Happy Birthday STEVE CLARK !!!
STEVE CLARK (USA)
1966 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1960 (participant); 1964 gold (4x100m, 4x200m freestyle relay; 4x100m medley relay); WORLD RECORDS: 50yd, 100yd, 100m, 200yd, 200m freestyle.
Steve Clark was inducted in ISHOF’s second class of Honorees, which shows you how great he was. This was his bio back then, in 1966.
Steve Clark swam the 1960 Olympics out of Los Altos High School and the 1964 Olympics out of Yale and Santa Clara. He won five NCAA individual championships at Yale and six AAU titles for Santa Clara Swim Club. He won three gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, setting a world record of 52.9 for the 100 meter freestyle.
Clark is the first man in the world to have swum faster than 21 seconds for 50 yards, 46 seconds for 100 yards, 53 seconds for 100 meters, 1:50 for 200 yards and two minutes for 200 meters.
Clark’s nine world records would have been at least 29 in an earlier time when FINA was accepting short course times for 50, 100, 200 and 220 yard, 100 meter and 200 meter freestyle. Steve Clark was Santa Clara’s first great male swimmer at the time Hall of Famer Chris Von Saltza was Santa Clara’s premier woman swimmer. Whereas Chris’ father characterized Chris by saying, “The longer the distance, the better the Von Saltza”, he might have added, “and the shorter the distance, the better the Clark.”
Steve Clark was unquestionably the World’s fastest freestyle sprint swimmer for five years retiring to Harvard Law School with his records unchallenged.
In speculating on what might have been, swim buffs will always wonder on the fate that might have kept Steve from being the first man to win four gold medals in an Olympiad. Steve had tendonitis in his shoulder during the USA’s sudden-death Olympic Trials. His fourth place made the team, but only as a relay swimmer. By Tokyo, the tendonitis was gone, but U.S. rules limited Steve to three relays and three gold medals. He started off the 400 freestyle relay in the fastest gun start 100 of the Olympics. It was a new world record, but Steve didn’t get to do it when it would count for that fourth gold medal.
Clark’s book, Competitive Swimming As I See It , was a swimming best seller.
DARA TORRES: She’s One In A Thousand! Join her!
Dara Torres, ISHOF Honoree and five-time Olympic team member is special. She is One in a Thousand!
When asked why she wanted to join the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s One in A Thousand Club, Torres said, “I first discovered the Hall of Fame Museum as a 12-year old California kid going to my first YMCA Nationals in Fort Lauderdale. I didn’t know a place like this even existed. I didn’t know anything about Olympians of the past or the history of our sport and I was fascinated by it. The first thing I did when I was in Fort Lauderdale, was visit the Hall of Fame. It was filled with history, artifacts, stories, and treasures. I remember walking through the museum with my mom and coach, and it was amazing.”
“So, I want to give back. Swimming has been such a huge part of my life. It touches my heart to give back to the sport that has done so much for me. If I can help even a little bit to preserve the history that I was so inspired by as a 12-year old, I absolutely will.”
Join the One in a Thousand Club by helping ISHOF on a monthly or one-time basis.
· $10 Monthly Commitment
· $25 Monthly Commitment
· $50 Monthly Commitment
· Make a One-Time Commitment
For larger corporate sponsorships and estate-planning donations, please contact us at customerservice@ishof.org
Dara Grace Torres grew up in Beverly Hills, California, where she learned to swim in her family’s backyard pool. At the age of seven, she followed her brothers to swim practice at the local YMCA. During her junior year of high school, Torres moved to Mission Viejo, CA to train with Hall of Fame Coach Mark Schubert, and in 1983 she broke the world record in the 50-meter freestyle. The next year, while not yet a senior in high school, she won her first Olympic gold medal as a member of the USA’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay team at the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
While swimming for Randy Reese at the University of Florida, Torres earned 28 NCAA All-American swimming awards and at the 1988 Olympic Games, she won two silver medals swimming on relays. She finished her collegiate athletic career playing volleyball and took two years off before returning to win her second Olympic relay gold medal in Barcelona, Spain during the summer of 1992.
