Thursday, March 28, 2019

Australian Olympian, Stephanie Rice, To Be Inducted Into the International Swimming Hall of Fame

Swimmer Stephanie Rice is a two-time Olympian, triple Olympic gold medalist and five-time world record holder who dominated the 200 and 400 IM events.  For her performance in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, she was awarded “Female Swimmer of the Meet” alongside Michael Phelps receiving the counterpart award.  After retiring from a successful career in swimming, the young entrepreneur has many ventures going and is giving back to the sport by developing Learn-to-Swim programs in India with the goal of producing India’s very first Olympic swimming medalist.  Stephanie Rice will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2019 during the Honoree Induction ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 18, 2019.
Meet Stephanie in person and hear her inspirational life story at the ISHOF Induction dinner. Become an ISHOF Legacy Member and attend the ISHOF Induction Dinner for FREE.  Can’t attend the event? Please consider making a donation to ISHOF to support Stephanie and our other inspirational honorees.

Stephanie Rice Olympian

About Stephanie

Stephanie Rice sits in the company of only six other legendary Australian athletes that have won a total of three gold medals at one Olympic Games.  Five of the other six are also swimmers and all but one are Hall of Famers: Ian Thorpe, Murray Rose, Shane Gould, Petria Thomas and Jodie Henry.
Rice is a two-time Olympian, triple Olympic gold medalist and five-time world record holder.  She excels in all four strokes, making her a very successful IM swimmer for her country.
Rice qualified for Age Group Nationals at about age 13, while swimming for Vince Raleigh at Brothers Swim Club.  Coach Matt Brown took over the coaching of Stephanie for the next year.  While under Brown’s direction, she really began to excel, qualifying her for the Trans-Tasmin Meet and Junior Pan-Pacs in Hawaii (2002).
With Stephanie really starting to make headway in her swimming career, she decided she needed to make a drastic move to help take her to the next level.    That move was to select a new coach that could help her obtain her goals.  That man was Michael Bohl, and it turned out to be the perfect decision for Stephanie.  Bohl and Rice would remain together for the rest of her swimming career.
Stephanie burst onto the international scene in 2006 by winning two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, one in the 200 IM, in a time of 2:12.90 and the second in the 400 IM.  The World Championships, the next year, in 2007, also in Melbourne, were a success for Rice as well.  She took bronze in the 200m IM, in a time of 2:11.42, while breaking the Australian record by an entire second. In the 400, she won her second bronze with a time of 4:41.19, taking 0.54 off her best time.  It was a personal best for Rice.
Stephanie Rice ISHOF Honoree
That same year, Rice attended a meet in Italy, where she posted a new personal best in the 400 IM, swimming a 4:40.79, inching closer and closer to that 4:40 mark.  Next up, the Japanese Open, where she finally hit the 4:40 mark she had been chasing, and in the process, setting a new Australian and Commonwealth record with a time 4:37.18.
In March 2008, Rice competed at the Australian Olympic Trials and broke the world record in the 200- and 400-meter IM, winning the events and qualifying for her first Olympic Team.  In the 200 IM, she swam in a time of 2:08.92, taking almost an entire second off the previous record, set by Wu Yanyan of China.  In the 400, Rice came in at 4:31.46, 1.43 seconds below American Katie Hoff’s mark of 4:32.89.
As a first-time member of the Australian Olympic Team in 2008, Stephanie Rice proved her place on the team, by winning three gold medals and breaking three world records in Beijing.  She received her first-ever Olympic medal, also Australia’s first gold medal of the Games and it’s 400th Summer Olympic medal, when she won the 400-meter IM, becoming the first woman to break 4:30 in the event.  Her second gold came in the 200 IM, where she was neck and neck with Kristi Coventry for the last 50 meters, but Stephanie pulled it off at the last second.  The 200 IM was followed by the women’s 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay, where she was the lead off swimmer.
Stephanie Rice ISHOF Honoree
Photo Caption: 2008 Gold Medal Relay
Stephanie was awarded “Female Swimmer of the Meet”, alongside Michael Phelps, and on January 26, 2009, she received the prestigious “Order of Australia Medal.”
The 2008 Beijing Olympics were probably the high point in Stephanie Rice’s career, but what most didn’t know, there was something taking away from all the glory.  Stephanie first started experiencing shoulder pain during the 2008 Games.  She competed in the 2009 FINA World Championships (Rome) and came away with two silver in the 200 IM and the 4 x 100 medley relay and one bronze.
Stephanie Rice World Record
She continued to endure shoulder pain in 2009, but by 2010, it was so bad, she relented to having surgery.  This forced her to have to miss out on the 2010 Pan-Pac and Commonwealth Games, which she had already qualified for.
Stephanie’s surgery was a success and by 2011, she was fully committed to her rehabilitation and training regime and was ready to begin preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Leading up to the Olympics, Stephanie competed in the 2011 FINA World Champions in Shanghai.  She did not medal in the 200 IM, finishing fourth in a time of 2:09.65, but she took bronze in the 400 IM, barely missing silver by 0.01, in a time of 4:34.23.
Everything was going well for Rice, until December of 2011, when she tore a tendon in her shoulder.  Tests showed that Rice needed surgery with a six-month recovery, but with the London Olympics Trials only ten weeks away, that was just not possible.  With her doctors and coach, Stephanie decided to have a smaller surgery, that would hopefully hold her over until after the Olympic Games.
Stephanie performed extremely well at the Trials, considering she had just undergone two surgeries and then a quick training of six weeks to get her ready for the Trials.  She won both IM events, the 200 and 400 and qualified for the freestyle relay event.
Stephanie Rice and Kobe Bryant
Stephanie and basketball legend Kobe Bryant; Photo Courtesy: Stephanie Rice
There were 12 weeks between the 2012 Australian Trials and the 2012 London Olympic Games.  As Stephanie got in the pool to practice, the pain in her shoulder continued to get worse with every stroke.  She went from training 60k a week to 30k, and barely making that.  She tried making up time out of the water with dryland training to help her stay in shape.  And just when Stephanie thought things could not get any worse, she got a terrible bout of food poisoning which kept her off training for three days and took away all her energy.  As anyone can imagine, it was an emotionally trying time for Stephanie.
She headed to London, with three shoulder surgeries behind her and knew that she was not in the shape she hoped for or was close to in Beijing four years earlier.  Stephanie Rice left London with a fourth-place finish in the 200 IM and a sixth-place finish in the 400 IM.  Based on what she had been able to put in to her training or more like, what she had not been able to put into her training, she was proud of her results and knew she could not have tried harder or done any better, considering all the roadblocks that were thrown her way.
Stephanie announced her retirement from swimming at the age of 24, in 2014.  She went on to compete in and win the Australian TV Show “Celebrity Apprentice” that same year, becoming the youngest winner of the series franchise worldwide.
Stephanie continued working to make her dreams a reality, this time, just in a different realm.  This young entrepreneur co-authored her own book, “The Art of Wellness;” created three on-line programs in health, mindset and swimming; and launched her first food business, called RACERiCE.  She is an ambassador for numerous well-known international brands, such as Vegie Delights and Unichi and is working on business ventures in the United States, China and India.  She has also worked with global companies like Fitness First and Khloe Kardashian’s Good American.
Stephanie Rice Twitter
Photo Courtesy: Stephanie Rice
Stephanie’s passion in life is to share her wealth of knowledge and her insights to positively impact others’ lives and inspire them to be the best they can be.  She does this in several ways, such as her mentoring programs, speaking engagements, social media and most recently, her current work in India.  Stephanie is stepping back into the world of swimming, and along with her coach, Michael Bohl, planning to build Learn-to-Swim programs all throughout India.  In addition, they plan to develop the “Stephanie Rice Elite Academy,” with the goal of producing India’s very first Olympic swimming medalist in eight to twelve-years’ time.

