M4Sport Water Polo Magazine of Hungary visits ISHOF during the TYR Grand Prix, March 7-8, 2023
Bruce Wigo, ISHOF Curator speaking to M4Sport’s Water Polo Magazine
Hungary’s M4Sport’s Water Polo Magazine was in Fort Lauderdale visiting ISHOF, doing a story on the water polo Honorees that have been inducted into ISHOF through the years. They interviewed Bruce Wigo, who told stories about the Honorees, including Tamas Fargo, who visited ISHOF and Fort Lauderdale in 1993, at his induction. Here is the story they showed in Hungary and the infomration that went with it.
Az M4Sport Vízilabda Magazinjának március 9-i adása.
Az ISHOF, azaz az Úszó Hírességek Csarnoka Fort Lauderdale-ben, Floridában található, amelyben 41 magyar úszót és vízilabdázót iktattak be. Az Egyesült Államok egyik legnagyobb vízilabda szakértőjével, Bruce Wigo-val készített a stáb interjút.
March 9 broadcast of M4Sport’s Water Polo Magazine.
The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF), is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in which 41 Hungarian swimmers and water polo players have been inducted. M4Sport’s crew interviewed one of the biggest water polo experts in the United States, Mr. Bruce Wigo, former Executive Director of USA Water Polo and President of the ISHOF.
ISHOF 1992 Honor Swimmer, Shiro Hashizume, Japan’s oldest living Olympic medalist dies at age 94
ISHOF Honoree, Shiro Hashizume, who up until his death on March 9, 2023, was Japan’s oldest living Olympic medalist.
Born in 1928, Shiro Hashizume of Japan should have been at his peak for the 1948 Olympics in London, but Japan was not yet permitted back into the Olympic Family of Nations following the end of World War II. Shiro had to settle for breaking the world record at a time when he may also have won the Olympic Gold medal. At the time the world assembled in London for the fifteenth Olympiad, Japan held its own national championships of Olympic events. Hashizume swam the 1500-meter freestyle in 18 minutes, 37.8 seconds, faster than Jimmy McLane’s 19 minutes, 18.5 seconds gold medal swim halfway around the world in London.
Hashizume and Hall of Famer Hironoshin Furuhashi flip-flopped world records in the 1500-meter and 800-meter freestyles for the next three years. In 1949 at the American Swimming Championships held in Los Angeles, Hashizume set world records in the 800-meter freestyle (9 minutes, 45 seconds) and the 1500-meter freestyle (18 minutes, 32.6 seconds).
In the preliminary heat of the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Hashizume established a new Olympic record of 18 minutes, 41 seconds to win the silver medal in the 1500-meter freestyle behind the USA’s Ford Konno.
More recently, in 1987, Hashizume, a 1951 graduate from Nihon University Faculty of Law, was awarded Japan’s prestigious Order of the Purple Ribbon “Shiju Hosho,” an order for a person meritorious in the field of art and science. He was a member of the Board of Education in Yokohama City and Managing Director of the Hashizume Swimming School.
He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1992.
Speaking of National Women’s Month: Tomorrow, ISHOF friend and supporter, Marcia Cleveland begins her swim of the Cook Strait in New Zealand
UPDATE: Marcia swam the Cook Strait in 11 hours 54 minutes and 1 second
ISHOF friend, long-time supporter, and open water swimmer, Marcia Cleveland, of Wilmette, Illinois, is attempting to swim the famed Cook Strait, down under in New Zealand. Read her story here:
Greetings from Wellington, New Zealand!
Mother Nature and God-willing, tomorrow I will begin my swim of the Cook Strait around 7am NZ time – starting from the North Island.
The time difference between Chicago/Mexico City and Wellington, New Zealand is -6 hours but it’s tomorrow. If it’s Noon on Monday in Chicago, it’s 6am on Tuesday in NZ.
Cook Strait separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand, connecting the Tasman Sea with the South Pacific Ocean.
