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Mike Unger Selected as Ben Franklin Award Recipient

Shared from CSCAA

by Michael Tubb

January 13, 2025 — The College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) is proud to announce that Mike Unger, a longtime leader in the swimming community whose work has shaped elite competition, event management, and the global presentation of the sport, has been selected as the recipient of the 2026 CSCAA Ben Franklin Award.

Unger, a standout student-athlete, swam and graduated from the University of Wisconsin. He spent three seasons as an assistant swim coach for the Badgers from 1989–92.

The Ben Franklin Award honors pioneering individuals or organizations whose leadership, innovation, and service advance the integrity of the student-athlete experience. Contributions may be technical, social, economic, or demonstrated through sustained leadership that enhances collegiate athletics and the broader sport ecosystem.

“Mike Unger’s career reflects a lifetime of dedicated service to swimming,” said CSCAA Executive Director Samantha Barany. “His vision, leadership, and behind-the-scenes commitment to excellence, across multiple organizations and on the global stage, have elevated competitive swimming and expanded opportunities for athletes, coaches, and administrators alike. He truly embodies the spirit of the Ben Franklin Award.”

Unger’s influence on the sport spans over three decades. During more than 28 years with USA Swimming, he served in numerous senior leadership roles, including Chief Operating Officer, Assistant Executive Director, National Events Director, Marketing Director, and National Team Coordinator.

In those roles, Unger oversaw the planning and execution of many of the sport’s most significant events, including the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team Trials, the Golden Goggle Awards, the Duel in the Pool, and the Pan Pacific Championships. His work helped elevate both the athlete and fan experience while setting new standards for event presentation and organizational excellence. He also played an important role in USA Swimming’s international relations, strengthening partnerships across the global swimming community.

“Mike Unger has been the backbone of American swimming for the past thirty years. If something important happens in our sport, he has invariably played a role. He is a great leader and innovator, and he cares deeply about our sport, its coaches, and its athletes,” said Dale Neuburger, an internationally respected sports executive, current Treasurer for World Aquatics and former CSCAA Executive Director (1989-1991).

Since 1996, Unger has been deeply involved in swimming’s television and broadcast presence, working closely with NBC Sports and the U.S. Olympic broadcast network. He contributed to television production for seven Olympic Games: Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo, helping bring the sport to millions of viewers worldwide. His work earned three Emmy Awards as part of NBC’s Olympic production teams.

Since 2021, Unger has continued his service to the international sport community as a Senior Advisor with World Aquatics (formerly FINA), where he supports strategic competition initiatives and long-term sport development on a global scale.

“This award recognizes individuals whose leadership produces lasting benefits for our entire sport,” Barany added. “Mike’s career is defined by quiet leadership, thoughtful innovation, and an unwavering commitment to serving swimming at every level.”

Unger’s contributions have also been recognized broadly across the sport. In 2023, he received the USA Swimming Award, the organization’s highest honor for behind-the-scenes service, and was also named a recipient of an International Swimming Hall of Fame Aquatic Award, further underscoring his enduring impact on the swimming community.

CSCAA members can register for the Annual Meetings and Awards Celebration at here. All registrations include a ticket to the Awards Ceremony at Joe’s Live! Questions can be directed to: all@cscaa.org.

Previous Recipients

2025 – Sid Cassidy, North Carolina State University2024 – Kyle Sockwell, Swimming Twitter2023 – John Urbanchek, University of Michigan2022 – Sage Hopkins, San Jose State University2021 – Tim Welsh, University of Notre Dame2019 – John Benedick, Massachusetts Institute of Technology2018 – Kevin Polansky, Announcer & Supporter2017 – Michael Sutton, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges2016 – Brad Erickson, South Dakota State University2015 – Robert Clauson, Innovator2014 – Bill Boomer, University of Rochester2013 – Whit Babcock, Virginia Polytechnic Institute2012 – Brent Rutemiller, Swimming World Publisher2011 – David Roach, Fordham University2010 – Ernie Maglischo, Author/Innovator2009 – Susan Petersen Lubow, Springfield College2008 – Dr. Myles Brand, NCAA President

About the CSCAA

Founded in 1922, the College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) – the first organization of college coaches in America – is a professional organization of college swimming and diving coaches dedicated to serving and providing leadership for the advancement of the sport of swimming & diving at the collegiate level.

