ISHOF News Archives - Page 78 of 132 - International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF)

Every day brings new excitement at the Hall of Fame Aquatic Center in Fort Lauderdale!

Photo Credit: Maren Hotel, Ft. Lauderdale Beach

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who knows what will happen tomorrow!

Dara Torres stops by ISHOF for a visit!

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

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

Dara Torres at the top of the tower

Laura Voet and Dale Neuburger

Dara and Meg Keller-Marvin

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

Dara with ISHOF staff

Todd, Kim, Dara, Janet and Mark

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

Dara Torres (USA)

Honor Swimmer (2016)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1986 Honor Diver, Lesley Bush visits ISHOF

Lesley Bush, ISHOF East Museum, February 17, 2022

ISHOF Honoree Lesley Bush Visits ISHOF

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

To read Lesley’s 1986 Induction bio:

Lesley Bush (USA)

Honor Diver (1986)

Lesley Bush, 1964 Olympic 10-meter Champion

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

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

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

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

Caleb Rhodenbaugh

Coach Greg Rhodenbaugh

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

Steve Lundquist

Greg Rhodenbaugh

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

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

Swimming really is a small world…….

Michelle Calkins is One in A Thousand !!!!

Michelle Calkins De Filippi is One in A Thousand.

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

Here is Michelle’s story:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Since 1965, ISHOF has been the global focal point for recording and sharing the history of aquatics, promoting swimming as an essential life-skill, and developing educational programs and events related to water sports. ISHOF’s vision for the future is to build a new museum and expand its reach by offering its museum artifacts digitally through a redesigned website.

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

Marcia Cleveland is One in A Thousand

This might ruffle some feathers but it needs to be brought to everyone’s attention. Unless proven otherwise Marcia Cleveland may be ISHOF’s longest running member! From as far back as I can remember, I have always seen the name Marcia Cleveland coming in regularly to pay her annual membership dues. Not trying to date myself here but I’ve been working at ISHOF for over 30 years, not including when I hung around the pool as a child.

As if she couldn’t impress me anymore, in addition to her annual dues, Marcia joined ISHOF’s One in a Thousand campaign. This initiative is designed to help the Hall of Fame prosper during the COVID pandemic and the construction.

When asked why she donates to ISHOF annually, as well as becoming a member of the One in 1,000 club and what ISHOF means to her, this is what Marcia had to say:

‘When I was 8 or 9, I remember visiting the Hall in Ft. Lauderdale,” Marcia said. “I was in awe of all the honorees as well as the volume of information about aquatics concentrated in one spot. I could have spent days there taking it all in. I knew I wasn’t the type of swimmer who would ever be inducted, but I kept on swimming for the next five decades simply because I loved it. Then one day I got a phone call letting me know I was selected as an honoree into the Marathon Branch. My induction made me realize that all the honorees arrive at the Hall through different channels.”

“Throughout the aquatics world, I’ve always felt the prevalence of decency and goodness,” said Marcia. ”People are approachable and down-to-earth; the commonality of water bridges a lot of gaps.”

“It’s a community like this I choose to support. Throw in my love of swimming and the desire to preserve its history is what has made me an annual contributor to ISHOF for a very long time. To play even a small part in sustaining ISHOF year after year is a simple, easy action and one that truly matters. I invite you to join me in supporting this great organization. “

Marcia Cleveland has been a swimmer all her life. After a successful age group and collegiate career, she began swimming Masters (USMS) in her early twenties. Shortly thereafter, she discovered Open Water Swimming, and the tranquility and challenge it offers.

Marcia enjoys competing in swims and races around the world. She holds the record for the fastest cumulative time for the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown, as you can imagine, is quite an impressive feat. It consists of three swims: the English Channel (Dover, England-Calais, France), the Catalina Channel (California) and the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (New York City). In addition to the triple crown, Marcia ranks second in the Grand Slam Rankings.

On top of the Triple Crown, she has completed many other exciting, yet quite arduous swims: The North Channel (21 miles) for one.

Her book, “Dover Solo” depicts the training and preparation she did for her English Channel crossing. It has become a “must read” for all those who are “serious” open water swimmers. Marcia also runs an informative and comprehensive website, DoverSolo.com, which includes logs for all her marathon swims.

