The International Swimming Hall of Fame Announces 2018 Paragon Award Recipients

Sponsored by Pentair Aquatic Systems, the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) announced today the recipients of the 23rd Annual Paragon Awards.  The Paragon Awards are presented annually to individuals or organizations for outstanding contributions to aquatics in six categories. This year’s recipients are Frank Busch for Competitive Swimming; Bob Corb for Water Polo; Dr. Ben Rubin for Competitive Diving; Jill White for Aquatic Safety; Jennifer Gray for Synchronized Swimming and David Bell for Recreational Swimming. This year’s awards will be presented onFriday evening May 18, 2018, in ceremonies at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.

“Pentair is honored to be associated with the International Swimming Hall of Fame and to recognize leaders in the aquatic industry who play a prominent role in the promotion of aquatics”, said Jim Drozdowski, Institutional Aquatics Sales Manager for Pentair Aquatic Systems.

“The annual Paragon Awards bring some of the most interesting and fascinating people each year to the Hall of Fame,” said ISHOF CEO Brent Rutemiller. “These are the unsung heroes who make competitive and recreational aquatics possible, who save lives, who promote water safety and further aquatic education.“

The Paragon Awards are part of ISHOF’s 54th Annual Hall of Fame Honoree Weekend, May 18-20. For ticket information visit www.ishof.org or call 954-462-6536.  For more information about the Paragon Awards, see: Paragon Awards

2018 Paragon Award Recipients:

Competitive Diving

• Dr. Ben Rubin (USA)
Dr. Ben Rubin became involved in the sport of diving 40 years ago, when he became the team doctor for the Mission Viejo Natadores in California.  As an Orthopedic Surgeon, he cared for the athletes on the team and as his expertise in diving injuries became more widely known, he began treating athletes from other diving teams from around the country.  During this time, Dr. Rubin began working with USA Diving and was asked to assemble the first ever Sports Medicine Team to provide treatment and care for the U.S. National Team and all the athletes participating in the National Championships, as well as at the World Championships and the Olympic Trials.  Rubin’s Sports Medicine Team was one of the best, if not THE best group of experts ever assembled.  At the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, Dr. Rubin served as the physician for the USA teams.

Synchronized Swimming

• Jennifer Gray (GBR)
Jennifer Gray has served as the National Development Officer for the Amateur Swimming Association for Synchronized Swimming and Diving. She is one of the most widely published authors for synchronized swimming, having published nine books on the sport, one in collaboration with Istvan Bayli, “Long Term Athlete Development for Synchronized Swimming”.  Jennifer is one of the most sought out presenters at conferences on synchronized swimming for both judges and coaches. Her presentations applying Laban’s Theories of Movement to synchronized swimming were the first of their kind.   She has been a valued member of the FINA Ad Hoc Committee on Degrees of Difficulty since its creation in 1987. Gray has conducted clinics for 23 national associations and 24 FINA/LEN clinics. She has conducted clinics on every continent.  She has judged or refereed at the FINA World Championships, Junior World Championships, World Masters Commonwealth Games, Goodwill Games and at the Olympic Games in Beijing. And in addition, she is a FINA Evaluator.

Water Polo

• Bob Corb (USA)
Bob Corb is a former water polo official who is now responsible for the education of all varsity officials working for the NCAA.  For the past ten years, Dr. Corb has used his background as an official, training as a psychologist, and his education in athletic administration to create a national program whose goal is to improve the overall quality and consistency of officiating throughout the country.  As the NCAA national coordinator of officials for both the men and women’s water polo, his initiatives in support of this goal has included the development and growth of the National Evaluator Group (NEG), currently consisting of twenty members across the US with a combined 750+ years of water polo experience.