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Gertrude Ederle and Her English Channel Crossing

by Ned Denison

15 January 2026

Now that 2026 has arrived, we can embark on a year-long celebration of Gertrude Ederle, who became the first woman to cross the English Channel a century ago.

One hundred years ago, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman and sixth individual to swim the English Channel. Her 1926 time of 14 hours and 39 minutes crushed the previous speed record of 16 hours and 33 minutes. When Ederle returned to New York City, she enjoyed a ticker-tape parade, celebrated by an estimated two million supporters on August 27, 1926. She was a media darling with nicknames of “Queen of the Waves” and “America’s best girl.”

Ederle broke several barriers with her swim. Prior to her achievement, women were generally not accepted in sport and certainly not in endurance sports. She became a media star for many years. Ederle was deaf from childhood measles – and perhaps one of the first famous sporting heroes with a physical disability. On the technical side, she wore a revolutionary two-piece bathing suit and personally designed wrap-around goggles, which were kept watertight with molten candle wax.  Finally, she was born in the USA to a German immigrant butcher and her fame, so soon after World War I, served as a healing moment for both the country and the world.

Ederle’s swimming journey, in the New York City area, benefited from several key initiatives in the sport. The Women’s Swimming Association was fairly new and sanctioned events allowed her succeed at an early age. Swimming had progressed from breaststroke to trudgen to the new freestyle. Her success started in 1917 at age 12, with the 880-yard freestyle. She became the youngest world-record holder in swimming, and in the ensuing years, she set eight more world records and held 29 U.S. national and world records from 100 meters to 500 meters.

Photo Courtesy:

Females were allowed to swim in the Olympics starting in 1912 in Stockholm. Ederle qualified for the 1924 Paris Olympics and won three medals: gold and a world record as the leadoff swimmer on the 400-meter freestyle relay; bronze in the 100-meter and 400-meter freestyle races.  Johnny Weismuiller was the only swimmers to top her three medals with four – including one in water polo. The United States Olympic team enjoyed its own ticker-tape parade in New York City, two years before Ederle had her own.

Ederle decided to turn professional in 1925 before her Channel swims, a common decision in the era of commercial sporting promotions. An early event was her 22-mile (35 km) swim from Battery Park (New York) to Sandy Hook in 7 hours and 11 minutes. This record time held for 81 years. That year, the Women’s Swimming Association sponsored two women, Ederle and Helen Wainwright, for English Channel attempts. Ederle joined a select group of swimmers and coaches at the Channel who were planning and training.  Her coach was Jabez Wolffe (Great Britain) and her support crew was Ishak Helmy (Egypt) – both later inducted into the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame. Jabez made at least 22 unsuccessful English Channel attempts between 1906 and 1913 and was the leading expert on the “waters” while Ishak, after several unsuccessful attempts, finally crossed in 1928.

Ederle’s first crossing attempt was on August 18, 1925. In the interest of safety, Wolffe was worried about her condition and ordered Helmy to pull her out of the water during the swim. Perhaps the coach was right to end the swim or possibly her hearing was an issue. There was also an accusation that she had been poisoned. In any event, Ederle vehemently disagreed with the decision to pull her out of the Channel.

She returned the next year, in 1926, with different sponsors and coach/crew. This time, she completed the 21-mile (33 km) swim from France to England. Already famous, the media attention exploded.

Her fame led to a starring role in a movie, “Swim Girl, Swim.” She competed, among a field of 53 females, in the 10-mile (16.1 km) 1928 Canadian National Exhibition. It was the biggest race of the era in cold, eel-infested waters. Ederle placed sixth. In the longer 15-mile (24 km) men’s race, not a single swimmer completed the tough course. As a professional, Ederle exhibited her skills in theatres, vaudeville circuits, and aquacades. Her last known event was a cameo appearance at Billy Rose’s Aquacade at the New York World’s Fair in 1939.

