On Saturday evening, September 13, 2025, the International Swimming Hall of Fame, along with its wonderful title sponsor, AquaCal, celebrated its annual Aquatic Awards representing six disciplines, with seven remarkable individuals from four different countries around the globe, The USA, Brazil, Great Britain and Canada.
The ISHOF Aquatic Awards are a annual event that celebrate the unsung heroes who make competitive and recreational aquatics possible. These are the people who save lives, promote water safety and further aquatic education around the world. Their devotion to our little corner of the world, their tireless dedication and hours of volunteerism, are done for nothing other than the good of our sports and making our world a little better and safer place. We were proud to welcome and recognize these important individuals at the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Craig Hunter (Great Britain) – Competitive Swimming
Craig Hunter was taught to swim by his two elder brothers during a family holiday in the mid-1960s. His maternal grandmother was a keen swimmer and swam with ISHOF Inductee Jack Hatfield in Middlesbrough, England.
Hunter soon joined the local swimming club where he started his competitive career but only in the summer months. His first medal was won in the boys under 14 years 220yds butterfly at the local championships, when he was just 10 years old.
Some years later when competing in an inter-club competition Hunter was placed second in a race, he and others felt he had clearly won. Complaining to the referee, she told him he was not important in the decision-making process, something he was not happy about! He was encouraged by his father to “get involved”. In 1981 he qualified as a judge, starter and timekeeper, and by 1984 was the youngest nationally qualified referee in Great Britain.
Having gained committee experience in his swimming club, he joined the executive committee of his local county association where he soon became the swimming secretary and team manager.
A diagnosis of testicular cancer in 1986 made Hunter more determined to get involved and make a difference in swimming, sports management and leadership.
In 1989 he undertook his first international team management role (as GB team manager) at the FINA Swimming World Cup, the team featured Olympic medallists and swimmers older than he was! This was the start of his British team management career which spanned 18 years becoming the first professional manager taking teams to Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004 as well as numerous World and European Championships. During this time, he was also the secretary of the technical swimming committee for Great Britain.
In 2007 he joined the Board of British Swimming as an independent director, a role he held until 2017. He was responsible for leading the review of the British swimming team’s disappointing performance at the London 2012 Olympic Games, working with Hall of Fame coach Bob Bowman.
Recognising his organisational and leadership skills, the British Olympic Association appointed Hunter as the programme director of Britain’s Olympic Ambition 2012 preparing athletes and coaches from all sports for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Following the successful roll-out of the programme in Beijing 2008, he was asked to take on the role of Chef de Mission of the England team for the 2010 Commonwealth Games with a team of 500 athletes and support staff. This proved to be one of the most challenging sporting events ever held and at the same time, truly memorable.
Hunter was appointed the Chef de Mission of the British Paralympic team for London 2012. Leading Britain’s largest-ever Paralympic team, he introduced Olympic ideals and standards into Paralympic sport with the team winning 120 medals, finishing third in the medal table.
During this time, he had joined the European Aquatics (formerly LEN) technical swimming committee as well as re-joining the FINA swimming referees list which saw him regularly refereeing championships in Europe and officiating on the world stage. He became the Vice Chairman in 2016 and became Chairperson in 2020, a role he continues to hold.
Following his role as an international technical official at the Rio 2016 Games, Hunter was appointed to the World Aquatics (formerly FINA) technical swimming committee as a member in 2017. He was a referee at the Tokyo 2020 Games, following which he became Vice Chair of the TSC. In 2022, following the retirement of Carol Zaleski, he became the TSC chairperson, a role he currently holds.
He is passionate about fairness for athletes, encouraging the wider use of video judging at elite swimming competitions, as well as encouraging and mentoring swimming officials to be the very best.
Hunter has been with his supportive and understanding partner Nick for over 35 years enjoying life in both London and skiing in the French Alps.
Ana Maria Lobo (BRA) – Artistic Swimming
The dream of becoming an artist and dancer began in Ana Maria Lobo’s childhood, as music and dance had always been a part of her life. During vacations at her grandmother’s house in the countryside of Minas Gerais, Brazil, she had the freedom to explore her artistic talents and express herself through dance and singing.