After 1992, Torres lived what appeared to be a glamorous life. She moved to New York City, worked in television, and as a Wilhelmina model. She became the first model athlete in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Then, in the spring of 1999, despite not having trained in a pool for seven years, she decided to give the Olympics one more try.
Dara trained with Coach Richard Quick in Palo Alto and Santa Clara, and made the Olympic team for the fourth time, at the age of 33. She returned home with five medals, more than any other member of the team, including three in individual events and retired.
In 2005, while pregnant with her first child, Dara began swimming three or four times a week at the Coral Spring Aquatic Complex, to keep fit. After giving birth to Tessa Grace, in April 2006, she entered two Masters meets and posted times that emboldened her to try another comeback. She asked Coral Springs coach Michael Lohberg, if he would coach her, and a little over a year later, she won the 100-meter freestyle at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Three days later, she broke the American record in the 50-meter freestyle for the 10th time-an amazing 24 years after setting it for the very first time. In 2008, Dara qualified for her fifth Olympic team. At the Beijing Games, she became the oldest swimmer ever to compete in the Olympic Games. Dara returned home with three silver medals, including the heartbreaking 50-meter freestyle race where she missed gold by 1/100th of a second.
In 2009, Dara won the ESPY award for “Best Comeback” and was named one of the “Top Female Athletes of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated and became a best-selling author with the release of her inspirational memoir, “Age is Just A Number”.
Dara continued swimming after recovering from reconstructive knee surgery. With the encouragement of Coach Lohberg, she set her sights on making a record sixth Olympic team. When she barely missed making the London Olympic team by nine-hundredths of a second at the 2012 US Swimming Olympic Trials, Dara announced her retirement with a smile on her face and her six-year old daughter Tessa in her arms.
Olympian, television personality, fitness guru, queen of the comeback, best-selling author, ISHOF supporter and Honoree, and a mother. Dara Torres is many things to many people, but above all, she is an inspiration, and now, she is “One in A Thousand.” Won’t you join her?
The International Swimming Hall of Fame wants to know if you are one in a thousand? We think you are! Show how special you are and become a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One In A Thousand” Club. Help keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame moving forward toward a new vision and museum by joining now!
During these unprecedented times, the ISHOF Board is calling on every member in the aquatic community to make a small monthly commitment of support to show how special you are and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.
“Our goal is simple. If we get 1,000 people to simply commit $10, $25 or $50 per month, we will generate enough revenue to go beyond this Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis.” – Bill Kent – Chairman of the ISHOF Board
“Those that believe in our vision, mission, and goals can join us in taking ISHOF into the future and be a part of aquatic history.” – Brent Rutemiller – CEO and President of ISHOF
Since 1965, ISHOF has been the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports. ISHOF’s vision for the future is to build a new museum and expand its reach by offering its museum artifacts digitally through a redesigned website.
The ISHOF Board of Directors is calling on all members of the aquatics community to make a small monthly commitment to show their dedication to aquatics and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.
About ISHOF Take a Virtual Tour
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) museum opened its doors to the public in December of 1968 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That same year, the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) – the governing body for Olympic aquatic sports – designated the ISHOF museum as the “Official Repository for Aquatic History”. In 2018, Sports Publications Inc, publisher of Swimming World Magazine and its multi-media platforms, merged with ISHOF to expand the museum’s reach and impact.
Today, ISHOF’s vision is to be the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports. Show your support for the sport of swimming by becoming a member of ISHOF.
ISHOF Vision Statement
To be the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports.
ISHOF Mission Statement
To collaborate with aquatic organizations worldwide to preserve, educate and celebrate history, showcase events, share cultures, and increase participation in aquatic sports.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc. is registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, incorporated in the State of Florida. Contributions to ISHOF are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. ISHOF’s tax identification number is 59-1087179. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR FROM THE WEBSITE, www.800helpfla.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. You can find out more about us on guidestar.org under International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc.