My tracking link is https://maps.findmespot.com/s/0SFW/WK
When the swim has begun, you will (hopefully) be able to see our progress.
Please feel free to share this information with others.
Despite a boatload of unknowns, these are the questions I can answer:
* The length of this swim is approximately 18 miles (29 km.)
* The water temperature ranges between the high 50°Fs to low 60°Fs (15°-18°C.)
* On the day of the swim, Mother Nature will decide which direction I will swim: North to South or South to North.
* The major factors are strong currents, strong winds, and unpredictable weather.
* My crew, Julia Green & Lee Harkleroad, will accompany me in an escort boat.
* During the swim, I will be thrown bottles of nutritional drinks from the boat approximately every 45 minutes. Each ~8 ounce (~250 cc) drink will be consumed in less than a minute, then I’m back at it.
* According to Channel Rules, I will wear a regular Speedo swimsuit, a bathing cap, goggles, and sunscreen. I will also wear Desitin at my chaffing points (neck and suit lines) and Sunscreen. I can be handed things, such as a feeding bottle but I can’t touch anything or anyone since that would be considered receiving “assistance.”
* To prepare for this crossing, I have swum 35,000 yards (32K) a week since October; plus a program of calisthenics, stretching, and weight lifting.
* It took me 4 ½ years to get this opportunity.
If you want to know more about this swim and/or my swims, please visit:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Strait
https://longswims.com/events/cook-strait/ https://longswims.com/p/marcia-cleveland/
Let’s all wish Marcia GOOD LUCK and CHEER HER ON!
ISHOF and the world of diving loses one of the greats: Pat Keller McCormick (May 12, 1930 – March 7, 2023)
Pat Keller McCormick was the first diver inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame, into its inaugural class of 1965. She was the first diver, male or female, to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals on both boards in consecutive Olympic Games. She was champion in 1952 and 1956 on both the 3-meter springboard and the 10-meter platform ~ A feat that has still only happened one other time, when Greg repeated it in 1984 and 1988.
Pat McCormick was born in Seal Beach, California, where she lived most of her life. She began by diving off bridges in Long Beach, but eventually moved on to the Los Angeles Athletic Club, where she became friends with diving stars, Sammy Lee, and Vicki Draves, who helped and encouraged her.
After taking a surprising second at the 1947 National Platform event, Pat headed to Detroit to compete in the 1948 Olympic Game Tryouts. She missed the team by less than one point. It was a turning point for Pat.
In 1949, she married Glenn McCormick who not only became her husband, but also her coach. In 1949, she won the National Platform Event, in San Antonio, Texas, her first big meet. The following year, she shocked everyone by not only defending her title on the platform, but also by winning both springboard events: the 1 and 3-meter. The very next year, in 1951, she scored an all-time first in diving. She won all five national titles for women in the same year: two indoor and three outdoor.
That same year, Pat competed at her first international competition at the Pan American Games, hosted in Buenos Aries. She won the gold medal on the platform and the silver medal on the springboard. In 1952, she finally qualified for the Olympic team and did not disappoint. She won gold medals in both women’s events, the springboard and platform, competing in Helsinki, Finland.
Pat continued dominating the sport of diving for the next four years, winning a total of 27 national championships, as well as the gold medals at the 1955 Pan American Games in Mexico City on the springboard and platform.
In her second Olympic Games, in Melbourne, Australia, McCormick successfully defended her crown on both the 3-meter springboard and the 10-meter platform, becoming the only person, man or woman in diving history to score a “double-double” in Olympic competition. It was that feat that led the Swimming Hall of Fame’s 52 coach nominating committee to pick McCormick as the world’s premier woman diver, the first to be selected for induction into the Hall of Fame.
1964 Olympian gold medalist and friend, Micki King said of Pat, “ she opened the door for women athletes.” Olympic Diver and longtime friend, Tom Gompf, who helped Pat in later life said ”Pat spent her life supporting the Olympic movement, especially during the ’84 Games when they came to her hometown.”