Ederle, who never married, taught deaf children during her post-swimming career. Her influence on the sport was recognized through induction into the inaugural classes of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (1963) and International Swimming Hall of Fame (1965). They continue to immortalize her achievements. She passed away in 2004 at the age of 98 and there are several other reminders of her greatness:

The annual Ederle Swim in New York.

The Gertrude Ederle Recreation Center in New York City.

A park and amphitheatre in Highlands, New Jersey, where the Aquacade was held.

A New York City sidewalk marker on Broadway just north of Beaver Street, on the left when traveling south.

Kingsdown, England plaque in the pub, “Rising Sun.”

Two annual English Channel Awards: The Channel Swimming Association World Record Two-Way Swim; and the Channel Swimming & Piloting Federation – For the most meritorious swim of the year by a woman.

Gertrude Ederle also was the first female to set an overall speed record in a major marathon. This paved the way for more women to accomplish a similar feat:

Florence Chadwick and Tina Bischoff – English Channel.

Arianna Bridi – Capri to Naples.

Tamara Bruce – Rottnest Channel.

Karen Burton Reeder – Catalina Channel.

Grace “Gracie” van der Byl and Suzanne Heim-Bowen – several speed records.

Marcia Cleveland – Triple Crown.

Penny Lee Dean, EdD – English and Catalina Channels.

Ida Elionsky – Manhattan Island.

Brenda Fisher, BEM – Morecambe Bay

Irene van der Laan – Two-Way English Channel

Michelle Macy – Oceans Seven

Judith de Nijs – Lac St. Jean

Shelley Taylor-Smith – Manhattan Island and Sydney to Wollongong

The sport of marathon swimming has exploded in the past 20 years. Thousands of women who have completed marathon swims will take special notice of 2026, the centennial anniversary of Gertrude Ederle’s record setting English Channel swim.

When ISHOF Honoree Tamas Darnyi Took the 200 IM Under 2:00; Celebrating the 35th Anniversary of a Special Achievement (Race Video)

by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief

13 January 2026

The rich tradition of Hungarian swimming stretches back more than a century, to the days of early Olympians Alfred Hajos and Zoltan Halmay. Most recently, the men’s banner has been carried by Hubert Kos, the reigning Olympic titlist in the 200-meter backstroke. Plenty of stars have filled the years in between, including Laszlo Cseh, the multi-event talent who was recently elected to the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

The greatest Hungarian of them all, however, is widely considered to be Tamas Darnyi. From the mid-1980s to the early 1990s, Darnyi established himself as the premier individual medley performer in the world. After doubling in the IM events at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Darnyi replicated that feat at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. He also earned multiple world titles in the medley disciplines, set several world records and was a European champion in the 200 butterfly.

This week, we celebrate the 35th anniversary of his barrier-breaking performance in the 200-meter individual medley.

On January 13, 1991, while racing at the World Championships in Perth, Darnyi took the 200 medley under the two-minute threshold for the first time. Clocking a time of 1:59.36, Darnyi earned a comfortable triumph over American Eric Namesnik, who secured the silver medal in 2:01.87. More, Darnyi took down the world record of 2:00.11, set by the United States’ David Wharton at the 1989 Pan Pacific Championships.

Barrier-breaking performances hold a special place in the sport. Jim Montgomery will forever be remembered as the first athlete to crack 50 seconds in the 100 freestyle. Natalie Coughlin will always be the first female to go sub-minute in the 100 backstroke. John Naber was the first athlete to touch in 1:59 in the 200 backstroke.

Before Wharton broke the world record, Darnyi set a pair of global standards in the 200 IM. At the 1987 European Championships, Darnyi registered an effort of 2:00.56, and he took the mark lower at the 1988 Olympic Games, where a 2:00.17 outing landed him the gold medal. At the time, it seemed like a 1:59-something performance was right around the corner. Yet, it would be two-plus years until the barrier was broken.

Darnyi sat in second place after the opening butterfly leg, but was in the lead as the swimmers surfaced on backstroke. From there, Darnyi extended his lead, eventually stopping the clock at a point that previously was unattainable. The Hungarian also set a world record in the 400 medley at that edition of the World Champs, going 4:12.36.