Competitive Swimming

• Frank Busch (USA)
Frank Busch was the National Team Director for USA Swimming from 2011 through 2017.  Prior to that appointment, Busch had a 31-year coaching career, leading his collegiate and club teams to national championships seasons.  After his hiring at the University of Arizona in 1989, Busch went on to win Division I titles at both Men and Women’s National Championships. During his coaching years, Busch was named to numerous coaching staffs for USA Swimming, including Athens 2004, and Beijing 2008.  In addition to his contributions to American swimming, Busch has coached athletes from over a dozen other countries to international success.  Busch has been the recipient of multiple coaching awards including United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and USA Swimming Coach of the Year.  He is a six-time NCAA Division I Coach of the Year and earned the Pac-10 Conference Coach of the Year award 11 times.  He was inducted into the American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA) Hall of Fame in 2008.

Recreational Swimming

• David Bell (USA)
David Bell has been a contributor to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) national aquatics program for over 40 years.  He became an instructor trainer for BSA camp aquatics directors in 1974 and continues to teach at those week-long schools.  The hundreds of adults he has trained have in turn provided safe swimming programs for tens of thousands of youth.  He has been an Aquatics Specialist on the BSA National Health and Safety Committee since 1996 and became a Charter Member of the BSA National Aquatics Task Force in 2005.  He was a major contributor in the redevelopment of the BSA Lifeguard professional lifeguard certification in 2008.

Water Safety:

• Jill White (USA)
Jill White is an internationally recognized safety, risk management, and training specialist in the field of aquatics. She is the co-founder of the Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI) – a certification agency for lifeguards, swimming instructors and pool operators – and a managing partner of StarGuard Elite (SGE) – a provider of training, aquatic risk prevention, and operational support services to waterparks, the cruise industry, and aquatic venues in the U.S. and international locations. A frequent speaker at industry conferences and the author of numerous publications, Jill was recognized by Aquatics International magazine as one of the “Power 25 of the last 25 years” for her contributions and influence in the field, was selected to the World Waterpark Association Hall of Fame, and is a recent recipient of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance Lighthouse Award.

—————–

About Pentair Aquatic Systems: Pentair Aquatic Systems is a world-wide leader in the manufacture of residential and commercial swimming pool equipment including PARAGON™ Competitive Starting Platforms, which have been the leader in innovation, design and quality for over 50 years. Pentair is a proud sponsor of the ISHOF “Paragon Awards” since 1996. For more information about the Paragon Awards, see: http://www.ishof.org/awards/paragon.html

About ISHOF:  The International Swimming Hall of Fame, founded in 1965 and recognized by FINA, the international governing body for aquatic sports, is a not-for-profit educational organization. Its purpose is to; Preserve swimming history, Celebrate the heroes and to educate the public about the benefits and importance of swimming as a key to water safety, fitness, good health, quality of life, and to Inspire Swimming For All, Swimming For Life!” . For more information about ISHOF, see www.ishof.org

Laurie Marchwinski Becomes Chief Operations Officer For International Swimming Hall of Fame

Laurie Marchwinski New Chief Operations Officer for International Swimming Hall of Fame

Laurie Marchwinski has been promoted to Chief Operations Officer (COO) for the International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Marchwinski has been a long-time employee for ISHOF with over 37 years of experience. She started out as a graphic artist in 1981 and has successfully evolved to being responsible for the coordination of various ISHOF departments including special events, marketing, visual communications, building operations, maintenance, retail and product fulfillment. Marchwinski’s background in graphic design has been one of her greatest contribution to ISHOF. Her everyday use of those skills and eye for detail is readily seen throughout the ISHOF museum.

“Laurie is comfortable working with people of all levels and has an excellent approach to solving problems and developing business processes.  She has proven people management skills, with the ability to motivate staff on an individual and team level.  Laurie has repeatedly shown an exceptional ability to organize and manage multiple projects at one time.  I have been impressed from day one with her business acumen, dedication, work ethic, and passion for the Hall of Fame,” said Brent Rutemiller – CEO for ISHOF.

Marchwinski will be overseeing the day-to-day operations of ISHOF as its COO and will be working directly with Rutemiller who is in the process of merging operations with Swimming World Magazine.

The ISHOF team is currently focused on the May 18-20th, 54th International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony where over 350 people have already committed to attend.