Pat McCormick ~ 1956 Sullivan Award Winner
In addition to being inducted into ISHOF, Pat McCormick has also been inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum. She won the 1956 Sullivan Award, the Babe Zaharia’s Woman Athlete of the Year, Helm’s Hall North American Athlete of the Year, Thurman Munson Award and the Associated Press Woman Athlete of the Year ~ just to name a few.
Pat passed away March 7, in an assisted living home in Orange County, California. She was 92 years old. She leaves behind a daughter, 1984 Olympic silver and 1988 bronze medalist, ISHOF Honoree, Kelly McCormick Robertson and son, Tim McCormick. Pat will also be missed by her many friends in her community of Seal Beach.
Twelve-Time Olympic Medalist Dara Torres Joins International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Board of Directors
Torres Among Six New Board Members Leading Hall of Fame Into New Era as
Multimillion-Dollar Renovation Plans Begin
ISHOF Redevelopment Follows $47 Million Update to Fort Lauderdale’s
World-Renowned Aquatic Center
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 1, 2023 – The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF), the official repository for aquatic history, today announced the addition of six new members to its board of directors, including twelve-time Olympic medalist Dara Torres.
Joining Torres, the additional new members joining ISHOF’s board of directors include:
David Arluck: Founder and CEO of Fitter and Faster Swim Camps
Stathis Avramidis, Ph.D. (Based in Greece): Teacher of applied lifeguarding-lifesaving sport at Athens University; President of the Greek Lifesaving Sports Association; ISHOF award recipient (2009, 2012)
Bobby Brewer: Co-Founder of Beard Swim Company Swim Schools, Level 4 ASCA Coach
Ned Denison (Based in Ireland): International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame Inductee (2012); Chairperson of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
John Ellsworth: Sales and Design, Splash Pools; FSPA Design Award Winner
Led by the Chairman of the Board, Bill Kent, the new members will help further ISHOF’s vision for the future. With the redevelopment project underway, the $190 million state-of-the-art complex will include two iconic buildings, which will house a fully updated and modern display of aquatic sports history, two event spaces with 360-degree views of the intracoastal and Atlantic Ocean, a three-star Michelin chef restaurant, public gardens, meeting rooms, and shared office spaces.
“It’s an honor to be among ISHOF’s board of directors,” said Torres. “As a life-long swimmer, I look forward to working closely with the rest of the board to celebrate the rich history of swimming with a transformative aquatic complex that will be for everyone.”
Torres is the first swimmer to represent the United States in five Olympic Games (1984 – 2008), and at 41, was the oldest swimmer to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team. She’s also one of only a handful of Olympians to earn medals in five different games, with a total of 12 medals – four gold, four silver, four bronze – to her name.
“It’s incredible to add Dara and the other new members to our board of directors, many who have been connected to swimming their entire lives,” said Kent. “We began demolition on the original building in December and are ready to embark on a new era for ISHOF.”
Opened in 1967, the original museum featured some of the most iconic artifacts in the history of aquatic sports, including the eight Olympic gold medals won by Michael Phelps at the 2008 Games in Beijing, and swimsuits worn by legends. It has also paid tribute to special moments in aquatic history, such as Gertrude Ederle’s crossing of the English Channel.
“I’d like to thank Dara and all our new board members for joining us on this incredible journey,” said ISHOF CEO Anne Schmidt. “We’re excited to work alongside the City of Fort Lauderdale, Mayor Dean Trantalis, and Commissioner Steve Glassman to make our city the swimming and diving capital of the world.”
The new board will join Chairman Bill Kent, Vice President Steve Hasty, Secretary Mike Dooley, Treasurer Matt McKean and Ft. Lauderdale City Commissioner Steve Glassman. Additional board members include Sandra Bucha, Mario Caprini, David Duda, Aaron Peirsol and Steve West.