Lobo’s sporting journey began in swimming, at Fluminense Football Club, in Rio de Janeiro, as a treatment for asthma. At the age of 15, she witnessed an event that would change her destiny: a pianist played while an athlete performed graceful movements in the pool. In that moment, Ana Maria discovered her vocation for what is now known as Artistic Swimming.
As an athlete, Lobo won a bronze medal at the 1963 Pan American Games, marking the first international participation of a Brazilian team in synchronized swimming. More than a personal achievement, this journey allowed her to introduce the sport to Brazil, coaching top-level teams at Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, Clube Paineiras do Morumby. She would eventually serve as the first coach of the Brazilian national team. Her knowledge and dedication to the sport was so prolific, she was invited by the Brazilian Aquatic Federation to restructure Artistic Swimming in her country. Her coaching credentials extend back to 1964 and even today Lobo is coaching a Masters Artistic Swimming team at Clube de Regatas do Flamengo.
Later, Lobo became a judge for the International Swimming Federation, officiating at the Pan American Games (1989-2005), CONSANAT- Confederación Sudamericana de Natación (1983-2005), FINA/World Aquatics (1991-2005), five editions of the Olympic Games, as well as numerous world and South American championships.
Lobo was a member of the Artistic Swimming Technical Committee at CONSANAT(1991-1998) and was also a member of the World Aquatics Artistic Swimming Technical Committee (1992-1996).
This passion for the sport also influenced her family, with Lobo’s daughter and granddaughter, Cristiana and Maria Clara Lobo, becoming Olympic athletes.
Throughout Ana Maria Lobo’s career as a coach and judge, she has consistently pursued innovation and excellence, and has come to understand the processes, protocols, and hierarchies that govern the sport both in Brazil and internationally, hoping to contribute to the growth and development of Artistic Swimming in the country and around the world.
Bret Beecher Bernard (USA) – Water Polo
Bret B. Bernard and his twin sister, learned to swim via the American Red Cross in Newport Beach, California, where they grew up. More interested in surfing, sailing and just having fun, Bret did not compete in swimming until his freshman high school year, when something called water polo caught his attention.
As a player Bernard was a multi-time USA Water Polo, AAU, NCAA and High-School All-American, on a Championship team at all levels. As captain of Corona del Mar high school, it was the only team to ever to win three aquatics (water polo, swimming relays and swimming) championships in the same academic year, his senior year. In college, while at the University of California at Irvine, his water polo team won one NCAA Championship and placed second three times. Bernard played for the Men’s USA National Team for nearly a decade and was an alternate to the 1972 Olympic Games, retiring in 1980 with the boycott of the Moscow Games.
Bernard has been called upon to whistle every major water polo championship in existence, from three editions of the Olympic Games to World Championships, World Cups, to Junior Worlds, and everything in between. Domestically, Bernard has worn the whites for every conceivable USA Water Polo Championship, including Junior Olympics and National Championships. He also officiated numerous collegiate men’s and women’s championships, including an incredible 14 straight Men’s NCAA Championship (final) games and 10 straight for the women.
He has also made great contributions to the organizational advancements of USWP serving and chairing a variety of committees, including finance, law and legislation, and national referees amongst others. Bernard served on USA Water Polo’s Executive Committee for 15 years, served as its Treasurer from 1988-90, Vice-President from 1990-96 and President from 1996-2001. He continues to serve USWP as a long-standing member of its Hall of Fame Committee and special advisor. He has served on the USOC Board of Directors for 14 years, its Finance Committee for six years, and its restructuring committee.
Internationally Bernard was the first and only non-European President of the International Water Polo Referees Association and served for six years as its Vice-President and on its Executive Board for ten years. He also served on the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee for five years.
Bernard was the first director of water polo officials for the NCAA, formulating and serving in that position for five years. Since he has continued to serve water polo as a member of the USWP Technical Committee as well as assisting every men’s and women’s collegiate water polo conference as a TC member and referee’s evaluator for over the last 18 years.