Amanda Beard To Be Inducted Into The International Swimming Hall of Fame

Amanda Beard, a seven-time Olympic medalist (two gold, four silver, one bronze) will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2018 during the Honoree Induction ceremonies in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 19, 2018.

Growing up in Southern California, Amanda Beard loved swimming and spent almost every waking hour at the pool during the summer months.  When her older sisters joined a swim team, she became the team’s cute mascot until she was old enough to join them.

When she started serious training as an 11-year old, no one could have imagined that this California girl, whose role model was the flamboyant bad boy of basketball, Dennis Rodman, would become America’s best female breaststroker at the tender age of 13. Training under coach Dave Salo at Novaquatics Swim Club, her progress was so meteoric that she skipped Junior Nationals, jumping directly from competing against 12-year-olds to the Senior Nationals.

In 1995, Amanda stood a little over 5 feet tall and weighed 90 pounds dripping wet. So slender as to appear fragile, yet she was tough enough to win her first U.S. national title and qualify for the Pan-Pacs, where she won silver and bronze medals. She also broke a couple of meet records held by the great Tracy Caulkins.

In 1996, Amanda arrived in Indianapolis for the U.S. Olympic Trials slightly taller, slightly heavier and holding a teddy bear she would carry to the starting blocks for good luck.  She returned to California to a hero’s welcome after qualifying first in both breaststroke events, with times that made her a favorite to win three medals in Atlanta.

Four months later, when she made her Olympic debut in the 100-meter breaststroke, she didn’t disappoint.  Swimming from lane five in the finals, Amanda went from next to last at the half-way mark to next to first, to finish just behind Hall of Famer, Penny Heyns, in American record time.  Amanda would leave Atlanta with a second silver in the 200-breast and a gold medal for the 4 x 100 medley relay.

After the 1996 Atlanta Games, Amanda became a darling of the media. She had breakfast with Dennis Rodman and appeared on the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno. Unfortunately, she also suffered from the post “Olympic blues.” To make matters worse, she was dealing with her parents divorce while going through physical maturity at the same time. Experiencing a four-inch growth spurt and its accompanying extra pounds, she struggled to reach the same speeds that had once come so easily when she was shaped more like a torpedo. In 1997, sportswriters started to wonder if she would ever do anything great in swimming again. Unfortunately, she would later say, it was the same negative loop she was playing in her own head, and she was literally drowning from the pressure of expectations.  So, right after Nationals, Amanda decided to quit swimming permanently. Dave Salo supported her in her decision, but left it open-ended, and said if she ever wanted to come back, she would be welcomed. Luckily, her sabbatical only lasted a few months.  When she decided to return, she did it for a healthy lifestyle, she told herself.  More importantly, she wouldn’t concentrate on her signature events, she would mix it up, do her own thing. She wouldn’t put all that pressure on herself.

By 1999, Amanda had regained her spark. She was adjusting her technique to suit her new physique and was one of the nation’s most sought-after college recruits.  Her choice was to swim for coach Frank Busch at the University of Arizona and when she joined the team in the fall of 1999, she was 5 feet, eight inches tall and weighed 120 pounds.

In 2000, Amanda was considered an underdog to make her second Olympic team. At the Trials, she finished a disappointing eighth in the 100-breast, but the 200 was her best event.  When she looked at the scoreboard after that race, and realized that she finished second to Megan Quann and had qualified for Sydney, she literally shook with excitement.  Once again, she resembled the adorable youngster who had won three medals in Atlanta.

In Sydney, Amanda struggled, recording the eighth fastest time in both the prelims and semi-finals, which put her in lane eight for the final.  In five days of competition, no swimmer in lane eight had won a medal and she was a full second from the 6th place qualifier.  But after a pep talk from coach Busch, Amanda did it.  In fourth place at the 150, she put on a painful burst of speed over the final ten meters to capture the bronze medal by .01 seconds.

It took almost three very difficult years for Amanda to adjust to her new body. When she finally did, she was almost unbeatable. In 2002, she won double gold at the Pan-Pacs. In 2003, she won gold in the 200-meter and silver in the 100-meter at the FINA World Championships.  At the 2004 US Olympic Trials she qualified for four events, while breaking the world record in the 200-meter breaststroke.