Slated to open in 2025, ISHOF’s iconic upgrade will complement Fort Lauderdale’s $47 million renovation of its world-renowned aquatic center, which boasts one of the highest diving platforms in the world at 27 meters, and Olympic-caliber pools for both competitive and public use.
Contact Information
FINN Partners | Manuel Cedeno | manuel.cedeno@finnpartners.com | 305-484-3317
ISHOF and Marathon Swimming World suffers a great loss: Greta Anderson ~ May 1, 1927 – February 6, 2023
By: Bruce Wigo, ISHOF Historian
On February 6, 2023, the world of swimming lost a long-time ambassador, in 96-year-old, Greta Andersen. One of the greatest swimmers of all time, Greta Andersen burst onto the world’s stage when she won the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the 1948 London Olympics. When she returned home to Copenhagen Denmark, she was a national hero.
Greta Andersen wins gold, 1948 Olympic Games – 100m freestyle ~ Ann Curtis (USA): silver; Marie Louise Lissen Vaessen (NED): bronze
After moving from her native Denmark to Long Beach, California, in 1953, she found she needed to make a living. She met Tom Park, a record setting Catalina Channel swimmer, who convinced her she had what it took to be a successful marathon swimmer.
In 1956 Greta won the first of seven Around Atlantic City Marathons swims. She then won the 50-mile Lake Michigan race from Chicago to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Greta finished 10 miles ahead of her nearest competitor and captured the $25,000 first place prize money. The next year she entered her first Sir Billy Butlin Cross English Channel Marathon race. She won again in 1958 and after her third swim, in 1959, Sir Billy gave her the perpetual trophy.
Greta accepting the English Channel Trophy
During her career, Greta broke 18 world marathon records. She was the first woman to complete five crossings of the English Channel – set speed records in both directions – and the first person to swim the Santa Catalina Channel both ways … nonstop, a feat that took almost 27 hours! She earned first, second, or third place in every event competing with men head-to-head and never lost to another woman. She was the largest money winner in women’s professional swimming history.
Confident, personable, and talented, she made quite a splash on the pool deck when she opened the Greta Andersen Swim School in 1960 and has devoted her life teaching children how to be water-safe and confident swimmers. “Teaching toddlers to be unafraid of water,” she says, “and introducing them to the fun of swimming, has been her fondest ambition since earning her degree in physical education in Denmark in the 1940s.
Original Greta Anderson display in 1969 at ISHOF Museum in Fort Lauderdale
For her life in swimming as Olympic Champion, World Professional Marathon Champion, multiple world record holder from one-hundred yard to fifty miles, businesswoman, teacher and inspiration to men and women around the world. She was inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1964 and the International Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honor Swimmer in 1967, and in 2015, the International Swimming Hall of Fame honored her with the Lifetime Achievement Award
Greta receives ISHOF Lifetime Achievement Award with ISHOF CEO, Bruce Wigo
Don Gambril eBook Provides Comprehensive Look At Legendary Coach’s Life (Purchase Link Included)
by JOHN LOHN – EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
February 7, 2023,
Don Gambril eBook Provides Comprehensive Look At Legendary Coach’s Life (Purchase Link Included)
After years of dedication and hard work, author Burt Kanner, in conjunction with the International Swimming Hall of Fame, has published a book about the life of legendary coach Don Gambril. The work takes an exhaustive look at the life of the Hall of Fame coach, who was a regular mentor in Olympic competition and has been enshrined as an inductee of ISHOF. The book is available in digital format by clicking on the link below. The cost is $10.
Additionally, here is an excerpt from Kanner on how and why the book came together. It is a must read!
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Photo Courtesy: Burt Kanner
In the bestselling book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” written by Stephen R. Covey, the second concept that Covey encouraged is to “Begin with the End in Mind.” So, with that goal set, this book seeks to honor and document the life of one of the world’s greatest swimming coaches, Don Gambril.
