The Most Influential Personalities in Open Water Swimming during the 1950's

Who are among the most influential open water personalities in recent history? Who are considered impactful legends, unsung heroes, humble heroines, and overlooked historic figures in the sport? Everyone has their favorite personalities and icons in the sport of open water swimming.

Any list of The Most Influential Personalities of Open Water Swimming is, by necessity, subjective. But it is certainly fun to discuss and debate among open water swimmers, historians, and fans. Below are our choices for The Most Influential Personalities in the Open Water Swimming World during the 1950's. This list does not focus on swimmers as athletes, but rather coaches, escort pilots, administrators, event directors, referees, crew members, authors, documentary filmmakers, database creators, promoters, and historians.

This selection of The Most Influential Personalities of Open Water Swimming is based on four criteria:

1. Promoters - individual who market the sport as writers, filmmakers, or public relations experts
2. Organizers - individuals who serve to set up and carry out events or organize championships
3. Administrators - or individuals who set up structures and entities to organize series, governing bodies, or function as referees, seconds or observers
4. Coaches - individuals who teach and provide guidance to swimmers and other members of the community

This list does not include swimmers who are listed here (at The Best Open Water Swimmers from 1950 to 2020):

The Most Influential Personalities in the 1950's

> Sir William Edmund Butlin, Great Britain
> Martin Bédard, Canada
> John Slater, Great Britain
> Trevor Smith, Great Britain
> James Toomey, USA
> Major General Ahmed Zorkani, Egypt
> Sam Rockett, Great Britain
> Captain Leonard Hutchinson, Great Britain
> Right Honourable Captain William J. Long, OBE, Great Britain
> Thomas Watch, Great Britain [shown above]

Sir William Edmund Butlin organized and sponsored the Billy Butlin Cross Channel International Swims across the English Channel to worldwide fanfare between 1953 and 1959. Sir Butlin was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1963 as an Honor Administrator.

Martin Bédard envisioned and started the Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean in Québec, Canada when Jacques Amyot first crossed lac St-Jean in 1955.

John Slater was the Founding Honorary Secretary of the British Long Distance Swimming Association in 1956 and was a prime force in the development of competitive, open water, long distance swimming in Great Britain. He was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1980 as an Honor Administrator.

Trevor Smith was one of the founding fathers of the British Long Distance Swimming Association, serving as its Honorary Treasurer for over 25 years until 1981. He was instrumental in establishing the Lake Windermere International competition every four years as the premier event for amateur marathon swimmers around the world.

James Toomey was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1971 as an Honor Administrator. Toomey conceived the idea of the Around the Island Swim in Atlantic City in 1953 and served as its race director until 1964.

Major General Ahmed Zorkani was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1973 as an Honor Administrator. He organized the Egyptian Long Distance Swimming Federation and helped organize the annual Maratona del Golfo Capri-Napoli and other International Long Distance Swimming Federation races held in France, Yugoslavia, Egypt and Lebanon between 1954 and 1972.

Sam Rockett was the trainer of Greta Andersen and donated his historic English Channel photography collection to Dover Museum.

Captain Leonard Hutchinson was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2004 as an Honor Pilot. He piloted more than 100 English Channel crossings for swimmers from over the world, including Brazil, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, Iceland, Argentina, Mexico, Spain and Belgium, over 60 of which are chronicled in his diaries.

Right Honourable Captain William J. Long, OBE was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 2004 as an Honor Pilot who escorted swimmers across the North Channel.

Thomas Watch was inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1986 as an Honor Coach. He coached more than 100 English Channel swimmers for 56 years, beginning with Geoffrey Chapman in the 1951 Daily Mail Cross Channel race and many record holders. He served as a Vice President of the Channel Swimming Association.

By Steven Munatones.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and Editor of the KAATSU Magazine. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), Dale Petranech Award for Services to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (2022), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007 and 2010), and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984, awarded to the senior whose interests are not bounded by academic or institutional structures. A joyous, deeply-rooted affirmation of life, disdain for the purely conventional; a love of adventure, and desire to learn by experiencing; the ability to respond creatively to difficult situations). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (until 2011) and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, a 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff including 4 FINA World Championships, and 2008 NBC Olympic 10K Marathon Swim commentator.