Besides her personal aquatic achievements, Marcia instructs, advises, coaches and certifies water enthusiasts. Since 1995, she has coached open water swimmers, helping a multitude of them successfully achieve major long distance marathon swims. She coaches a USMS/Masters team with over 30 swimmers. Marcia has served on USMS swimming committees and was Chair of the USMS Open Water Long Distance Committee for four years.

Marcia lives in the Chicago, Illinois area with her family, where she currently offers a multitude of services. Those services include personal training, clinics, coaching at all levels, ARC Lifeguard Certification, including CPR, AED and First Aid Training. If you are planning a swim starting from the shores of Dover or Calais, I think we have just the person to train you!

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

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

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

“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

ISHOF Honoree, Jeannette Campbell’s grandson, Tonas Kelly visits ISHOF today, February 2, 2022

Today, ISHOF had a special visit from ISHOF Honoree, Jeannette Campbell’s grandson, Tonas Kelly. Jeannette was inducted into ISHOF as an Honor Swimmer in 1991 and flew in from Buenos Aires to be present for her induction. Jeannette was nearing her 80th birthday. She was a very special woman and we were happy to welcome her family to ISHOF today, many years later

Jeannette Campbell (ARG)

Honor Swimmer (1991)

Jeannette, 1936 Olympian

FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1936 silver (100m freestyle); ARGENTINA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4 (100m freestyle); SOUTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: 4 (100m freestyle).

While Hall of Famer Maria Lenk of Brazil was setting the South American breaststroke and backstroke records, Jeannette Campbell of Argentina was setting the freestyle records.

During the 1930s, women’s sports in South America were in their infancy. The first South American Swimming Championships were held in 1935 in Brazil. Jeanette won the 100 meter freestyle as she did in Uruguay, 1937; Peru, 1938; and Ecuador, 1939. She joins Alberto Zorrilla, 1928 400 meter champion, as one of the finest Argentine swimmers of all time.

Jeanette’s greatest achievement was the silver medal in the 100 meter freestyle at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. She finished second behind Holland’s Hendrika Mastenbroek, who swept all the women’s freestyle events. Holland’s success in the sprint freestyle events began in 1933 when Hall of Famer Willy den Ouden became the first woman to break the one minute mark in the 100m freestyle and held the world record for 23 years.

ISHOF Calling for Paragon Award Nominations

The International Swimming Hall of Fame announces the call for nominations for the 2022 Paragon Awards to be presented at the International Swimming Hall of Fame’s Honoree Weekend, October 14-15, 2022 in Fort Lauderdale. Sponsored by Pentair Aquatic Systems, the awards are presented each year for outstanding contributions and leadership in several swimming and aquatic-related categories.

Candidates may be nominated for the Paragon Awards in the following categories:

Competitive SwimmingCompetitive DivingCompetitive Artistic SwimmingCompetitive Water PoloAquatic SafetyRecreational Swimming

Kindly submit your nominees by March 1, 2022. Please include any relevant data to support your nomination, the aquatic category for nomination, as well as a brief biography of each individual and a high-resolution image.

See more information on the 2021 award winners.

Nominations may be sent to:

Meg Keller-MarvinInternational Swimming Hall of Fame1 Hall of Fame DriveFort Lauderdale, FL 33316Phone: 570.594.4367Fax: 954-525-4031Email: meg@ishof.org

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

About the International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Weekend:

The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Induction Ceremony is shaping up to be a star-studded weekend with multiple events spread out over two days in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Make your plans now to attend the weekend of October 14-15, 2022! Information on purchasing tickets will be forthcoming this Spring! (Get info on membership here.) Can’t attend the event? Donate to ISHOF to support our honorees.

This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame Honorees include:

HONOR SWIMMERS: Michael Klim (AUS), Jon Sieben (AUS), and Daichi Suzuki (JPN)

HONOR DIVER: Matthew Mitcham (AUS)

HONOR WATER POLO: Mirko Vicevic (YUG/MON)

HONOR OPEN WATER SWIMMER: Marilyn Bell (CAN)

HONOR COACH: Ursula Carlile (AUS)

HONOR CONTRIBUTOR: Peter Hurzeler (SUI)

*Several other America/U.S. Honorees will be selected to join the Class of 2022.