The title, “Don Gambril: A Coach with a Heart,” was chosen with a duality in mind. In 1981 coach Gambril underwent quintuple bypass surgery to save his life, while Gambril’s metaphorical heart consistently shows through in the way he connects with his swimmers. There is something very special in this coach’s being that cultivates swimmer’s talents to their potential. To understand Don Gambril, it is helpful to know of his formative years and his family. This is examined in two of the genesis chapters. His years in the U.S. Navy helped set his own course.
Don’s coaching arc was continually rising, as will be detailed in this biography. After success in building the swimming teams at Rosemead, Arcadia, City of Commerce, Pasadena City College; he went to Long Beach State College, elevating its program to national prominence. From Long Beach, it was off to the prestigious Harvard University. The trajectory reached its paramount at the University of Alabama.
Through his career he would develop many world record holders. Gambril would hold the responsibility of coaching 19 national teams. Included would be five United States Olympic teams going to Mexico City, Munich, Montreal, and China (replacing the boycotted Moscow Games in ’80). The ultimate experience would be as the teams Head Coach at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Along this journey, Don would train and develop an endless source of coaches who went on to develop their own careers. This will be explored in a chapter entitled “Gambril’s Mafia.”
The end in mind is to add a historical biography to the annuals of swimming, hoping to give insight into a coach who was treasured by his many swimmers. By delving into the story of a man who raised a wonderful family after a less than ideal youth, we’ll understand better the motivation that empowered him.
By knowing Don Gambril more fully, future coaches will better be able to “stand on the shoulders of giants.” Because of his involvement, Don made the world of swimming and individuals in it better. Hopefully, the book will motivate future swimmers and coaches alike.
Black History Month: We salute NATE CLARK
CLARK: A TRAILBLAZING FIGURE IN COMPETITIVE SWIMMING
Breaking Barriers In Competitive Swimming
As a new generation of Black swimmers make their mark in the competitive swimming arena, there are those who paved the way to make their achievements possible. Nate Clark is one of the pioneering figures who broke barriers in competitive swimming. His induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) will be a historic win for Black and swimming communities.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1943 to Frank Clark Sr., the city’s first Black fire captain and a schoolteacher mother, Clark achieved many firsts in competitive swimming when Jim Crow and segregation dictated the trajectory of African Americans’ livelihoods. He was the first Black swimmer to place in an NCAA championship. He was also the first Black person to receive a full scholarship for swimming at a predominately white institution.
“Nate blazed a path for excellence in the pool and the classroom,” said Ronald B. Saunders, chairperson of the Nathaniel L. Clark Project. “To maintain that level of scholarship — to maintain that level of performance is excellence personified.”
Saunders is leading a campaign to induct Clark into the ISHOF. He is Clark’s childhood friend and a former teammate. Saunders witnessed Clark’s progression as a young star at their local YMCA to his glass-shattering collegiate career and professional pursuits. He was fully aware of Clark’s “prowess and intellectual curiosity” for the sport and in his life. At an early age, Clark and his peers learned that they should not tolerate mediocrity.
“It was stressed that you have to dominate,” Saunders reiterated. “Not only do you have to be good, but you also have to be better.”
Swimming Journey and Accomplishments
This mindset manifested at the Centre Avenue YMCA, where he honed his swimmer skills. Swim coaches Terrence Gorman and Walter Crocker transformed the Center “Y” into a proving ground for up-and-coming talent.
Nate Clark and his teammates practicing at the Centre Avenue YMCA. From left to right: Coach Walter Crocker, Morris Fountain, Ronald Saunders and Nate Clark. c. 1940s-1950s. Photo: Ronald B. Saunders
Clark shone, placing first in the 20-Yard freestyle and second in the 20-Yard backstroke at YMCA swimming meets. Additionally, he placed second once and third twice at AAU meeting events.
Moving to the Beltzhoover area in his early teens, Clark attended Knoxville Junior High and South Hills High School. He trained at the integrated Allegheny YMCA and the YMHA, also known as the Jewish “Y.” He was usually the only Black person on the team, a trend which continued throughout his adolescent and college journey. Clark remained focused on opportunities for advancement in the sport, and he was up for the challenge.