In Athens she finally won her first individual gold medal when she won the 200-meter breaststroke in world record time.  In the 200-meter individual medley, she won silver while setting a new American record. She won a second silver medal for the 4 x 100 medley relay and finished fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke.

After Athens, she embarked on a mission to turn herself from Olympic Champion into a lucrative brand name.  Her life out of the pool was not without its challenges, as she describes in her 2012 memoir, “In The Water, They Can’t See You Cry.” Still, she had enough talent and toughness to train seriously for a few months and qualify for her fourth Olympic appearance, in Beijing, in 2008, at the age of 27.  At the final team training session, Amanda was elected to serve as one of three co-captains of the women’s Olympic swimming team.  Although she placed a disappointing 18th in her signature 200-meter breaststroke event, she provided a role model for younger members of the team.

Photo Courtesy: Peter Bick

In 2009, Amanda married her soul mate, Sacha Brown, who she credits for encouraging her to seek therapy.  In September of that same year, Amanda gave birth to their first child, a son, Blaise.  After giving birth, she came out of retirement to swim in the 2010 Conoco Phillips National Championships. She had just hoped to be respectable, but finished second in the 200-breaststroke and qualified for the Pan-Pacs, once again. This success led her to continue training for a chance to reach her fifth Olympic Games in 2012.  After finishing fifth and failing to make the team, she retired again, and in 2013, she gave birth to a daughter, Doone Isla Brown.

Last year, Beard opened the Beard Swim Co., a learn to swim company, out of Gig Harbor, Washington.  Recognized for Excellence by the International Swimming Hall of Fame, The Amanda Beard Swim School believes the ability to swim is one of the greatest gifts a parent can give to a child.

About The International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

Photo Courtesy: ISHOF

The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Induction Ceremony is shaping up to be a star-studded weekend with multiple events spread out over three days in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Make your plans now to attend the weekend of May 18-20, 2018! ISHOF Members can purchase the Weekend Package and save!

This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame honorees include Swimmers: Rebecca Adlington (GBR), Amanda Beard (USA), and Libby Trickett (AUS); Water Polo Player: Brenda Villa (USA); Contributor: Andy Burke (USA); Diver: Irina Lashko  (USSR, RUS, AUS) ; Coach: Bill Sweetenham (AUS); Synchronized Swimmer: Miho Takeda (JPN);  Open Water Swimmer: Petar Stoychev (BUL); and Pioneer Synchronized Swimming Contributor: Joy Cushman (USA). Ian Crocker (USA) was a part of the Class of 2017, but was unable to attend the induction due to Hurricane Harvey.  We will be officially celebrating his induction as part of the class of 2018.

The Paragon Awards and ISHOF Awards will be presented of Friday of the same weekend

2018 Paragon Award and ISHOF Award Recipients:

• Frank Busch for Competitive Swimming
• Dr. Ben Rubin for Diving
• Bob Corb for Water Polo
• Jennifer Gray for Synchronized Swimming
• David Bell for Recreational Swimming
• Jill White for Water Safety
• Anthony Ervin and Constantine Markides – Buck Dawson Author Award: “Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian”
• Gay DeMario – ISHOF Service Award
• Lana Whitehead – Judge G. Harold Martin Award
• Johnny Johnson – Virginia Hunt Newman Award
• Kathy Bateman – John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award
• Bob Ingram – Al Schoenfield Media Award

Additional Events

• • Swim Across America Fundraiser for Cancer Awareness 8-11 AM at the Hall of Fame Pool
  • ISHOF Clinic for Kids produced by Fitter and Faster with Olympian Cammile Adams 11AM to 2 PM Hall of Fame Pool

Reserve Your Hotel Rooms and Purchase Your Tickets Today

May 18-20, 2018 HOTEL INFORMATION

• Host Hotel: Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa

  Four and a half star upscale retreat with private beach access, two pools, four restaurants, full service spa and Oceanside bar. Location
  of the Saturday evening induction ceremony. ¼ mile south of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
  • 3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 525-4000;
  • Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $224 per night Book your group rate for International Swimming Hall of Fame
  • NOTE: RESORT FEE IS INCLUDED in the $224 rate

• Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach

  • 440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733;
  • Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $159 per night
  • Please call 954 524-8733 and mention Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Ceremony for the special Rate of $159.