ISHOF Honoree Gary Hall Sr.: Freestyle Technique- 6 phases of the Pulling Cycle
ISHOF Aquatic Complex Update June 12, 2020
For those of you keeping track….The Beat goes on…..
Thank you Hensel Phelps and Laura Voet for the photos and for keeping us up to date!
The dive well waterproof subfloor was poured on Wednesday.
The floor for the main competition pool will in next week Wednesday, June 17,
2020.
ISHOF Fans, Have you become “One in A Thousand ” Yet?
To Join,
Click here:
Dick McDonough bestows gifts on ISHOF
Dick McDonough, swimming great from Philadelphia and Villanova University recently meet with ISHOF historian Bruce Wigo and donated a treasure trove of programs, books, antique swimwear and films from ABC’s Wide World Sports from the late 1950’s and early 1960 that had been collected mostly by his father.
After leaving swimming behind, McDonough worked as a successful attorney and became such an avid golfer that he acquired one of the great collections of golf memorabilia and even wrote a book, “Great Golf Collections of the World.”
An All-American swimmer for Villanova, he was an NCAA champion and record holder in both the 100 and 200-yd butterfly and an AAU National Champion in the 100-meter freestyle.
As a member of the U.S. Team that competed in a USA-Japan Duel Meet in Osaka, in 1963, McDonough broke the American record in the 100-meter freestyle and was a member of the 4×100 freestyle relay that set a new world record.
McDonough still has a love for swimming, and with his wife, he is owner of the Dorset Quarry in Vermont, which has been touted as one of the top swimming holes in the country, which he leaves open to the public. He currently resides Georgia.
A big thank you to Dick McDonough for this amazing collection!
Happy Birthday Megan Neyer !!!
MEGAN NEYER (USA)
Honor Diver
FOR THE RECORD: 1980 OLYMPIC GAMES: boycott; 1982 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (springboard); 1983 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: 4th (platform); USA INTERNATIONAL DIVING MEET: 1980 – bronze (3m springboard), silver (platform), 1981 – gold (3m springboard), silver (platform), 1982, 1986, 1988 – gold (1m springboard); 1981 FINA CUP: silver (3m springboard); 15 US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 8 indoor (1m, 3m springboard), 7 outdoor (1m, 3m springboard); EIGHT NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: (1m, 3m springboard).
As a relative unknown, this young diver burst into the international spotlight at the 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials when she placed first in both the 3m springboard and 10m platform events, knowing full well that the U.S. team would not compete in Moscow at the boycotted Games. She used one of the world’s hardest lists in women’s diving with a total degree of difficulty at 22.8, matched only by USA’s Chris Seufert and 1980 Olympic Champion, Irina Kalanina of the Soviet Union. She captured the top spot in platform and springboard diving, becoming only the third person in U.S. History and the first person in two decades to accomplish the double win at a U.S. Olympic Trials, following Hall of Fame divers Pat McCormick (1952 & 1956) and Paula Jean Myers Pope (1960).
Raised in Ashland, Kentucky, Megan moved to Mission Viejo, California to continue her diving with Hall of Famer, Coach Ron O’Brien at the Nadadores. Ron helped to guide her through a decade of diving competition that saw her become the best female diver in the world.
Her success has been her consistency of success. Over a ten year period from 1978 to 1988, she won numerous U.S. National Championships, NCAA Championships, a World championship and other major international competitions.
Unable to compete at the Moscow Olympics, Neyer traveled with the U.S. Team for a dual meet with the National Team of China. She won silver in the springboard as well as at the FINA Cup and the FISU Games at Bucharest, Romaine. While a freshman at the University of Florida, she won both the 1m and 3m springboard NCAA Championship, the first of four years, setting an NCAA Record of eight individual diving championships within a four year period. This record still stands today. Because of her enormous springboard successes, Swimming World magazine voted her the 1981 Springboard Female World Diver of the Year.
