In This Issue
Diana Nyad on Ted
2014 Induction
Diana Nyad on Ted
New Aquisitions
"Betty" Hood Ornament
ISHOF's architectural relief
4x Olympian Sheila Taormina
Honoree & Children's Books
New Publications
PASSINGS

Reid Patterson passed away at the age of 81, on January 15, 2014.  Patterson, who swam for the University of Georgia, represented the United States in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. He finished fourth in the 100-meter freestyle final after setting the Olympic record in the event during the prelims. Patterson later held the world records in the 50-meter freestyle and on the 200-meter freestyle relay and the American records in the 400-meter freestyle and on the 400-meter medley relay.  During the early 1950's, Patterson was dubbed "America's Fastest Man In The Water." 

 

Diana Nyad on TED -
Never Ever Give Up
 
In the pitch-black night, stung by jellyfish, choking on salt water, singing to herself, hallucinating. Diana Nyad just kept on swimming. And that's how she finally achieved her lifetime goal as an athlete: an extreme 100-mile swim from Cuba to Florida -- at age 64. 
VISITORS


Bob Duenkel with ISHOF Honoree Hobie Billingsley.


Felix Wolf and Christian Danel, backstrokers on the German National team in front of Tarzan exhibit of German born Johnny Weissmuller.


Lillian Lee, 1982 Chinese national IM champion standing next to panel of her coach, Mu Xiangiong. Lillian now lives in Michigan.

 


ISHOF Honoree Tom Jager's team gathers around Tom's panel at ISHOF's museum. 


Concordia College Womens team from Minnesota.


Albion College Swim Team.
















THE 2 SAMS: Sammy Lee & Samantha Leigh Graham, Diving coach of Binghamton College (NY). Her father, Lance Graham, who has passed away, was a diver and a BIG fan of Sammy Lee, so he named her after him, with a feminine touch, Samantha Leigh Graham - but her father  and everyone else has always called her "Sammy Lee" as he intended. 


















Sally Anne Minty-Gravett, 2005 Marathon Hall of Fame Inductee. Sally crossed the English Channel five times over the course of five sequential decades. 
Swimmers of the University of Colorado Boulder are watching "Great Olympic Moments" films.
Issue: # 1January/2014
SAVE THE DATE
CLASS OF 2014 ANNOUNCED FOR ISHOF HONORS WEEKEND
 FORT LAUDERDALE - JUNE 13-15
Make plans to attend the 50th Annual ISHOF Honors Weekend, June 13 - 15th, 2014. As the entire complex is slated for demolition in the 4th quarter, this will be the last class to celebrate their enshrinement at the ISHOF Museum in Fort Lauderdale. Come to the ISHOF Museum as it has been for the past 50 years.  Along with an international celebration and reunion for Olympians who participated in the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games, this is an event not to be missed.
The Class of 2014 includes swimmers Grant Hackett (AUS), Agnes Kovacs (HUN) and Tom Malchow (USA); Diver Peng Bo (CHN); Synchronized Swimmers Penny and Vicky Vilagos (CAN); Water Polo Players Carlo Silipo (ITA) and Karen Kuipers (NED); Coaches Charlotte Davis (USA) and Jozsef Nagy (HUN, USA, CAN, SPN); Open Water Swimmers Jon Erikson  (USA) and Sandra Bucha (USA); Bruce Hopping (USA), Norman Sarsfield (GBR) and Chuck Wielgus (USA) will be recognized as Contributors. 
2014 Fort Lauderdale 
Rough Water Ocean Swim
Our 45th annual Rough Water Swim took place January 4, 2014 on beautiful Fort Lauderdale Beach along the Atlantic Ocean. The swim lived up to its name as sea's were a three foot chop - very rough for the swimmers. Out of 320 swimmers, 305 crossed the the finish line but 15 were forced out of the water due to the rough conditions and heavy seas.
 
 
New Aquisitions
1968 US Olympic Team Banner
  

US Olympic Team banner (measuring 4'x 3') from the 1968 US Olympic Team trials that were held at the Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool in Long Beach, California.  Gift of Dr. Gary Hall, Sr.  A member of that team, Dr. Hall won the silver medal in the 400m Individual Medley at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City and would swim in the 1972 and 1976 Games.  An ISHOF honoree, his son, Gary, Jr. joined him as a fellow honoree in 2013.

"Betty" Hood Ornament Mystery

ISHOF has finally solved a mystery that has baffled car ornament collectors for decades.  Were the 1920's era "Betty" hood

Blonde and Brunette "Betty"
hood ornaments

ornaments modeled after cartoon character Betty Boop or Hall of Fame diver Betty Becker Pinkston? Or, could it have been someone else?  To find out more about this mystery and ISHOF's newest exhibit from the "Golden Age" of swimming, click here.

ISHOF's architectural relief made from cutting paper by artist Christina Lihan
Formally trained as an architect, Christina Lihan has turned her talents from the built form to creating sculptural, three-dimensional reliefs of skyscrapers, citys-scapes, historic buildings, and European and American landmarks. She carves, cuts, scores, bends and folds watercolor paper by hand to form facades that come alive with shadows, texture, light and details. 
Christina has a deep history with the building and swimming. She was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, where she swam competitively from age 5 to 21 with Coach Jack Nelson. The Swimming Hall of Fame pool was her "second home" during her childhood. More:
4x Olympian Sheila Taormina 
working on her third book at ISHOF's library

Sheila Taormina is currently writing her third book on swimming strokes and came down to Fort Lauderdale to utilize the resources of the ISHOF library and to enjoy a warm winter away from Detroit. Her first two books
Sheila working on her book with Alia Atkinson at ISHOFs library

focused on the freestyle stroke but now in her third book, she is writing about all four strokes.

The new book is scheduled to come off the press in August this year (Velo Press). It features underwater photos of many world record holders and Olympic medalists. Some of the athletes who will be featured include Aaron Peirsol, Rebecca Soni, Ariana Kukors, Rowdy Gaines, Elizabeth Beisel, Vlad Morosov, Peter Vanderkaay, Ashley Whitney, Laura Sogar, Andrew Gemmell and others.  

Sheila competed in four Olympics: 1996 in Swimming,  2000 and 2004 in Triathlon & 2008 in modern pentathlon. She is the only woman that ever competed in three different sports.

Honoree  & Children's Books
 at ISHOF's Library
 
Our library hosts a number of honoree and children's books inspired by honorees.
To see a complete list of our inventory, please follow the links.
 
New Books of Interest

JUST TRY ONE MORE by PENNY LEE DEAN

 

Just try one more is an autobiography of the challenging life of open water swimming champion Penny Lee Dean. From ages two to twenty four, she overcame physical, family and life adversities to go forth and conquer the Catalina and English Channels. Early in her life , Penny discovered that she had a talent and passion for open water swimming- the English Channel.

After college, she traveled to Europe on a Watson scholarship and trained for her attempt to break the record for the English Channel.

Part of the reason Penny wrote this book was the hope that she could help others tackle any of their life challenges and realize their own dreams. Order a copy:

 

SPORTING GENDER by YUNXIANG GAO

 

Sporting Gender is a truly fascinating book detailing the struggle to change conservative cultural attitudes that were against women participating in sports in China.  In many ways, the story parallels with the experience of western women, but the hurdles were much higher in China. Author Gao's chapter on Olympic swimmer Yang Xiuquong (shown on the cover of the book)-  "China's Beautiful Mermaid," is great reading. Yang was China's version of  Annette Kellerman and Esther Williams when it comes to her influence on Chinese cultural attitudes about how women should look, act, dress and exercise.  But her life story is much more interesting. Order a copy: