aquatics Class” taught by Dr. Peter Aufsesser. Later, she became the instructor/trainer for that course, and even when the National Red Cross dropped the program, the San Diego County Chapter continued to offer the class with Libby as the instructor/trainer.

Libby’s role in leadership positions in swimming goes far beyond the local level. A member of United States Swimming and Chair of its Adapted Swimming Committee from 1980-1996, she has been one of the leaders in the field. In 1996, she was Chair of the Team Selection Committee for the Paralympic Swim Trials held in Indianapolis and worked as the liaison between United States Swimming. and the Atlanta Paralympic Organizing Committee to support swimming competition.

Libby is a graduate of San Diego State University with a Bachelor and Master of Arts in Physical Education and Recreation. Since 1990, she has been the Associate Professor of Adapted Physical Education at San Diego Community College District-City College where she has developed new curriculum in sport and fitness, created training manuals and workshops for instructional aides, networked with community organizations and lectured for Fitness Certificate Programs on special populations. She spent three years as an Adjunct Instructor of Adapted Physical Education at Southwestern Community College and developed curriculum and course outlines for new classes as well as identifying needs for the college Disabled Student Services Program. She has been a Recreation Therapist, working with head injuries, and a hospital Senior Recreation Therapist responsible for supervising staff and treating patients.

Libby started as a San Diego Parks and Recreation Swimming Pool Manager and Head Coach of the A.A.U. swimming team in 1970. While working as a graduate assistant at San Diego State in 1978, she started teaching classes in swimming and other sports for students with disabilities. She expanded to an adult educator in aged disabled programs in retirement homes and convalescent hospitals. She became an Adjunct Adapted Physical Education Instructor, developing and teaching classes in swimming, weight training, aquatic exercise and individual adaptives. She was a Recreation and Sports Coordinator for United Cerebral Palsy of San Diego County responsible for coordinating community recreation programs for teens and adults.

She is a member of the International Paralympic Rules Committee for Swimming contributing to the development of swimming rules for international competition under the functional classification system. She has been the Head Swim Coach of the 1992 and 1988 Paralympic Teams in Barcelona and Seoul respectively. As a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association, she was Head Swim Coach for the 1990 World Games for the Disabled in Assen, Netherlands and the Cerebral Palsy Games in Belgium. She has been the swim meet director for various competitions for disabled.

Libby has authored Swimming to Win, Training Guide to Cerebral Palsy Sports (1988), now in its third edition. She is also editor of United States Swimming’s Adapted Competitive Swimming Handbook (1989).

Libby is a leader and has shown a long-term commitment to improving swimming programs for individuals with disabilities. Her combination of teaching, coaching and leadership has been an outstanding recipe for success and improvement in adapted aquatics.

Anne Green

2002

Anne Green has done much to nurture disability swimming programs throughout the world.

Established in 1994 by the Adapted Aquatics Committee of the International Swimming Hall of Fame this award honors an individual who has made significant and substantial contributions to the field of adaptive aquatics (aquatics for persons with disabilities) as a participant, athlete, teacher, instructor, coach, organizer, administrator or media representative.

Anne Green has done much to nurture disability swimming programs throughout the world. She is the current Swimming chairperson of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), and has held this position since 1992. In this role, Ms. Green has dedicated herself to providing swimmers with disabilities fairness in classification, equal access to elite competition, and impartiality in rules and regulations.

Ms. Green’s involvement in the sport began in the early 1970s, when she taught and coached swimming in Perth, then later went on to open her own private swim school where she taught swimmers with and without disabilities. She became very interested in disability swimming and has held many volunteer positions related to it since the early 1990s. Nationally, Ms. Green worked for Australian Swimming from 1990 to 2001, as the Manager of “Disability Sport and Indigenous Populations,” and at present, still consults for the organization. In this position she focused on developing budgets and strategic plans, as well acting as a liaison with government bodies, disabled sports organizations, and indigenous groups.