At the Guayaquil World Championships in 1982, Megan became the best in the world again, winning the gold medal in the 3m springboard. She won the USA International as the only non-Chinese winner in the four combined women’s and men’s events and two points over Canada’s Hall of Famer, Sylvie Bernier. She also won both U.S. National Championships, the Australia Day International Meet and a Mission Viejo vs. Mexico dual meet. Again Swimming World selected her as the Springboard Female World Diver of the Year, 1982.
Blonde hair, 5 foot 2, eyes of blue, Megan Neyer was the envy of everyone. But in 1984, she failed to qualify for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team. She was crushed and took a rest from diving for a year and one-half. It would be a time to heal an injured shoulder, spend time with her family after the death of her father, and to release the pressure cooker feeling around which she had put herself.
Upon returning, she immediately went right back to winning: two National Championships in 1986 and 1987. Surgery performed on her bad shoulder kept her from making the 1988 Olympic team, but she did win another National Championship in the 1m springboard competition.
Megan Neyer will be remembered as a pillar of consistency throughout her long career. She won a total of 15 U.S. National Championships, and while maintaining a 3.5 grade point average in psychology at the University of Florida, she became the all-time winningest collegiate diver in the history of swimming and diving, both male and female. “I thrive on the individualized nature of diving. I’m a performer and I know that,” said Megan. With her advanced degree in the counseling field, Dr. Megan Neyer is the Director of Performance and Wellness Counseling at the Homer Rice Center for Sports Performance at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
Happy Birthday TIFFANY COHEN !!!
TIFFANY COHEN (USA)
1996 Honor Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: 1984 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (400m and 800m freestyle); 1982 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze (400m freestyle); 1983 PAN AMERICAN GAMES: gold (400m and 800m freestyle); 14 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 400m, 800m 1000yd, 1500m freestyle.
She swam at a time when Tracy Wickham of Australia held all the world records in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyles and most of them for a period of nine and one-half years. But Tiffany Lisa Cohen (TLC for short) was a competitor, and she raced whomever was next to her. Said her coach Mark Schubert, “Tiffany has that great ability to rise to the occasion when the gun goes off.”
Cohen joined the Mission Viejo Swim Team in 1980 and swam her first U.S. Nationals one year later in Brown Deer, Wisconsin, winning the 400m freestyle, the first of fourteen U.S. National Championships in the 400m, 800m 1000m and 1500m freestyle events.
In only her second complete year of competition, she won the bronze medal in the 400m freestyle behind GDR swimmers Carmela Schmidt and Petra Schneider at the 1982 World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The following year her international competitions were at the Caracas Pan American Games where she won gold medals in the 400m and 800m freestyles and the Pan Pacific Championships where she again won the 400m and 800m freestyles.
Tiffany likes to be the leader both in and out of the water. She sets a good example and has a good attitude about competing in sport and life. She enjoys helping people and has that burning desire to succeed.
So when the Olympic Games of 1984 came, she was ready to take on the world and particularly East Germany’s Astrid Strauss who narrowly defeated Tiffany earlier in the year at the U.S. Swimming International. But the head to head competition was not to happen as the GDR boycotted the Games. Tiffany swam to an American record by winning the 400m freestyle and an Olympic record by winning the 800m freestyle, only 33 one-hundredths of a second short of Hall of Famer Tracy Wickham’s world record. It was an Olympic performance of which to be proud.
Following the Olympics of Los Angeles, Tiffany continued to compete and win, helping her Mission Viejo team on its way to a record number of national championships. She attended the University of Texas, winning five NCAA National titles for her team and coach Richard Quick. Said Quick of Cohen, “Tiffany has the mark of a champion. Just to swim well isn’t enough. She doesn’t like losing.”