For more hotel or ticket Information contact Meg Keller-Marvin meg@ishof.org / 570-594-4367

Rebecca Adlington To Be Inducted Into International Swimming Hall of Fame

Rebecca Adlington, Britain’s most decorated female Olympic swimmer, will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame with the Class of 2018 in ceremonies in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., May 19, 2018.

Rebecca “Becky” Adlington was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in Central England. It is near where the world-renowned Robin Hood became a legend. But that was a thousand years ago.  Today, Becky is the region’s most famous celebrity as a modern hero who won her gold honestly in the pool.

The legend of Becky was not born in Sherwood Forrest, but in the Sherwood Baths.  The youngest of three girls, Becky naturally wanted to do what her older sisters did.  The sisters were all swimmers.   Before long, Rebecca’s desire to keep up with them made her into a serious competitor.

By the age of 14, when she was showing real promise as a distance swimmer, she came under the guidance of coach Bill Furniss, who would remain her coach throughout her career. She thrived on his regimented routine and the lifestyle of training twice a day, four times a week, with Saturday mornings and meets.

“I never had to wake her up,” recalled her mother Kay. “She was always ready.”

Her commitment to training combined with mental toughness and her ability to tolerate pain made her one of Britain’s brightest Olympic hopefuls. After a year with Furniss she won the 800 meters gold medal at the 2004 European Junior Championships.

Both Becky and her coach looked forward to 2005 with high expectations, but early in the year she came down with a case of glandular fever. Then, just as she was getting back in the pool, her sister Laura came down with a case of encephalitis that put her on life-support and fighting for her life for over a month. Laura eventually recovered, but the experience was traumatic for Becky and the next few years were full of ups and downs.

In 2006, she won the silver medal in the 800 free at the European Championships, but then placed 10th the next year in the same event.

As the British Olympic Trials in 2008 approached, Becky knew she would have to swim her heart out and to the surprise of many, she won the 200 and 400 meters freestyle, in addition to the 800, which was her signature event. She would drop the 200 to focus on the longer events.

First up in Beijing was the 400, an event for which she had not even been certain to qualify for the British team. In the prelims she swam brilliantly and qualified for the finals in lane in 5. Then, in the final, she went from fifth place with 50 meters to go to snatch the gold medal ahead of American Katie Hoff and teammate Joanne Jackson in a thrilling finger-tip finish. It was the first Olympic gold medal for a British woman since Anita Lonsbrough who won the 200 meters breaststroke in 1960.

When she won the 800m freestyle five days later, destroying the field and smashing Janet Evans‘ 19 year-old world record, there was no precedent. Adlington was the most successful woman swimmer Britain ever produced and the first British swimmer since Henry Taylor won multiple gold medals one hundred years earlier, in 1908.

Her triumphs in Beijing brought her instant fame: front-page headlines, an open-top bus parade in her home town and a coveted pair of gold Jimmy Choo shoes. In 2009 she became a celebrity spokesperson for the Encephalitis Society and received an Office of the British Order (OBE) by HRH (Her Royal Highness) Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace.  And in 2010, the refurbished Sherwood Swimming Baths were renamed the Rebecca Adlington Swimming Centre.

But she hadn’t retired.  In fact, between the Beijing and London Olympics, she stood on the podium in every major international event in which she competed, even though she refused to wear the polyurethane suits that helped the world records tumble in 2009.  When she won gold in the 800 and silver in the 400 meters freestyle at the 2011 FINA Championships in Shanghai, expectations were high that she could repeat her double gold medal performance from Beijing in London.