Bernard has been inducted into numerous Halls of Fame, including USA Water Polo, as well as his high school and college, and was honored many years ago with the Bill Smith Award. In recognition of his many contributions to Water Polo officiating, USWP’s highest award (for outstanding refereeing at elite competition levels) was named in honor of him.
Bernard had spent the last two decades in service to non-aquatic endeavors focusing on his two sons, Tanner and Hunter, who he calls “his greatest achievements” and what they have accomplished, the memories they have created and who they have become ~ it’s what he is most proud of.
Mick and Sue Nelson (USA)– Recreational Swimming
In 1972, Sue and her husband, Mick Nelson, embarked on a remarkable journey by founding their own swim club and constructing an indoor facility in Danville, Illinois. Their vision expanded in 1974 with the creation of Nelson’s Swim Supply, a thriving retail and wholesale business specializing in pool, spa, and aquatic equipment.
By 1982, they took another bold step by establishing NSS Inc., which provided design, construction, and consulting services to the aquatic industry. In 1994, they achieved a groundbreaking milestone by launching WaterWay Therapy Inc., one of the nation’s first privately owned and Medicare-approved outpatient aquatic physical therapy centers. Theircommitment to wellness continued in 2001, with the Poolside Health & Wellness Center. This vibrant hub housed the USA Swim Club, WaterWay Therapy, and the Swim America learn-to-swim program, serving as a vital community health and wellness center.
In 2004, USA Swimming hired the Nelsons to create a facilities department to assist their membership with building new aquatic centers, renovating existing pools, and program facilities to become financially sustainable. They moved to Colorado Springs in June 2004, and Sue began working as a Programming Specialist providing resources and information for members, and Mick, became the Club Facilities Development Director, There, they created the concept of “The 4 Pillars of a Sustainable Aquatic Facility. In 2005, they created the Build A Pool Conference to help others figure out “what they needed to know” about building and operating an aquatic facility.
In 2020, Mick and Sue retired from USA Swimming and formed Total Aquatic Programming LLC. Recognized in Aquatics International’s “Top Professionals Issue “ 2022 and they both are CMAHC Ambassadors.
An important role Mick Nelson has also worked on to benefit all of us in aquatics, is collecting drowning data from across the country, as part of a longstanding partnership with the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. Mick realized, while attending the NDPA conventions, just how important drowning statistics were, and that the only place that had the statistics was the CDC. But unfortunately, at the time of release, the data was already two years old. The process of updating this date involves approximately 1,100 man-hours per year plus the cost for programs and support. New drowning statistics are posted at the beginning of every month, and all data is housed online and is accessible 24/7. Sue says “It’s also a tool for aquatic programming that we use to show the value of providing adult swim lessons,” who noted that adults account for at least 63% of drowning victims. “We can take these statistics to the community to show them that it’s worth spending tax dollars and bonds on supporting aquatics facilities.”
Mick and Sue Nelson have not only influenced the sustainable development of hundreds of pool projects, but their “Save-A-Pool” efforts have kept aquatic facilities in danger of closing viable – increasing the opportunity for recreation swimming across the United States. They provide expert advice to anyone from individuals to working with municipalities, private businesses and even major public-private projects. The scope of projects they have been involved in are unmatched by anyone in the industry.
The Nelsons have mentored so many in the industry, have held volunteer leadership positions on numerous boards and advisory councils, presented at dozens of aquatic industry conferences and consistently nominated others for awards. Their knowledge, wisdom and guidance are immeasurable. They have continually given back to the aquatics community, and now we thank them.
Lisa Zarda (USA) –Aquatic Safety
Lisa Zarda is a passionate advocate for water safety and a transformative leader in the learn-to-swim industry. Since 2017, Zarda has served as Executive Director of the United States Swim School Association (USSSA) and during that time, she has made significant progress in promoting drowning prevention, raising awareness, and advancing the profession of swim education across the country.