“Because of his excellence, they let him in. If he were just good, they wouldn’t have,” Saunders said.
In 1957, Clark received honors in the Pittsburgh City Junior High School Championship. He competed against his former teammates at Centre Avenue and Herron Hill Junior High. He won the 200-yard individual medley. In 1958, the South Hills student body chose him to represent the United States in three events at the International Swimming Meet between the U.S. and Canada. Therefore, leading him to make the Junior Olympic team. He won the 200-meter freestyle two years later at a Junior Olympic event in North Park, finishing in 2:18 seconds. That same year, he held the record for the 100-yard butterfly until 1973.
Nate Clark pictured with his swimming team at The Ohio State University. c. 1964. Photo: Print File Archival Preservers
A strong academic and athlete, Clark received many scholarship offers. He eventually decided to attend The Ohio State University because of its top engineering and swimming programs. Clark helped Ohio State take home the NCAA championship in 1962 as a sophomore. Receiving awards in two butterfly events, he was the first Black swimmer to achieve this honor, finishing in fifth place. With a time of 2:04.9 seconds, Clark scored in the championship a second time in 1963, placing fourth overall.
Honoring Clark’s Legacy
Unfortunately, his accomplishments received little or no fanfare in mainstream publications over the years. As a result, Saunders is committed to making a change. He made the commitment to make sure Clark gets the recognition he deserves in the sport of competitive swimming. Aquatics is not an anomaly for Black Americans but deeply ingrained in our culture throughout centuries.
Saunders sent a letter to Bruce Wigo in September to support Clark’s nomination. Newspaper clippings and pictures from Clark’s swimming career accompanied the letter. Wigo, who was the former CEO of the International Swimming Hall of Fame and consultant of various aquatic-related organizations and museums, acknowledged the significance of Clark’s contributions and his impact on the racial history of America.
“There are so many issues, but Nate Clark addresses one of them,” Wigo emphasized. “It is symbolic that he came from a program that had a natural tradition in swimming within the Black community, and it was respected. He was respected and went on to become a world-class swimmer.”
Wigo forwarded the letter to several Black swimmers in hopes of gaining more support. Sabir Muhammad, an All-American and first Black American to win a medal at a major international swimming competition, is one of the individuals who received the letter. As a kid, he was a member of the City of Atlanta Dolphins, a predominately Black team with role models that guided them through the sport of aquatics, similar to Clark.
“I think he’s a significant historical person who should be immortalized in the sport via the Hall of Fame,” Muhammad said. “His story is great because of the context of where our country was when he was swimming.”
Jim Crow laws in the South and covert racism in the North limited African Americans’ access to recreational and competitive swimming. Attempts to stop them from using public pools ranged from unnecessary excuses and demands to physical assaults and chemical poisoning of swimming pools Black people swam in.
“The barriers for African Americans to swim in the United States were much, much greater,” Wigo explained. “In terms of facilities and training, it was totally unequal and unbalanced.”
“We had to navigate in a sea of white supremacy, segregation and Jim Crow,” Saunders added. “We weren’t necessarily offered the best pools and the best training grounds.”
Nate Clark’s accomplishments in the sport of swimming prepared the groundwork for others to achieve in a sport that remains predominantly white.
Graduating from Ohio State in 1966, Clark received a Masters and Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago. He worked in venture capital in New York City and Boston. He eventually returned before returning to Pittsburgh, where he resided until his passing in 2010.
“I think it’s incumbent on us to recognize the trailblazers in our sports,” Muhammad expressed. “The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to acknowledge those people that improve our sport, and Nate Clark is an exemplar of that.”
Copied from “Black Kids Swim”. There is a group pushing to get Nate inducted into ISHOF in the Pioneer category. He definitely was a pioneer!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR MASTERS HONOREE JURGEN SCHMIDT WHO TURNS 100 TODAY !!!!