But it was always going to be tougher for her for her competing at home. In Beijing she was an unknown, which is a tremendous psychological advantage in terms of pressure and surprise. In London, that advantage belonged to a 15 year old American named Katie Ledecky. So it wasn’t to be.

When Adlington took bronze in the 400 meters, she was delighted – for the 400m was her weaker race. But after winning a second bronze in the 800, the disappointment showed.

“I’m sorry I didn’t win,” she said after the race, and “I hope the public were still proud of me.”

She didn’t have to worry about that.  The British public adored her and when she retired a few months later, at the age of 23, it was as Great Britain’s most decorated female Olympian of all time.  Since then she has joined the BBC as a popular commentator for the aquatic sports. She has appeared on a number of television shows as a celebrity guest, contestant or spokesperson.  In 2015, she gave birth to a daughter, Summer, and in 2016 she launched Becky Adlington’s Swim Stars – a partnership program designed by Becky for pool operators to make learning to swim fun and enjoyable. Her vision is to ensure that every child leaves primary school able to swim at least 25 meters.

 About The International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

Photo Courtesy: ISHOF

The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Induction Ceremony is shaping up to be a star-studded weekend with multiple events spread out over three days in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Make your plans now to attend the weekend of May 18-20, 2018! ISHOF Members can purchase the Weekend Package and save!

This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame honorees include Swimmers: Rebecca Adlington (GBR), Amanda Beard (USA), and Libby Trickett (AUS); Water Polo Player: Brenda Villa (USA); Contributor: Andy Burke (USA); Diver: Irina Lashko  (USSR, RUS, AUS) ; Coach: Bill Sweetenham (AUS); Synchronized Swimmer: Miho Takeda (JPN);  Open Water Swimmer: Petar Stoychev (BUL); and Pioneer Synchronized Swimming Contributor: Joy Cushman (USA). Ian Crocker (USA) was a part of the Class of 2017, but was unable to attend the induction due to Hurricane Harvey.  We will be officially celebrating his induction as part of the class of 2018.

The Paragon Awards and ISHOF Awards will be presented of Friday of the same weekend

2018 Paragon Award and ISHOF Award Recipients:

• Frank Busch for Competitive Swimming
• Dr. Ben Rubin for Diving
• Bob Corb for Water Polo
• Jennifer Gray for Synchronized Swimming
• David Bell for Recreational Swimming
• Jill White for Water Safety
• Anthony Ervin and Constantine Markides – Buck Dawson Author Award: “Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian”
• Gay DeMario – ISHOF Service Award
• Lana Whitehead – Judge G. Harold Martin Award
• Johnny Johnson – Virginia Hunt Newman Award
• Kathy Bateman – John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award
• Bob Ingram – Al Schoenfield Media Award

Additional Events

• • Swim Across America Fundraiser for Cancer Awareness 8-11 AM at the Hall of Fame Pool
  • ISHOF Clinic for Kids produced by Fitter and Faster with Olympian Cammile Adams 11AM to 2 PM Hall of Fame Pool

Reserve Your Hotel Rooms and Purchase Your Tickets Today

May 18-20, 2018 HOTEL INFORMATION

• Host Hotel: Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa

  Four and a half star upscale retreat with private beach access, two pools, four restaurants, full service spa and Oceanside bar. Location
  of the Saturday evening induction ceremony. ¼ mile south of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
  • 3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 525-4000;
  • Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $224 per night Book your group rate for International Swimming Hall of Fame
  • NOTE: RESORT FEE IS INCLUDED in the $224 rate

• Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach

  • 440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733;
  • Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $159 per night
  • Please call 954 524-8733 and mention Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Ceremony for the special Rate of $159.

For more hotel or ticket Information contact Meg Keller-Marvin meg@ishof.org / 570-594-4367

Libby Lenton Trickett To Be Inducted Into The International Swimming Hall of Fame

Australia's Libby Lenton smiles after competing in the heats of the women's 100m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne March 17, 2006

Lisbeth “Libby” Lenton Trickett, a 4-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2018 in ceremonies in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on May 19, 2018.