In 1987, Tiffany retired from competitive swimming. Tiffany lives in Fort Lauderdale and we see her regularly at ISHOF. She has two grown children, Chloe and Daniel Adams.
Tom Gompf is “One In A Thousand”!
Tom Gompf, ISHOF Honoree and 1964 Olympic medalist is special. He is One in a Thousand!
When asked why he wanted to join the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s One in A Thousand Club, Gompf said, “It’s almost reverent to me to be able to walk through the Hall and to see the history of our sport. To be able to visit the museum and see all our friends, each time I am there. Even today when I am at the Hall, it is always thrilling to be able to relive my career, as well as the careers of all the other greats in our sport! Tom is One in a Thousand!
Join the One in a Thousand Club by helping ISHOF on a monthly or one-time basis.
· $10 Monthly Commitment
· $25 Monthly Commitment
· $50 Monthly Commitment
· Make a One-Time Commitment
For larger corporate sponsorships and estate-planning donations, please contact us at customerservice@ishof.org
TOM GOMPF
Tom Gompf loves all aspects of diving. Always has. Always will. He started as a young local competitor, advanced to the Olympic Games, performed in professional competition and grew to serve in the international diving community as an administrative leader. He is a hard worker for the good of the sport and a friend to all. Gompf has had a profound international influence on the sport of diving.
As a youngster, growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Tom won five National YMCA Diving titles and two National AAU Junior National Championships. He was coached in the early years by Ray Zahn, George Burger and Lou Cox.
By the time he graduated from Ohio State University in 1961, diving for Hall of Fame Coach Mike Peppe, Tom had won the NCAA National Trampoline Championships and a year later, the U.S. National AAU Diving Championships twice on the 10-meter platform. In 1964 at the Tokyo Olympics, under the eye of Dick Smith, Tom won the bronze medal on the 10-meter platform, only two points behind gold medalist Bob Webster (USA) and one point behind silver medalist, Klaus DiBiasi (Italy), both Hall of Famers.
Tom went on to win National Championships in Spain and Japan and then competed in and won first place in the 1970 and 1971 World Professional High Diving Championships in Montreal. His next competition was diving off the cliffs of Acapulco. He survived. All this while flying several hundred combat missions in Vietnam from 1965 to 1967 earning the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Force Commendation Medal and the Air Medal with multiple silver clusters.
From 1971 to 1982, he coached diving at the University of Miami (FL) developing divers, who won six National Championships and competed on World, Pan American and Olympic Teams. Steve McFarland, Melissa Briley, Julie Capps, Greg Garlich and Greg Louganis were among his team members.
But perhaps Tom’s greatest contribution came from behind the scenes as a leader in the sport. Universally acknowledged for his low key, amiable manner, and his ability to work effectively and silently to promote the sport. Since 1977, he has served on the US Olympic Committee Board of Directors (1977-2004) and Executive Board, working to autotomize the four aquatic disciplines under the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. He helped establish U.S. Diving, Inc. in 1980 and serves as the only continuous board member. Her served four years as its President (1985-1990) and from 1998 through 2006 was president of United States Aquatic Sports which represents all the disciplines and reports directly to FINA.
Internationally, Tom served on the Executive Board of the Amateur Swimming Union of the Americas (ASUA). In 1984, he was elected to the FINA Technical Diving Committee, a position he held for 21 years. In 2013, Tom was elected to the first FINA High Diving Committee, which he will serve on until 2021.
He served three, four-year terms as Chairman during which time he proposed and passed legislation to include 1-meter diving in the FINA World Championships (1986) and synchronized diving for world competitions, with its debut at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. “It lends the element of team, which every other sport has. It’s a proven crowd favorite,” says Tom. Gompf is responsible for the renovation of international judging, initiating a judges’ education program involving clinics and manuals. Tom has served as the Chairman of the FINA Diving Commission for the World Swimming Championships (1990-98) and as Chairman of the FINA Diving Commission for the Olympic Games (1992-2000).