The swim stood as the world record for more than three years, until Finland’s Jani Sievinen blasted a 1:58.16 performance on the way to the gold medal at the 1994 World Champs. Sievinen’s world record endured for almost nine years, until Michael Phelps went 1:57.94 at the 2003 Santa Clara Invitational. Within two months, Phelps had gotten down to 1:55.94, and the event was no longer the same.

Darnyi’s sub-2:00 skill in the 200 IM played a major role in his being named Swimming World’s Male World Swimmer of the Year for 1991, and it was a highlight of a career that eventually was recognized with Hall of Fame induction.

‘Butterfly’ Short Film Depicting Life of ISHOF Honoree Alfred Nakache on Oscar Short List (VIDEO)

Photo Courtesy: Sacrebleu Productions

by Dan D’Addona — Swimming World Managing Editor

09 January 2026

A swimming film made the 98th Academy Awards shortlist for Animated Short Film. “Butterfly” depicts the life of Jewish French swimmer Alfred Nakache, who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany and was held captive at Auschwitz, where he lost both his wife and daughter. After surviving Auschwitz, Nakache made a triumphant return and competed in the 1948 Olympic Games.

The film by Sacrebleu Productions is directed by Florence Miailhe and produced by Ron Dyens. It depicts the life of International Swimming Hall of Fame member Nakache, who was born in French Algiers in 1915. He was the top swimmer in North Africa by 1931 and was one of the pioneers of the butterfly stroke.

Nakache was on the French Olympic team in 1936 in Berlin, coming face-to-face with Nazi Germany.

He broke the world record in the 200 breaststroke in 1941, but two years later his family was arrested and sent to Auschwitz. He survived, but his wife and daughter did not.

Swimming was his outlet for his grief, and he returned to the Olympics in 1948.

“Like the flight of the fragile and unpredictable butterfly, life confronts us with its uncertainty and its storms. But Nakache’s life story shows us that it is possible to find the strength to overcome adversity, rebuild oneself, and offer a message of hope to the world, even in the most difficult moments.”

Several pools are named in his honor, including in Toulouse, where Leon Marchand began training.

Photo Courtesy: Sacrebleu Productions

The animation of the movie has a technique where a glass plate is painted with oil paint to create the various stages of movement. The drawings are then photographed by a camera overhead, erased and meticulously transformed. Repeated several thousand times, the method creates an illusion of fluid movement, as water, which is the central element of the film.

“Choosing to talk about water through direct animation in paint was an obvious choice for me,” Miailhe said. “The paintings are transformed little by little and as the transformations take place, I create new images. In this way, the film can be invented according to the materials that emerge during the process of creating movement.”

Miailhe has been directing since 1991. She won a Cesar for best short film in 2020 for “Au Premier Dimanche d’Aout” and a special mention at the Cannes Film Festival for “Conte de Quartier” and has been honored for several other films. Her father fought in the French resistance where he met Nakache.

“I wanted to make the whole film and Nakache’s memories be linked to water,” Miailhe said. “To achieve this, I had to transform one or two episodes from his life. Then we had o ensure the whole ting can be understood, including all the flashbacks. The most difficult aspect of the animation was depicting the repetitive nature of the swimming with an animation technique that doesn’t allow for many loops, as well as depicting the slowness of certain underwater movements.

“I wanted the audience to understand the different symbolisms and the multifaceted nature of water. So each ‘water’ was treated differently: The se, the clear and transparent waters of childhood, the murky waters of the camps, and the sea of lovers.”

ISHOF to Host 61st Annual Honoree Induction Ceremonies, Saturday, May 16, 2026 ~ back in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA

ISHOF is thrilled to announce that it will be hosting its 61st Annual Honoree Induction Ceremony back in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA on Saturday, May 16, 2026. The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is proud to announce its truly international Class of 2026, which will induct 11 Honorees from seven countries. 