Ms. Green served as a coach of the Australian National Team for numerous events including 1990 World Disabled Championships; 1992 Paralympics; 1993, 96-97 World Deaf Games; and the 1998 BT Nationals.

Internationally, Ms. Green has served on several committees including her election as the Chairperson of the Swimming Executive Committee of which she is serving her third consecutive term. Under her tenure, IPC Swimming has entered the electronic age with a new website specific to swimming. The site features online classification manuals; a world rankings database; world, Paralympic and regional records, as well as many other materials specific to disability swimming. She has been responsible for drafting many of the IPC rule changes that have helped the sport mature and improve. She has worked to refine the functional classification system for swimmers with physical disabilities and to train classifiers who can implement that system worldwide. Additionally, she works with international scholars to facilitate research on stroke techniques and classification systems.

She travels internationally to help scrutinize meet formats, inspect facilities, monitor actions of meet officials and educate meet workers. No details escape her notice. Academically, she has written “Coaching Methods When Working with Swimmers with a Disability” (Australian Sports Commission), contributed to “Coaching Athletes with Disabilities: General Principles” and co-authored the IPC “Swimming Classification and Technical Advisors Manual.”

Additionally, Ms. Green served as the Technical Delegate for all three IPC Swimming World Championships and Technical Delegate for the two most recent Paralympic Games.

She has made significant strides in developing classification policies as well. Through extensive research and development she has revised and updated the classification manual and procedures, and has given classification seminars on six continents.

Anne has made it a priority to put the athletes first and involve them in all aspects of the sport. She included an athlete on the Swimming Executive Committee before the position was mandated, was instrumental in getting disability swimming included in the Commonwealth Games, and has diversified the IPC committees and subcommittees to include individuals of various backgrounds and enthnicities.

Anne’s work is routinely characterized by expert knowledge, respect for swimmers with a disability and effective mentoring of people in the swimming community.

Monica Lepore

2001

Monica Lepore is a professor who teaches Kinesiology and Special Education majors at West Chester University in Pennsylvania.

Monica Lepore is a professor who teaches Kinesiology and Special Education majors at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Her profession, Adapted Physical Education, strives to improve services for and increase awareness of, the benefits of physical activity, including aquatics, for individuals with disabilities. Currently she and her students and colleagues serve over 130 people with disabilities per week, ages 3-65, in three different adapted physical activity programs.

Dr. Lepore studied Physical Education at the College of Mt. St. Vincent & Manhattan College as an undergraduate and achieved her master’s Degree in Adapted Physical Education at University of Wisconsin at LaCrosse. He Doctoral Degree is in Leadership in Adapted Physical Education from New York University. She has been an American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor and has taught aquatics to people with disabilities for 20 years.

Dr. Lepore is currently the chairperson of the Adapted Aquatics Specialty of the Aquatic Council within the American Association for Active Lifestyles and Fitness (an association of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance). She trains individuals to conduct Teacher of Adapted Aquatics and Teaching Assistant of Adapted Aquatics courses and monitors, evaluates and oversees that credential. Her book Adapted Aquatics Programming: A Professional Guide (written with G.W. Gayle and S.F. Stevens and published by Human Kinetics) is a comprehensive resource for aquatic professionals internationally. Dr. Lepore currently conducts two adapted aquatic programs and teaches undergraduate students about the needs of individuals with disabilities in a physical activity setting.

Dr. Lepore lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her 12-year-old daughter Maria and enjoys running, swimming, rollerblading and many other sports.

Uri Bergman

2000

Over a distinguished career spanning more than thirty years in adaptive aquatics, Uri Bergman has contributed in virtually all areas basic to the award.

Over a distinguished career spanning more than thirty years in adaptive aquatics, Uri Bergman has contributed in virtually all areas basic to the award. He has been a very successful paralympic swimmer and an excellent teacher and leader of adapted aquatics in Israel. As both therapist and swimming coach, he has practiced adapted aquatics with diverse populations including individuals with physical, learning and mental disabilities. Currently he is the coordinator of the teacher’s in-service course for Rehabilitative Swimming and Hydrotherapy in the School of Inservice Studies at Zinman College of Physical Education and Sport Sciences at the Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel.