Tom has received the FINA silver and gold pins, served as the U.S. Team Manager for the 1976 and 1984 Olympic Games, was the Chairman for the ISHOF Selection Committee eight years (1991-98) and served four years (1986-90) on the ISHOF Board of Directors. All the while, Tom was an airline captain for National (1967-80), Pan American (1980-91) and Delta Airlines (1991-2000). He has received the Mike Malone/Glen McCormick Award (1984) for outstanding contribution to U.S. Diving and the Phil Boggs Award (1995), U.S. Diving’s highest award and the 1997 Paragon Award for competitive diving.
The most prestigious award Tom Gompf has received and is most proud of, is the USOC Foundation George Steinbrenner Sports Leadership Award in New York City, 2010. He says it is the highest award he has ever received.
Tom’s accomplishments were never for personal fame, but always an honest attempt to help the sport he loves. He has applied the same determination and passion that made him an Olympic medalist to pursuing the goal of advancing and improving all aspects of diving on the international scene for the good of the sport and the athletes.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame wants to know if you are One in a Thousand? We think you are! Show how special you are and become a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One In A Thousand” Club. Help keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame moving forward toward a new vision and museum by joining now!
During these unprecedented times, the ISHOF Board is calling on every member in the aquatic community to make a small monthly commitment of support to show how special you are and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.
“Our goal is simple. If we get 1,000 people to simply commit $10, $25 or $50 per month, we will generate enough revenue to go beyond this Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis.” – Bill Kent – Chairman of the ISHOF Board
“Those that believe in our vision, mission, and goals can join us in taking ISHOF into the future and be a part of aquatic history.” – Brent Rutemiller – CEO and President of ISHOF
Since 1965, ISHOF has been the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports. ISHOF’s vision for the future is to build a new museum and expand its reach by offering its museum artifacts digitally through a redesigned website.
The ISHOF Board of Directors is calling on all members of the aquatics community to make a small monthly commitment to show their dedication to aquatics and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to everyone.
About ISHOF Take a Virtual Tour
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) museum opened its doors to the public in December of 1968 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That same year, the Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) – the governing body for Olympic aquatic sports – designated the ISHOF museum as the “Official Repository for Aquatic History”. In 2018, Sports Publications Inc, publisher of Swimming World Magazine and its multi-media platforms, merged with ISHOF to expand the museum’s reach and impact. Today, ISHOF’s vision is to be the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports. Show your support for the sport of swimming by becoming a member of ISHOF.
ISHOF Vision Statement
To be the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports.
ISHOF Mission Statement
To collaborate with aquatic organizations worldwide to preserve, educate and celebrate history, showcase events, share cultures, and increase participation in aquatic sports.
Happy Birthday MICHAEL READ!!!!
Michael Read (GBR)
2011 Honor Open Water Swimmer
FOR THE RECORD: KNOWN FOR MOST OF 26 YEARS (1979-2005) AS KING OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL (33 CROSSINGS); FIRST TO SWIM 4 WAY LAKE WINDERMERE (42 miles, 26h 3m), HUNSTANTON – SKEGNESS-HUNSTANTON (40 MILES), MORA TO AMPOSTA (SPN) (65 KM) AND ENGLISH CHANNEL SWIM SIX TIMES IN ONE YEAR (1984); COMPLETED CROSSINGS AROUND ISLE OF WRIGHT (60 MILES), LOCH LOMOND (22 MILES), LOCH EURN (16 MILES), LOCK TAY (16 MILES), JEBLE TO LATAKIA SYRIA (25 MILES), EVIAN TO LAUSANNE (25 KM) AND NOEL RIVER INTERNATIONAL; CHANNEL SWIMMING ASSOCIATION (CSA) COMMITTEE (1973) AND CHAIRMAN SINCE 1993; 1960 OLYMPIC TEAM: 4x200m freestyle relay alternate.