This year’s ISHOF Honorees include: three HONOR SWIMMERS: Nathan Adrian (USA), László Cseh (HUN), and Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED); one OPEN WATER SWIMMER: Ferry Weertman (NED);  one DIVER: Tania Cagnotto (ITA);  one WATER POLO PLAYER: Simone Fountain (AUS); one ARTISTIC SWIMMER: Heather Simmons-Carrasco (USA); one MASTERS SWIMMER: Richard Burns (USA); one COACH: Jane Figueiredo (ZIM);  one CONTRIBUTOR: Stephen A. “Sid” Cassidy (USA);  and one PARALYMPIAN: Beatrice Hess (FRA);

HONOR SWIMMERS:

Nathan Adrian (USA) is a three-time Olympian, and five-time Olympic gold medalist who specializes in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle events.  He has won thirty-two medals in major international competitions, twenty gold, seven silver, and five bronze in such competitions as the Olympic Games, the FINA World Championships, and the Pan Pac Championships. A graduate of Cal Berkeley, Adrian is an 11-time individual NCAA Champion, competing for the Bears and was part of the 2010 men’s team championship.

László Cseh (HUN) is a five-time Olympian and six-time Olympic medalist who is so talented, he competed in every stroke and nearly every event in world aquatic competition. He has won 74 medals in international competition, 38 gold, 19 silver and 17 bronze, representing Olympic Games, World and European Championships and one edition of the World Universiade Games. In addition to being a 33-time European Champion, he has set five world records, in the IM, his signature event.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) is a triple Olympic champion, winning the gold medal in the 4 x 100-freestyle relay at the 2008 Olympic Games, and then in London, in 2012, she took gold in the 50- and 100-meter freestyle, as well as a silver in the 400 free relay event. She set most of her world records primarily in the short course (SCM) 50m freestyle and on various Dutch relays, though she still ranks amongst the fastest ever.  She has won an astounding 178 FINA/World Aquatics medals in international competition during her career, 70 gold, 62 silver and 46 bronze.

HONOR OPEN WATER SWIMMER:

Ferry Weertman (NED) is a two-time Olympian, winning the gold medal in the 10km open water swimming event at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.  He claimed his World title in the 10k FINA World Championships in Budapest (Lake Balaton), Hungary in 2017, after taking silver in 2015 in Kazan.  Weertman became the first man to win both the Olympic and World titles in Open Water Swimming.  He is a two-time FINA Open Water Swimmer of the Year (2016 & 2018).

HONOR DIVER:

Tania Cagnotto (ITA) competed in five Olympic Games, eight World Championships, eight World Cups, 31 World Series and 54 FINA Diving Grand Prix’s.  Her performance was progressive, getting better each year beginning in 1999, gaining results in the European Junior Championships, and reaching the top in 2016 at the Rio Olympic Games with a silver and a bronze medal in the springboard events.  Her 3-meter synchronized team was the best in Europe with eight synchro 3-meter gold medals together with teammate Francesca Dallapè and second in the world only to the Chinese teams.

HONOR WATER POLO PLAYER:

Simone Fountain (AUS) was lucky to prolong her career long enough to participate in the inaugural women’s Olympic Games for water polo in Sydney, winning gold at a time when she was regarded as one of the pre-eminent center forwards of her era. Her assist to Yvette Higgins in Sydney 2000 to score the winning goal 1.3 seconds from time against the United States of America (4-3) is legendary in Australian sport. It was the women’s first Olympic tournament.

HONOR ARTISTIC SWIMMER

Heather Simmons-Carrasco (USA) was a vital member of the first Olympic gold medal awarded for the team event in synchronized swimming.  Follow those Atlanta Games, a majority of the USA team stayed together and were undefeated in international team competition. Prior to 1996, Heather and team USA won a total of seven gold medals in major international competitions, including the Olympics, FINA World Championships and FINA World Cups.  Heather began and ended her 18-year artistic swimming career under the auspices of Chris Carver and the Santa Clara Aquamaids. Her USA team golds also included the Pan American Games, French Open, Swiss Open and the Pan Pacs. With the Aquamaids, Heather also won four USA National Team championships as well as the team event at the French and Mallorca Opens.