As a lower extremity amputee, Uri’s disability engaged him into the aquatics world. He competed in four Paralympic competitions (1976, ‘80, ‘84, ‘88) winning a combined 12 gold medals in swimming events. He was the coach of the Israeli National Handicapped Swimming Team (1984, ‘88), the National Water Polo Team winning the gold at the 11th Hapoel Games (1979) and the 13th Maccabiah Games in Tel Aviv (1993). He has been an inspiration to a generation of swimmers with disabilities whose international achievements continue to be impressive.

Bergman attended the Kibbutz Teachers College, Tel Aviv University and the Wingate Institute earning degrees in physical education, social work, psychiatric rehabilitation and coaching. He has put these degrees to use in many ways, some of which include: physical education instructor and mental health officer for the Israel Defense Forces, Director of Summer Camps for Children and Adults with cerebral palsy and Water Polo Instructor at the Beit Halochem Center for Disabled War Veterans. Besides coaching swimming to disabled athletes, he specializes working with students of cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, paraplegics, amputees, the deaf, mentally retarded and the blind. He works with Special Olympics Israel and serves as its Chairman of the Aquatics Professional Committee. He recently (1999) served as international aquatics referee at the Special Olympics Summer Games held in North Carolina (USA).

He has been responsible for the Rehabilitative Swimming and Hydrotherapy Teachers’ Course at the Zinman College. This includes rehabilitative swimming and hydrotherapy and qualifies these teachers to serve as swimming instructors for students in rehabilitation swimming courses. Since 1989, he has published over 20 articles on all phases of Adaptive Aquatics which appeared in various professional journals throughout the world.

Uri fulfills his endeavors conscientiously and with a high degree of commitment, deep concern and responsibility. He treats his disabled students and children with humility and warmth, and creates a friendly and cooperative working atmosphere with other coaches and staff. He has shown to be a person of great competence in working in the areas of physical activity, sports and recreation for individuals with a disability.

Dr. Julian U. Stein

1999

Dr. Julian U. Stein is considered by many to be the father of adapted physical education in the United States, Dr. Stein is a retired university professor from George Mason University in Virginia.

Dr. Julian U. Stein is considered by many to be the father of adapted physical education in the United States, Dr. Stein is a retired university professor from George Mason University in Virginia. For over 15 years, he was the Executive Director and Consultant for the Unit on Programs for the Handicapped for the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). He has published hundreds of papers and made presentations at hundreds of professional meetings. He has been a major contributor in the field for over 30 years, including Project Aquatics and Project Aquatics Mainstream. He has been the source for information regarding aquatics for people with disabilities and has used his knowledge to construct and operate adaptive aquatics programs throughout the country.

Mary Essert (El Cerrito, CA)

1998

Mary Essert is the founder of Mary Essert and Associates, maker of many videos and tapes on water fitness, founder of “Move It or Lose It” and active with Grace Reynolds at the YMCA.

Ruth Sova (Port Washington, WI)

1997

Ruth Sova is founder of the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) and the Aquatic Therapy and Rehab. Institution. She is a well-known entrepreneur and speaker around the world.

Louise Priest (Indianapolis, IN)

1996

Louise Priest is the mother of adaptive aquatics. She wrote the Red Cross aquatic materials and is now Director of Communications with the Jeff Ellis Organization.

Grace Reynolds (Longview, WA)

1995

Grace Reynolds was head of “Swimming for Special Populations” for the national YMCA for years and head of “Project Aquatics” and “Project Aquatics Mainstreaming”. She is founder/president of Disability International Foundation (DIF).

John K. Williams, Jr. (San Diego, CA)

1994

John K. Williams, Jr. graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. degree in Therapeutic Recreation and is now an aquatic consultant. Speaker at numerous workshops on Adaptive Aquatics, he spends his summers working at Camp Able.