Mike Read was an English school-boy butterfly champion who earned a position on Great Britain’s 1960 Olympic Team in the 4×200 meter freestyle relay. But he loved swimming in the open water and between 1960 and 2000, he swam in more than 150 British Long Distance Swimming Association Championships setting more than 25 records. He was the 25 Kilometer Lake Windermere International Champion in 1970 and the first person to swim four lengths of Lake Windermere in succession, a total of 42 miles in 26 hours. In total, Michael Read has completed England’s longest lake Windermere 39 times.
He was only the second person to swim around the treacherous waters of the Isle of Wright, 60 miles in 24 hours 36 minutes. In 1975, he became the first to swim Humstonton to Skegness and return, 40 miles in 16 hours 4 minutes. In 1979, he swam the English Channel six times in one season to capture the title King of the Channel. According to Channel Swimming Association Records, he retains the title today with 33 Channel crossings.
During the 1970’s, the Scottish Lochs became a target including 24 mile Loch Ness at 42°F in 14 hours 24 minutes, as well as Lochs Lomond, Earn, Rannoch and Tay. He was the first to swim from Mora to Amposta, Spain, 65 kilometers. Other swims include lake and sea crossings in Greece, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Tunisia and the USA.
In 1978, he was elected Honorary Vice President of the Channel Swimming Association and serves as President today. Mike believes in defending his titles and for over 55 years has done just that.
MICKI KING IS ONE IN A THOUSAND
Micki King, ISHOF Honoree and 1972 Olympic gold
medalist is
special. She is One in a Thousand!
When
asked why she wanted to join the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s One in a
Thousand Club, King said, “From way back in the early Michigan, Buck Dawson days
it has been part of my DNA, it’s in my blood.
I’m loyal to that and I’ll never let it go. I guess I wanted to make this official through One in a Thousand!”
Join
the One in a Thousand Club by helping ISHOF on a monthly or one-time basis.
· $10 Monthly Commitment
·
$25 Monthly Commitment
·
$50 Monthly Commitment
·
Make a One-Time
Commitment
For
larger corporate sponsorships and estate-planning donations, please contact us
at customerservice@ishof.org.
About Micki King
Micki King grew up in Pontiac, Michigan. She spent summers on a
lake jumping off the docks, playing in the water with the fish, and wading
along the weed-filled shoreline with sand between her toes. King says,
“It was a glorious childhood.”
When winter rolled around, and days at the lake were over,
Micki drove her parents crazy. So, her Mother took Micki to the local YMCA
that had “Girls Day” two times a week. And, yes, Micki was excited about swimming in the winter!! But swimming indoors was very
different starting with a shower first. Who showers before
swimming…..she thought!! That first day as the door to the pool opened,
she was hit with the odor of chlorine and a wall of hot air. Everything was so
clean and sterile. And there were no fish, no weeds, no sand, no fun. The only
intriguing part of this indoor pool was the diving board. This is when Micki King began the sport that
changed her life.
The next five years she spent her winters jumping off the board
at the YMCA. It was the fifth year, when she was 15, that the new YMCA
lifeguard began to give Micki coaching tips that soon led to YMCA competitions
and eventually to AAU meets.
Then she tried out for her high school team. The swim coach knew
immediately Micki had talent and let her practice with the boy’s
team. But she was not allowed to compete in high school. It was pre-Title
IX. After high school, she attended the University of Michigan. Again, she
could not compete in college, but Hall of Famer, Dick Kimball, coached Micki in
college alongside his men divers. Kimball believed in her and he was right. In a
single year she was the US National Indoor Platform and National Outdoor 3-meter
champion and named Diver-of-the-Year.
In addition to her diving prowess, Micki was on the Ann Arbor
Swim Club AAU Water Polo team during her years at Michigan. She was recruited
to be team goalie by ISHOF Inductee Buck Dawson and his wife Rosemary and, as
goalie, Micki helped the polo team win two National Championships. Micki
graduated from Michigan in 1966 and joined the United States Air Force. She
began her military career assigned to the University of Michigan Air Force ROTC
detachment and was able to practice with Dick Kimball after her job every
day.