HONOR MASTERS SWIMMER:

Richard Burns (USA) will be the first Masters Swimmer to be inducted into ISHOF in ten years.  He has competed in 11 age groups, 30-34 through 80-84, which he is currently competing in. He has broken an amazing 97 world records as of December 2024, and those are only his individual WR.  Rich has competed in six different FINA/World Aquatics Masters World Championships, winning 13 gold, eight silver and two bronze medals, again all individual events. There’s more to add when  we start considering his relays.  As of December 2023, Burns had added a mind boggling 3,215 FINA Masters World points.  Rich was inducted into the Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2010. At the time he had amassed 37 FINA World Records. Since then, he has added 60 additional World Records to his count.    

 HONOR COACH:

Jane Figueiredo (ZIM/RUS/GBR) was most recently awardedthe 2024 IOC Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award, “awarded to a coach who has gone above and beyond in assisting their athletes both on the sporting and the personal side, supporting them through their Olympic journeys”.  She was chosen from more than 110 candidatures, nominated by Olympians, International Federations, National Olympic Committees (NOCs), members of the IOC Athletes’ and IOC Athletes’ Entourage commissions, and IOC Members.  Jane has coached 13 Olympic medalists, and in World Championship competition, her divers have over 15 medals.  She has been named World Aquatics Diving Coach of the Year, and she is a five-time NCAA Women’s Coach of the Year.  

HONOR CONTRIBUTOR:

Stephen A. “Sid” Cassidy (USA) has probably done more for the sport of open water swimming than anyone else.  He has served is all aspects of the sport: as an athlete, coach, and race director, but Sid’s greatest influence in the sport has been achieved as the result of his work as chairman of the FINA/WA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee, where he had oversight of the FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit, the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix series and the FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships. Under his leadership, marathon swimming was added to the Olympic program at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and 2012 London Olympics. He was the official starter of the first Olympic 10 km Marathon Swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has helped standardize and professionalize the judging and staging of marathon swims around the world.

HONOR PARALYMPIAN:

BEATRICE HESS (FRA) is a five-time Paralympian, winning a total of 25 medals, 20 of them gold. She has cerebral palsy and competed in the S5 disability classification.  In addition, she has seven (7) world titles and 18 European titles and is the most decorated French Paralympic swimmer.  Hess shot to stardom on her Paralympic debut at the New York 1984 Paralympic Games, earning four gold medals in as many events. From there, she was unstoppable, topping the podium 16 more times before closing the curtain on her career after Athens 2004. Hess was the flag bearer at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

In addition, ISHOF will be officially inducting two Honorees from last year’s class of 2025 that were not able to be with us in Singapore: Coach Gregg Troy (USA), and Swimmers Ryan Lochte (USA)  

Ryan Lochte (USA) is a 12-time Olympic medalist, making him the THIRD-most decorated swimmer in Olympic history, measured by total number of medals, behind only Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.  Lochte’s seven individual Olympic medals rank second in history in men’s swimming, tied for second among all Olympic swimmers.

Gregg Troy (USA) is a three-time Olympic Coach for the USA, 1996, 2008 and 2012.  He has coached many Olympians and Olympic gold medalists including Ryan Lochte, Caleb Dressel and Elizabeth Beisel to name a just few.  He was the Head Coach of the Bolles School, 1977-1997, and the University of Florida Gators from 1998-2018, winning the Women’s NCAA’s in 2010.

Ticket and Hotel information will be forthcoming; We hope to have it by the beginning of February.  Keep checking at ISHOF.org and or any of our social media platforms. 

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: International Swimming Hall of Fame

Instagram: ishof_museum

Twitter:  @ISHOF

Linkedin:  International Swimming Hall of Fame

For more information, reach out to Meg Keller-Marvin at meg@ishof.org or 570.594.4367.

Developers Corner: A New Year’s Update

As the New Year gets underway, the ISHOF redevelopment project is going to start ramping up and changes are going to become more evident with each passing month.

Last month, the Capital Group, along with Hensel Phelps and the City of Fort Lauderdale, celebrated the topping off ceremony for the City of Lauderdale’s Ocean Rescue Headquarters Facility, marking an important milestone in the ISHOF redevelopment project, Phase one. The event was attended by approximately 50 VIP’s, Board Members, City Officials and invited guests. City officials thanked ISHOF and Capital Group for their work on this project, helping the Ocean Rescue, who has been displaced since 2019. This project is a real highlight for the district.  