Lisbeth “Libby” Lenton, the youngest of four children, was born on January 28, 1985, in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, a seaside city with a rich swimming history. It was where, in the Tobruk Memorial Baths, the Australian team prepared for the 1956 Olympic Games and produced their country’s greatest Olympic success, winning eight of 13 events at the Melbourne Games.

Libby learned to swim at the age of one and joined her first team at four. By age ten, she was one of Queensland’s top age groupers.  Then, in 1995, her parents divorced and her mother, Marilyn, moved the family to Brisbane, where Libby started training under coach John Carew, mentor of Kieren Perkins and Hayley Lewis. But as a sprinter Libby felt like she needed to move into a different environment and program, and in early 2002, she started training under coach Stephan Widmar.

Her progress under Widmar was rapid and explosive. Suddenly, the 18-year old girl who had never reached the podium at the state level, stood on the top step four times, for the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle and 50-meter and 100-meter butterfly, at the Queensland Championships in January of 2003.  She followed that by winning gold and silver in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle, and a bronze in the 100-meter butterfly at the 2003 Telstra Australian Champions in Sydney. This qualified her for the Australian Senior National Team.

She made her international debut in April at the inaugural Mutual of Omaha “Duel in the Pool” meet in Indianapolis.  She beat Hall of Famer, Jenny Thompson to win the 100-meter freestyle in 54.71 seconds. She finished first in the 50 free in 24.92 seconds, but she was disqualified for a false start. However, even though video could not be used to change the result, officials later ruled her start was fair and she was credited with setting a new Australian record and the first Australian to break 25 seconds.

At the 2003 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, she won a bronze medal in the 50-meter freestyle and another for the 4 x 100m freestyle relay.

In 2004, swimming In the preliminaries of the 100-meter freestyle at the 2004 Australian Olympic Trials, Libby held both hands over her face in shock when she looked at the scoreboard and saw she had touched the wall in a time of 53.66 seconds, 0.11 of a second inside the world record set by Hall of Famer, Inge De Bruijn in the same pool four years earlier.  She was the first Australian woman to hold the record in this event since Shane Gould in 1973.

“I’m in absolute complete and utter shock”, she said after the race.  “I just went out there to have fun and ended up with the world record.”

Libby qualified for and swam in three events in Athens.  Unfortunately, she did not qualify for the 100-meter freestyle event finals, but she earned a bronze medal in the 50 free and her 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay team made up of: Libby, Petria Thomas, Jodie Henry and Alice Mills overtook Team USA on the final leg to win the gold in the event for the first time in 48 years!

Libby cemented her position among the world’s top swimmers in 2005. First at the Montreal FINA World Championships by reeling in gold in the 50-meter freestyle, silver in the 100-meter butterfly and two golds and a silver for the three relays. Then again, at the Duel in the Pool, she pulled in three more gold: the 100 free, the 200 free and in the 4 x100 free relay. Back in Australia, she twice broke the world record in the 100-meter freestyle at the Telstra Australian Short Course Championships.

In 2006, Libby won five gold medals, in the 50 and 100-meter freestyle as well as all three relays at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.  It was then on to Shanghai, for the Short Course World Championships, where she repeated her performance, winning five of Australia’s twelve gold medals, as well as being named “Leading Female Swimmer of the Meet”.

Libby won five more gold medals at the 2007 FINA World Championships, in Melbourne.  This time, three individual, the 50 and 100-meter freestyle and the 100 fly as well as two relays, with the 4 x 100 freestyle relay in a record-breaking time of 3:35.48. A week later, at the third USA-Australia “Duel in the Pool” in Sydney, she led off the 4 x 100 mixed relay against Michael Phelps.  Although Phelps beat her to the wall, her time of :52.99 broke the world record of Britta Steffens by nearly a third of a second.

“Before the race he said good luck, He’s a good competitor to race against and I will remember that for the rest of my life, that I raced against Michael Phelps,” she said.

Three days later, On April 7, Libby married longtime love and fellow Australian swimmer, Luke Trickett, at the Taronga Zoo on Sydney Harbor.  The couple reportedly sold the media rights for the wedding to a magazine for $100,000 and split the fee among three charities.