About The International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

International Swimming Hall of Fame
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 17-19, 2019!  ISHOF Members can purchase the Weekend Package and Save!  Can’t attend the event? Make a donation to ISHOF to support our honorees.
This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame honorees include Swimmers: Jason Lezak (USA), Otylia Jedrzejczak (POL), Stephanie Rice (AUS), Britta Steffen (GER); Diver: Li Ting (CHN); Water Polo Player: Alessandro Campagna (ITA); Coach: Boris Popov (RUS);  Synchronized Swimmer: Olga Sedakova (RUS); Open Water Swimmer: Marcy MacDonald (USA); Contributor: Dr. Ferenc Salamon(HUN); and Pioneer: Alfred Nakache* (FRA).  
ISHOF will also present the 2019 Gold Medallion Award to Dr. Joseph B. MacInnis (CAN).

2019 Paragon Award and ISHOF Specialty Award Recipients

  • Greg Eggert—Competitive Swimming
  • Don Holbrook—Water Polo
  • Bill Farrar—Competitive Diving
  • Igor Kartashov—Synchronized Swimming
  • Peter Davis—Aquatic Safety
  • Carvin DiGiovanni—Recreational Swimming
  • Carolyn Wood—Buck Dawson Author Award: “Tough Girl”
  • Dale Petranech—ISHOF Service Award
  • David Duda—Judge G. Harold Martin Award
  • Robert Strauss—Virginia Hunt Newman Award
  • Ruth Meyer—John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award
  • Peter Bick—Al Schoenfield Media Award
  • Jim Wood* —Lifetime Achievement Award

The Weekend Schedule

Friday, May 17th — Paragon & ISHOF Specialty Awards Night

Saturday, May 18th — Honoree Induction Day Luncheon



Official 55th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

VIP Reception 6:00 PM, Induction Ceremony 7:00 –10:00 PM at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa

Sunday, May 19th — Swim Across America

TICKET INFORMATION

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.

  • Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach

    • 440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733
    • Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $169 per night
    • Please call 954 524-8733 and mention Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Ceremony for the special Rate of $169.
For more hotel or ticket Information contact Meg Keller-Marvin meg@ishof.org / 570-594-4367
* Deceased
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Thursday, March 21, 2019

World Renowned Water Polo Coach and Player, Alessandro Campagna, To Be Inducted Into ISHOF

When Alessandro Campagna was a young boy, his doctor recommended he start swimming to help with a medical condition.  What soon emerged from swimming was his love of the water and a drive to work hard.   He tried his hand at water polo and in his very first water polo match, Alessandro scored three goals. From that day on there has been no stopping him in the pool as an athlete or on the deck as a coach!  He has won gold at the Olympics, World Championships and European Championships, among many other accomplishments.  Alessandro Campagna will be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2019 during the Honoree Induction ceremony in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 18, 2019.
Meet Alessandro in person and hear his inspirational life story at the ISHOF Induction dinner.   Become an ISHOF Legacy Member and attend the ISHOF Induction Dinner for FREE.  Can’t attend the event? Please consider making a donation to ISHOF to support Alessandro and our other inspirational honorees.
FOR THE RECORD: AS A PLAYER: 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold; 1986 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: silver; 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; 1987 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze; 1989 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze; 1993 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; AS A COACH: 2011 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; 2014 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze

Alessandro Campagna ISHOF Honoree

About Alessandro

It has been said that Alessandro (Sandro) Campanga was one of the most complete water polo players of all time. In his career, he played for two clubs:   The first was, Ortigia Siracusa, where he was the captain and leading player for ten championship seasons, reaching the playoff semi-finals of the Italian Championships, and the second, Roma, where he won the Coppa delle Coppe, also known as the LEN Cup Winner’s Cup and the Len Cup.  The winners of the LEN Cup Winner’s Cup went on to face the European champions in the European Super Cup.
Campagna comes from the beautiful island of Sicily.  He began swimming at the age of six because the doctor advised him to swim in order to improve a medical issue with his chest.  He was afraid of the water at first, but the more time he spent in the water, the more confident he became and the more he began to love it.  By the age of eight, Campagna also liked playing football, but he seemed to excel at swimming, so that is the sport he chose. Even at young age, Alessandro, known as “Sandro” always trained very hard.
At age 12, he was introduced to the sport of water polo.  One of the first things he was attracted to in the sport was playing with the water polo ball, most likely because of his love of soccer.  The rules of the game came to him quickly.  The very first game that Campagna played in, he scored three goals.  He was hooked!
He transferred his love of swimming to water polo and never looked back. In 1976, during the Montreal Olympic Games, when Alessandro was only 13 years old, he watched Italy win the silver medal in water polo.  It was then that he decided, “One day I too will be on the Olympic podium playing water polo for my country.”  His idol was ISHOF Hall of Famer, Gianni De Magistris.
Alessandro Campagna; LEN European Water Polo Championships 2016 Romania ROU (White) Vs Italy ITA (Blue) Men Team Italy Head Coach CAMPAGNA Alessandro ITA Kombank Arena, Belgrade, Serbia Day04 13-01-2016 Photo P. Mesiano/Insidefoto/Deepbluemedia
Photo Courtesy: Pasquale Mesiano
Campagna continued in water polo and rapidly improved.  In 1981 while playing for Ortigia, Campagna and the team played in the A1 Championships, the top championships in Italy.  In two of the games, they faced Team Florentia, De Magristris’ team.  Campagna was finally coming face to face with his idol.  Ortigia won the game 5-4 and Campagna scored three of the five goals.  From that day forward, Alessandro gained the respect of all water polo players.
Campagna believes its not only hard work, perseverance and talent that make a good player.  He says that in his case, he owes so much to his first coach, Romolo Parodi, “who taught him the true values of water polo, the love of the game and the perseverance to devote in every training session together with the respect of rules and opponents,”  Campagna said.  “My desire of accomplishment did all the rest, after reaching a success, I immediately thought of the next one to come,” he added.
After playing for Ortigia Siracusa for ten years, Campagna moved to Rome, played at the club level, and became a professional player.
Campagna played in 409 games with the Italian National Team, “Settebello,” scored more than 1500 goals in total, his national team and club appearances combined.  He was a major factor in the Grand Slam, winning from 1992 to 1995; the 1992 Olympics (Barcelona); the 1993 FINA Cup (Athens); the 1993 European Championships (Sheffield); Vienna 1995; and finally the 1995 World Championships (Rome) with the legendary Settebello coached by ISHOF Honor Coach, Radko Rudic.  Campagna became Rudic’s first assistant coach in the 1996-97 season and later went on to replace him and take the helm of the Italian Men’s National Team, where he accumulated over 300 “benches.”