Now that the Ocean Rescue Building is underway, Phase Two will be the next step in the construction process and will highlight the new Hall of Fame Museum, and the Fort Lauderdale Aquarium. All the below photos are from Phase Two which is the West Building, including the Hall of Fame and the Fort Lauderdale Aquarium.

Developers Corner

We will begin to provide more details in the Developers Corner as the year goes on, but to start out, we just wanted to show some renderings in the early stages. We are very excited about what the future looks like for ISHOF and we think you will be too. Stay connected to ISHOF through the ISHOF newsletter and via our social media. If you have any questions about the project, please feel free to email us at: meg@ishof.org, we will try to answer you in our newsletter articles.

A Very Special THANK YOU to Our Supporters that Donated to ISHOF for our End of Year Giving Campaign~ Especially our FIRST TIME DONORS

On behalf of the Executive Committee, the Board of Directors and all of us at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, we would like to extend a great BIG THANK YOU to everyone that took a moment and donated to ISHOF either for GIVING TUESDAY or for our YEAR END GIVING Campaign.  We raised more money than we anticipated and saw a lot of FIRST TIME DONORS ~ so THANK YOU!!! We cannot do this without your support! Happy New Year!

Abrahams, Richard

Anderson, Elizabeth

Asher, Jane

Atwood, Susie

Beardsley, Craig

Bernier, Sylvie

Berry, Anne

Blavatnik, Alex

Bucha, Sandra

Burns, Richard

Butcher, Rob

Cagnotto, Franco Giorgio

Cassidy, Stephen A. “Sid”

Comfort, Frank

Darnell, Stephen

DeFilippi, Michelle

Dooley, Mike

Dover, Stephen

Dunbar, Barbara

Eggert, Gregory

Ferguson, James

Goodwin, Tony

Gompf, Thomas E.

Hackett, Grant

Hunter, Craig

Kent, Bill

King, Micki

Lezak, Jason

Lezak, Linda

Lincoln, Isabel

Marvin, Stu

Matteson, Jeffrey A. (In Honor of Dara Torres)

McConica, Dr. Jim

McFarland, Steve

Mitcham, Matthew

Mitchell, Terri

Moe Humphreys, Karen

Payne, Gary

Pinciroli, Cristina

The Pedro Pinciroli Family

Plant, Mary T. Meagher

Potter, Cynthia and Lasser, Peter

Powers, Patrick

Pursley, Dennis

Read, Michael

Richards, Dan and Chris (In Honor of Coach Jack Nelson)

Sanders, Summer

Schmidt, Jurgen

Schubert, Mark

Skinner, Jonty

Specht, Bill

Steadman Martin, Nancy

Stein, Sam (In Honor of Bill Lippman, Jr.)

Stock, Tom & Ann

Stoychev, Peter

Thomas, Jay

Thompson, Jenny

Touchton, Helen

Von Saltza Olmstead, Chris

Wilson, Craig

Yudovin, Beth

We still need support, so if you have NOT donated, but would like to, please click here on this link and feel free to share it with any aquatic friends! This is YOUR HALL OF FAME! http://Donate here: https://internationalswimminghalloffame-bloom.kindful.com

A special THANK YOU to all those ONE IN THOUSAND monthly donors who have been donating every month since at least 2023 and 2024.

Abbott, Dana

Burke-Huyette, Michele

Cassidy, Stephen A. “Sid”

Cleveland, Marcia

Day, Nadine KM

Edwards, R. Morgan

Fagan, John

Gagnon, Caitlin

Geoghegan, Jack

Gompf, Tom

Grilli, Tracy & David

Hardy, John

Israels, Denise

Kroeger, Ken

Leonard, John

Lundquist, Steve and Beth

McAllister, Ian

McElroy, Arvel and Linda

Murray, Craig

Osborn, Ashlee

Powers, Patrick

Ryan, Valerie

Rude-Wilson, Janice

Steele, Bob

Vasallo, Jesse

Wigo, Bruce

White, Jill

After the Applause ~ Micki King (USA) 1978 Honor Diver

After the Applause

In our new series, “After the Applause”, each month, we will highlight an ISHOF Honoree and let you know what they have been up to recently.  We begin the new year with an old friend of ISHOF, Micki King, 1972 Olympic Gold medalist in Diving on the 3-meter Springboard and retired Colonel of the United States Air Force.