*deceased

Celebrated Coach and Longtime Fort Lauderdale resident Terry Carlisle Passes Away

(January 10, 1935 – January 21, 2022)

On January 21, 2022, just a little over a week after he celebrated his 87th birthday, Terry Carlisle of Sonoma, California, passed away. He was a longtime friend of ISHOF, swimming and resident of Fort Lauderdale.

The Carlisle family moved to Fort Lauderdale in 1945, when the patriarch, Malcolm decided to move his family South from Indianapolis. Terry and his brothers, Rusty, and Jack, attended Fort Lauderdale High School, where all three were accomplished swimmers, holding many records, including All-American status. Terry graduated from Yale University in 1955 with an engineering degree and a varsity letter in swimming. He touched many lives as a career swimming coach at the high school and college levels. He was known for his innovative approach to stroke technique and creative workouts.

At the high school level, Terry was a faculty member as well as a coach. He began coaching at his alma mater, Fort Lauderdale High School once he returned home from Yale. He continued on to St. Andrews School, in Boca Raton, just north of Fort Lauderdale. Years later, Terry was inducted into the St. Andrews Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008. St Andrew’s had this to say about their inductee, “Terry was the foundation of the powerhouse that is now Saint Andrew’s swimming.”

While at Saint Andrew’s, Terry also coached Freddie Tyler who later went on to represent the USA in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Terry’s last High/Prep School coaching position was at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, a very prominent swimming school. Terry had an illustrious career as a high school coach, from 1959-1972. He produced 32 All-American swimmers and divers. His teams won the Florida State Boys Swimming Championships in 1964 (St. Andrews School), 1967 (Bolles) and again in 1972 (Bolles). In addition to winning the state championships, thrice, Terry’s teams were runner ups six times. As a coach, Terry was honored by the Florida Athletic Coaches Association as Coach of the Year in 1967 and 1972.

In 1972, Terry decided to pursue a master’s degree from University of Tennessee, Knoxville. During that time, he and ISHOF honoree Ray Bussard helped guide the Mens Vols to a second place finish in the NCAA Championships. After earning his master’s degree in 1973, he was hired by Florida State University as the head coach of the men’s and women’s team. He stayed with the Seminoles for four years. At FSU, he produced six All-America swimmers and won their conference championship, the National Independent Swimming Championships in 1976. In Terry’s second year at FSU, they beat archrival Florida, for the first time in six years.

He was then recruited by the University of Cincinnati, as the head women’s coach, where two of his daughters Shelley and Kim, would spend the bulk of their high school years. In true Carlisle fashion, in 1979, the girls, whose team, the Finneytown Wildcats, won the Ohio State Swimming Championships. The Wildcats were very much the underdogs, with a small team, no pool to call their own, and a team that couldn’t practice together.

It should also be noted that one of Terry’s daughters, Kim, went on to become an Olympian the next year, in 1980, but the U.S. boycotted

Terry ended his coaching career by returning to Knoxville for three years. Where he served as the head women’s coach of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Terry eventually retired and moved to Northern California but not completely, as he volunteered to assist the great ISHOF Honor Coach, George Haines at Stanford from 1986 to 1988.

Even though Terry was living in California, he served on the ISHOF Board of Directors for several years. In the mid-2000’s, when new leadership was hired and the entire Board resigned, Bruce Wigo asked Terry to become part of the new Board of Directors to help ISHOF get back on track.

Terry Carlisle gave his life to swimming and the majority of it occurred in the State of Florida. His parents were involved in the Swimming Hall of Fame from the beginning, and even before. His father, Malcolm Carlisle, who at one time was Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, was on the Hall of Fame committees early on. His father was an integral part when the Hall of Fame was first being decided and planned on. He helped raise money through the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Malcolm was also President of the Florida Swimming Association for several years. Terry’s mother, Dorothy, was one of the original, “Hall of Fame Dames.” The women’s auxiliary group that helped and represented ISHOF at its many functions in the early years. She also organized amateur swimming programs in South Florida. Terry and his brothers, Rusty and Jack, grew up swimming and diving at the original Casino Pool, right on Ft. Lauderdale Beach. The Carlisle family is one of the reasons why ISHOF is here today and the city of Fort Lauderdale was chosen to be its home.

It’s people like Terry and families like the Carlisle’s that helped ISHOF become the institution it is today and helped put South Florida on the map for swimming and training. Of course, the weather doesn’t hurt either!

Terry Carlisle will be dearly missed, but never forgotten.