Alessandro Campagna ISHOF Honoree
Campagna credits much of his success to the three coaches he had during his time on the Italian National Team with ISHOF Hall of Famers Gianni Lonzi and Radko Rudic being the first two.  To Lonzi, he credits having the merit of debuting him as a young player at 18 years old and to Rudic, Campagna believes the coach made him go further mentally than he would have on his own.  Lastly, he believes that Coach Fritz Dennerlein completed him tactically.
Upon retirement, Campagna decided to put his water polo knowledge to use in coaching. He is one of the few who managed to continue his competitive playing success in his coaching success.
He began coaching the national team, Settebello, in 2001.  The Italian team, under Campagna, won silver medals at the European Championships (Budapest), and at the Mediterranean Games in Tunis.  In addition, they took fourth at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Campagna became the Head Coach of the Greek National Team in January 2003 and stayed on through August, 2008.  Under Campagna, the Greeks, too, were successful.  They took bronze at the World Championships in Montreal in 2005, the first medal in Hellenic history.
November 17, 2008, Alessandro Campagna was once again appointed Head Coach of the Italian National Team, and he took his team to the 2010 European Championships, where they won the silver medal in Zagreb.
Seventeen years later, in 2011, in Shanghai, Campagna once again takes Italy to the top of the podium, with the National Team winning gold, like they had done in 1994, when he was a player.  “Settebello” went on to win silver in London at the 2012 Olympics, bronze at 2014 European Championships (Budapest) and bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Alessandro Campagna ISHOF Honoree
Coach Campagna and his team take home the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics
Alessandro Campagna’s honors include Knight of the Republic of Italy and Golden Palm for Technical Merit in April 2012, from the Italian Olympic Committee.  In May, 2015, he was elected among the 100 “Legends of Sport: in Italy for the Italian Walk of Fame CONI at the Foro Italico, in Roma.
Alessandro Campagna is also the co-author of the book, “The Physical Training of Water Polo Players” with Giovanni Melchiorri.

About The International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Weekend

International Swimming Hall of Fame
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 17-19, 2019!  ISHOF Members can purchase the Weekend Package and Save!  Can’t attend the event? Make a donation to ISHOF to support our honorees.
This year’s International Swimming Hall of Fame honorees include Swimmers: Jason Lezak (USA), Otylia Jedrzejczak (POL), Stephanie Rice (AUS), Britta Steffen (GER); Diver: Li Ting (CHN); Water Polo Player: Alessandro Campagna (ITA); Coach: Boris Popov (RUS);  Synchronized Swimmer: Olga Sedakova (RUS); Open Water Swimmer: Marcy MacDonald (USA); Contributor: Dr. Ferenc Salamon(HUN); and Pioneer: Alfred Nakache* (FRA).  
ISHOF will also present the 2019 Gold Medallion Award to Dr. Joseph B. MacInnis.

2019 Paragon Award and ISHOF Specialty Award Recipients

  • Greg Eggert—Competitive Swimming
  • Don Holbrook—Water Polo
  • Bill Farrar—Competitive Diving
  • Igor Kartashov—Synchronized Swimming
  • Peter Davis—Aquatic Safety
  • Carvin DiGiovanni—Recreational Swimming
  • Carolyn Wood—Buck Dawson Author Award: “Tough Girl”
  • Dale Petranech—ISHOF Service Award
  • David Duda—Judge G. Harold Martin Award
  • Robert Strauss—Virginia Hunt Newman Award
  • Ruth Meyer—John K. Williams, Jr. International Adapted Aquatics Award
  • Peter Bick—Al Schoenfield Media Award
  • Jim Wood* —Lifetime Achievement Award

The Weekend Schedule

Friday, May 17th — Paragon & ISHOF Specialty Awards Night

Saturday, May 18th — Honoree Induction Day Luncheon

Official 55th Annual International Swimming Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

VIP Reception 6:00 PM, Induction Ceremony 7:00 –10:00 PM at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa

Sunday, May 19th — Swim Across America

TICKET INFORMATION

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.

  • Courtyard by Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach

    • 440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316 (954) 524-8733
    • Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $169 per night
    • Please call 954 524-8733 and mention Swimming Hall of Fame Honoree Ceremony for the special Rate of $169.
For more hotel or ticket Information contact Meg Keller-Marvin meg@ishof.org / 570-594-4367
* Deceased
Donate to ISHOF
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