Micki made her first Olympic Team in 1968 and was the front
runner in the 3-meter Springboard event at the Mexico Olympic Games with two
dives to go. Preforming her ninth of ten dives, she hit the diving board and
broke her arm. Micki did her last dive with a broken arm and finished fourth –
no medal. Months in a cast were followed by a year of recovery and three more
years getting back in top form for the 1972 Olympic Games. Her
perseverance and determination prevailed. King won Olympic Gold in Munich. All
told, Micki King won Olympic Gold, two Pan American Silver medals and 10 US
National Championships. She was an Air Force Lieutenant at the Mexico
Games and a Captain in Munich. Micki retired as a Colonel with 26 years
active duty service. She retired a
second time after 10 years as the Assistant Athletic Director at the University
of Kentucky.
In
1974, Micki, joined Billie Jean King, Donna deVarona, and Wyomia Tyus as one of the original founders of the Women’s Sports Foundation. She was a member of its Board of Trustees and
served on the Foundations Board of Stewards.
These women lived through the era when girls could not compete alongside
boys. Micki believes it is important that today’s girls know sports in high
school and college did not exist for them before Title IX. This bill passed decades ago, changed sports
forever at all levels. Micki is proud to
be among the pioneers that pushed for the passage of Title IX.
Today Micki is still involved with both the Air Force and USA
Diving. She is on a panel of officers that interviews candidates for nomination
to the Air Force Academy. She also serves on the USA Diving Foundation Board.
Micki has two children, and two grandchildren.
And so, the International
Swimming Hall of Fame wants to know if you too are One in a Thousand? We
think you are! Show how special you are and become a member of the
International Swimming Hall of Fame’s “One in a
Thousand” Club.
Help keep the International Swimming Hall of Fame moving forward toward a new
vision and museum by joining now!
During
these unprecedented times, the ISHOF Board is calling on every member in the
aquatic community to make a small monthly commitment of support to show how
special you are and how special the International Swimming Hall of Fame is to
everyone.
“Our
goal is simple. If we get 1,000 people to simply commit $10, $25 or $50 per
month, we will generate enough revenue to go beyond this Covid-19 Pandemic
Crisis.” – Bill Kent – Chairman of the ISHOF Board
“Those
that believe in our vision, mission, and goals can join us in taking ISHOF into
the future and be a part of aquatic history.” – Brent
Rutemiller – CEO and President of ISHOF
Since
1965, ISHOF has been the global focal point for recording and sharing the
history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and
developing educational programs and events related to water sports. ISHOF’s
vision for the future is to build a new museum and expand its reach by offering
its museum artifacts digitally through a redesigned website.
About ISHOF Take a Virtual Tour
The
International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) museum opened its doors to the
public in December of 1968 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. That same year, the
Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) – the governing body for Olympic
aquatic sports – designated the ISHOF museum as the “Official Repository for Aquatic
History”. In 2018, Sports Publications Inc, publisher of Swimming
World Magazine and its multi-media platforms, merged with ISHOF to
expand the museum’s reach and impact. Today, ISHOF’s vision is to be the
global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting
swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and
events related to water sports. Show your support for the sport of
swimming by becoming a member of ISHOF.
ISHOF Vision Statement
To be the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics,
promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational
programs and events related to water sports.
ISHOF Mission Statement
To collaborate with aquatic organizations worldwide to preserve, educate and
celebrate history, showcase events, share cultures, and increase participation
in aquatic sports.
The
International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc. is registered as a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization, incorporated in the State of Florida. Contributions to
ISHOF are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. ISHOF’s tax
identification number is 59-1087179. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND
FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY
CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OR FROM THE WEBSITE, www.800helpfla.com. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR
RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. You can find out more about us on guidestar.org under International Swimming Hall of Fame, Inc.