While on their honeymoon, Libby learned that FINA refused to recognize her record against Phelps because it was in an event not recognized by FINA. In March of 2008, competing under her new name Libby Trickett, she broke Steffen’s record of :53.30 with a time of :52.88 at the Australian Championships.

Her performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, brought her two gold, one silver and one bronze.  She was part of the world record winning relay team, the 4 x 100 medley relay, that brought home the gold, and her 4 x 100 freestyle relay team took bronze.  Individually, Trickett won a gold medal in the 100-meter fly and took silver in the 100-meter freestyle, placing just behind Britta Sheffen of Germany, despite the fact that she came in several tenths of a second above her own record.

Libby briefly retired from swimming in 2009, at the age of 24 but decided to return to competition in 2010 to be part of the 4 x 100 freestyle relay team at the 2012 London Olympic Games, winning yet another gold, her fourth and final Olympic gold medal of her career.

Libby retired in 2013 for the final time.

Libby received an OAM for her contributions to swimming in 2005 and was inducted into the Sports Australia Hall of Fame in 2016.  Her contributions to the community and the nation goes far beyond her efforts in the pool. In 2014, Libby became an Ambassador to the Starlight Children’s Foundation, and more recently she has become lead ambassador for the RBC Race for the Kids.

Libby gave birth to daughter Poppy in 2015 and struggled with the transition to motherhood.  Trickett had struggled with depression throughout other times in her life as well.  She had worked with sports psychologists and by seeking that advice and guidance, Libby says, that “the biggest lesson she learnt was that it’s OK to ask for help and that help is really valuable.”  Libby Trickett became an Ambassador of beyondblue, an Australian sports organization that supports good mental health, tackles stigma and discrimination and provides support and information on anxiety, depression and suicide to everyone in Australia. Libby is currently Queensland’s Mental Health Ambassador.

Most recently, Libby and her husband Luke had their second daughter, Eddie on February 28, 2018.

About The International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

Photo Courtesy: ISHOF

The International Swimming Hall of Fame (ISHOF) Induction Ceremony is shaping up to be a star-studded weekend with multiple events spread out over three days in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  Make your plans now to attend the weekend of May 18-20, 2018! ISHOF Members can purchase the Weekend Package and save!

This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame honorees include Swimmers: Rebecca Adlington (GBR), Amanda Beard (USA), and Libby Trickett (AUS); Water Polo Player: Brenda Villa (USA); Contributor: Andy Burke (USA); Diver: Irina Lashko  (USSR, RUS, AUS) ; Coach: Bill Sweetenham (AUS); Synchronized Swimmer: Miho Takeda (JPN);  Open Water Swimmer: Petar Stoychev (BUL); and Pioneer Synchronized Swimming Contributor: Joy Cushman (USA). Ian Crocker (USA) was a part of the Class of 2017, but was unable to attend the induction due to Hurricane Harvey.  We will be officially celebrating his induction as part of the class of 2018.

The Paragon Awards and ISHOF Awards will be presented of Friday of the same weekend

2018 Paragon Award and ISHOF Award Recipients:

• Frank Busch for Competitive Swimming
• Dr. Ben Rubin for Diving
• Bob Corb for Water Polo
• Jennifer Gray for Synchronized Swimming
• David Bell for Recreational Swimming
• Jill White for Water Safety
• Anthony Ervin and Constantine Markides – Buck Dawson Author Award: “Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian”
• Gay DeMario – ISHOF Service Award
• Lana Whitehead – Judge G. Harold Martin Award
• Johnny Johnson – Virginia Hunt Newman Award
• Kathy Bateman – John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award
• Bob Ingram – Al Schoenfield Media Award

Additional Events

• • Swim Across America Fundraiser for Cancer Awareness 8-11 AM at the Hall of Fame Pool
  • ISHOF Clinic for Kids produced by Fitter and Faster with Olympian Cammile Adams 11AM to 2 PM Hall of Fame Pool