Micki King (USA) ~ 1978 Honor Diver

For the first month of the Year, January 2026, in our New Series, “After the Applause” we highlight 1978 Honor Diver Micki King.  Micki is a longtime friend of ISHOF and her ties to us go back as far as we can remember.  She attended the University of Michigan and dove for Honoree Dick Kimball, back when women were not allowed to compete in college. (Kimball kept her out of sight and coached her alongside the men when no one was watching);  ISHOF founding Executive Director, Buck Dawson was a Michigan man, and his father-in-law was famed Michigan swim coach, Matt Mann, so Buck and Micki met in the early days of the Hall of Fame, and even before. Then, in 1969, ISHOF started an “International Diving Meet that brought together the greatest divers from around the world and became an event that FINA would eventually take over.  Micki came to Fort Lauderdale every May to dive in that meet, as well as during her college years where she would train during the College Coaches Swim Forum, held at the Hall of Fame Pool.

After Micki’s Olympic diving career ended, she was inducted into ISHOF in 1978, but she always came back to ISHOF and visited. Whether it was for an Honoree Induction Ceremony, the diving meet weekend or another event,  Micki says, she just considers ISHOF home.

For the last two years, Micki has been working tirelessly with author Elaine K. Howley on her biography, “Break of A Lifetime”.  The amount of work these two women put into this endeavor is certainly reflected in the story. 

The book is fun, it’s inspiring, it’s historical, including the adoption of Title IX and what went into making it happen, it’s about behind the scenes at the Olympics, the USOC, and helping athletes get their voices heard! It includes Presidents, Princes, movie stars, famous athletes, and more!

Every young female athlete should have to read this book, so they understand what women before them, women like MICKI KING went through, so that they could enjoy equal rights that they have today.  They take much of what they now experience for granted and don’t know the sort of things Micki King and women like her had to fight for. A MUST READ!

“Break of A Lifetime” was released in December on Amazon. We have added the link below to click on for you to purchase a copy for yourself.  “I have known Micki for 50 years and I thought I knew Micki. I learned so many interesting and fascinating things from this book, I couldn’t put it down”. Her story isn’t just about diving, it’s about persistence, principle, and paving the way for others to achieve their fullest potential. 

You can purchase Micki’s book here: https://www.amazon.com/Break-Lifetime-Micki-King/dp/

READ Micki King’s bio from her 1978 Induction

FOR THE RECORD:  OLYMPIC GAMES: 1968 4th (springboard); 1972 gold (springboard); NATIONAL AAU Diving Titles: 9; NATIONAL AAU Water Polo Titles: 2; CANADIAN NATIONAL TITLES: 2 (1m springboard), 2 (3m springboard); WOMEN’S NATIONAL COLLEGIATE Title (DGWS): 1First woman to compete in the Military International Sports Council Games (CISM); Diver of the year: 1965, 1969, 1972 (springboard); 1969 (platform); First woman coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

1968, at the Mexico Olympic Games, Micki King led all women divers with two dives to go.  Her Olympic gold medal was all but, in the bag, when on dive number 9, a reverse 1 1/2 somersault, she hit the board and broke her arm.  She completed her last dive and finished fourth.  There followed months in a cast, a year of recovery, three more years of getting back in top form, and trying again in 1972.  This time she won.  An Air Force officer and the Air Academy’s first woman coach, Micki missed winning the first woman’s Superstars on the last event when she skimmed and toppled a hurdle for a five second penalty.  She won a National Collegiate swimming title at Michigan and was twice the winning goalie for Ann Arbor at the Women’s National AAU Water Polo Nationals.  An excellent speaker, Micki was also advance person for the Air Force Football Team.

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