How many people can say they’ve been swimming for more than 80 years? Jurgen Schmidt of Southern California can! Schmidt never gave competitive swimming a thought, until he wanted to be a lifeguard at his high school pool and was told to take a Red Cross water safety course. The year was 1941 and in that class was 1936 Olympic gold medal backstroke champion, Adolph Kiefer. While serving as a Naval officer in the Korean War, Schmidt participated in and won various fleet competitions, and for the next 20 years he swam for the local YMCA to keep in shape.
Jurgen’s first introduction to Masters swimming came in 1973 when he saw an article in the Chicago Times announcing an upcoming National Long Course Masters Meet at the Chicago Circle Campus of the University of Illinois. Inspired, he joined the local Ryall Masters Team. Each morning he had to get up at 4:00 am to travel from his home in Arlington Heights to Wheaton for the 6:00 am workout. After workout, he would then continue to his job in Hillside. It was quite a commitment, but it was worth it. Schmidt placed in the top five in the 50-54 age group and even swam against Doc Counsilman in the 1500m freestyle. And he loved every minute of it! In fact, he loved it so much, that he decided to form Illinois Masters Swimming with the help of friends, Paul Huttinger, Bobbi Turcotte and Frank Havlicek. He says his biggest thrill in Masters Swimming though, was his breakthrough meet at the 1978 USMS Long Course Nationals, where he won four gold medals.
In 1989, Jurgen moved to Lompoc, California to take care of his aging parents who at that time were in their 90’s. During those years, he never stopped swimming or competing and began working out with fellow Masters Honoree, Frank Piemme. The two attended everything from local meets to National Championships together.
In 2013, He was a member of five, 360 plus year old relays that set FINA Masters Long Course World Records. In 2015, Speedo heard about Jurgen and featured an advertising campaign around him, called “Fueled by Water”. When Speedo created the ad campaign, he was 94 and still swimming 2,000 yards, 5-7 days a week. Jurgen figures he has swum over 25, 000 miles over the course of his lifetime.
Masters swimming has been a life saver for Jurgen Schmidt. The camaraderie and many lifelong friendships that he has made during his nearly 50 years in sport are something he will always cherish and never forget.
Jurgen’s tips for longevity are simple:
Eat Well
Sleep Well
Stay Active
Stay Engaged
Count your blessings
And as Schmidt says: “Always remember to breathe!
A very special Happy Birthday to Jurgen Schmidt from everyone at the International Swimming Hall of Fame and all the Masters swimmers around the World!
Thea de Wit, of the Netherlands, a pioneer in women’s water polo, passes away on February 1, 2023
Thea de Wit was inducted into ISHOF as a Contributor as part of the Class of 2005. She was from the Netherlands (Holland) and was a pioneer in women’s water polo. It was a sad day for all of water polo, as Thea died yesterday, January 31, 2023.
Thea de Wit has been the single most important individual responsible for the international acceptance of women’s water polo as an Olympic sport. Her tenacity and persistence in promoting water polo for women on an international level, lead to the formation of FINA and other committees which brought world-wide attention to the sport.
She learned to swim at age eight when World War II began and the German Army occupied the Netherlands. It was another five years until the end of the war when Thea became a member of Hall of Fame Coach Jan Stender’s team, Club ZV De Robben, in Hilversum, playing water polo and swimming. She swam breaststroke and freestyle, but specialized in long distance, swimming the three hour fifteen minute race in the sea at a temperature of 16 degrees celsius (62 degrees fahrenheit). Additionally a club water polo match was played each Saturday somewhere in the Netherlands and for many years her club was the best in the country.
Thea as a teenager, as a member of Coach Jan Stender’s team
Following high school, she trained as a children’s nanny, took courses in short hand and typing and qualified as a swimming teacher. In 1951, at age 18 she became a water polo referee officiating in tournaments throughout the country.