Under Zarda’s leadership, USSSA has experienced remarkable growth, but her impact goes far beyond numbers. She has been at the forefront of building national partnerships that elevate the visibility and credibility of swim schools as essential community resources. Her efforts led to the USSSA member directory being featured on high-profile platforms such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and WebMD—amplifying the reach of vital water safety information to families nationwide.
A champion advocate, Zarda implemented a government relations strategy that united volunteers and lobbyists to support legislative efforts in water safety education. One of her most meaningful accomplishments was working with members of the New York Water Safety Coalition to successfully pass a first-of-its-kind bill to educate new parents on water safety, marking a critical step toward reducing childhood drowning rates.
Zarda, together with numerous volunteers, led the development and launch of a pioneering swim instructor certification program, raising the bar for teaching standards and ensuring instructors are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to create safer learning environments. She has overseen the delivery of impactful conferences, workshops, and virtual training programs to support continued education and professional development for swim school owners and instructors alike.
She built a professional, transparent, and accountable organizational culture to optimize operations and better serve members. Along with a strong team of board members, this has enabled the Association to remain agile, member-focused, and highly effective—even while operating virtually.
Zarda’s dedication to water safety extends beyond her role at USSSA. She has contributed to national coalitions such as the Aquatics Coalition and Water Safety USA, collaborating with peer organizations to come together on drowning prevention and aquatic education issues. In 2021, she was honored with the Guiding Light Award from USSSA, recognizing her exceptional leadership and lasting contributions to the industry.
She holds a Certified Association Executive (CAE) designation and is a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP). She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Exercise & Sports Science from Carthage College with an emphasis in Recreation Management and a minor in Business Administration.
Zarda has served in volunteer leadership roles with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Arizona Society of Association Executives (AzSAE), and completed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace certificate from the University of South Florida.
Lisa lives with her husband and two children in Cave Creek, Arizona. A dive mom herself, she is deeply committed to the life-saving importance of swim education— professionally and personally.
Mitch Geller (CAN) – Competitive Diving
Mitch Geller has been a transformative figure in the world of diving, both in Canada and on the global stage, for over four decades. Renowned for his visionary leadership, coaching excellence, and innovative contributions to the sport, Mitch’s career has shaped the trajectory of Canadian diving and left a legacy internationally.
From 1998 to December 2024, Mitch served as the Chief Technical Officer for Diving Canada, overseeing the design and execution of high-performance programs that elevated Canadian divers to elite global status. Under his guidance, Canada achieved an unprecedented run of podium finishes at seven consecutive Olympic Games, cementing the nation’s reputation as a diving powerhouse.
Mitch’s influence extends beyond borders. Since 2017, he has served on World Aquatics’ Technical High Diving Committee and chaired the High Diving Development Subcommittee, playing a key role in shaping the evolution and global standards of high diving. He was also instrumental in creating an international judging analysis system, later adopted by FINA, now World Aquatics, that remains a cornerstone for performance feedback and judge development today.
In 2024, Mitch transitioned into a new leadership role as Director of Special Projects at Duraflex International. Here, he continues to drive innovation in diving technology, focusing on expanding product lines and developing state-of-the-art training equipment to support the next generation of athletes.
Geller’s roots in the sport trace back to his time as a competitive diver. He was a member of the Canadian National Team from 1978 to 1983 and held the title of Canadian National 3-meter Champion. His career included professional high diving performances around the world, and he set a Canadian high diving record with a reverse double somersault from a height of 38 meters.
As a coach from 1986 to 1997, Mitch produced numerous national champions and international medalists. From 1986 to 1993, he led the Thunder Bay Diving Club, transforming it into the top program in Canada and developing half the national team from a remote Ontario town. In 1993, he was recruited to Victoria, British Columbia, to manage the diving events for the 1994 Commonwealth Games and to establish the Pacific Coast Diving Club, Canada’s first privately operated diving club, which quickly rose to national prominence.
Geller also brought diving to the public as a color commentator for CBC, covering international competitions including the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. As competition manager for the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montreal, he introduced groundbreaking presentation styles that continue to shape the sport’s public appeal.
With a career defined by excellence, innovation, and impact, Mitch Geller remains a driving force in diving, continually pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the sport.
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