For the next two years, while living in Geneva to improve her language skills, she became the Swiss National Champion in the 100m and 400m freestyle. For another two years living in Ashford, England, she qualified as a nurse. Then it was back to Holland for marriage and the birth of her two daughters.
In 1961, she went back to ZV De Robben to teach children swimming and play water polo, becoming a member of the club Board. The European Cup for men’s water polo had just begun, so she organized her club’s participation. She and her husband had a big radio/TV business which helped raise money for the club, but she wanted to promote women’s water polo. So, in 1975, she became a member of the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation (K.N.Z.B). She heard that the University of Quebec was looking for club teams to play in women’s water polo matches, so in February, 1977, she helped organize two teams from the Netherlands, one from the USA, Australia, Puerto Rico and Canada, create a tournament in Quebec. The tournament was played again, later in the year, in Commerce, CA (USA) with an added team from New Zealand.
Thea then formed a committee that made a proposal to FINA asking if they be allowed to perform a demonstration at the Berlin World Championships in 1978, with national teams from the USA, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Germany. Not only was it accepted, but the tournament attracted considerable attention. During the tournament, FINA Honorary Secretary Bob Helmick nominated Thea as Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer of the Women’s Promoting Committee of FINA. Because women’s water polo was almost non-existent in Europe, it became the region of the biggest challenge. The K.N.Z.B. provided Thea with practical and financial support.
In 1979, FINA President Javier Ostos agreed to the first FINA Water Polo World Cup to be held in the United States, at Merced, California. For lack of participants, this took the form of a double competition. Thea fought to increase the awareness of women’s water polo in European countries by giving press conferences and TV interviews. She always put FINA to the forefront in all activities to convince them that this was a new and developing sport for women. In 1980, the World Cup was in the Netherlands, and in 1981 in Brisbane, Australia. At the 1981 European Championships in Split, FINA President Ante Lambassa, also President of LEN, was persuaded to hold a tournament during the World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador, which became known as the Lambassa Cup.
Thea spoke to the European Congress in Malta in 1982 and at every meeting of FINA as well, to promote women’s water polo and the Promoting Committee. She attended every FINA Technical Water Polo Committee meeting; Thea being the only woman in a room of men talking about the same sport with the only difference being physical strength of the players. Even international referees had difficulty adapting to the difference of men and women. Despite resistance, the World Cup for women was held every two years and in 1985 the first European Championships took place in Oslo as well as the qualifying tournament for the 1986 Madrid World Championships. FINA Treasurer and LEN President Klaas Van der Pol (NED), Jane Hale (USA) and Leanne Barnes (AUS) all gave great support.
FINA Technical Meeting and Press Conference
All the while, Thea was Manager of the Dutch National Team (until 1986) and a member (from 1986) of the Technical European Water Polo Committee. She traveled to all meetings and served as a delegate to evaluate tournament referees and organizers. In 1988, she was elected to the FINA Sub-Committee for Women’s Water Polo. FINA elected her to supervise all aquatic disciplines and organize competition press conferences at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. It was another opportunity to promote women’s water polo.
Thea was instrumental in Russia’s and Greece’s emergence on the international scene. At the 1991 Perth World Championships women’s water polo made great strides, encouraging Thea and others to push the IOC for Olympic water polo competition. Thea was a deck official at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. She started the Junior World Championships in 1996. After a long campaign her dream came to fruition and the 2000 Sydney Olympics held the first Women’s Water Polo Olympic Competition.
Thea remained a member of the FINA Sub-Committee until 1992 receiving the FINA silver pin and the LEN Technical Water Polo Committee until 1995 receiving the gold medal. She has received the K.N.Z.B. highest distinction and is an Honorary Member of Club “De Robben” after having served as vice president for 20 years.
At present there are over 50 countries in the world which have a national women’s water polo championship and some countries, have semi-professional or professional players and leagues. Without Thea, this would not be the case. Thea De Wit, a pioneer in the sport of women’s water polo, will be missed but never forgotten.