CALL FOR NOMINATIONS - 2014 Service to Marathon Swimming Award

MSF is pleased to announce the Third Annual Global Marathon Swimming Awards, the only peer-nominated, peer-voted awards for the sport of marathon swimming.
Please submit your nominations for the Service to Marathon Swimming Award, by commenting on this thread. To submit a private nomination, send a PM to the Admins ( @evmo and/or @loneswimmer) and we will submit it on your behalf.
This award is meant to hono(u)r individuals who have selflessly given their time and energy to advance, enrich, and support the sport of marathon swimming. It is meant to hono(u)r the individuals who demonstrate that no "solo swim" is truly solo - the crew members, kayakers, pilots, observers, race directors, volunteers, and administrators who facilitate the fulfillment of swimmers' dreams. It is meant to hono(u)r the individuals whose passion keeps the spirit of the sport alive and vibrant.
In your nominations, please also explain why the individual(s) deserve the nomination.
Finalists will be selected on the basis of community support, as measured by "Likes." So, if you agree with a nomination and want to "second" it, click the "Like" button on that nomination.
Nominations will remain open for approximately three weeks.
Previous years' finalists for the Service to Marathon Swimming Award are (winners indicated in blue font):
2013
- Allison Bayne and Rob Dumouchel (Central Coast, California, USA).
- Eri Utsunomiya (New York, USA).
- Phil White (Newport, Vermont, USA).
- Dover Beach crew (Dover, UK).
Last year's Call for Nominations threads is HERE.
Please submit your nominations for the Service to Marathon Swimming Award, by commenting on this thread. To submit a private nomination, send a PM to the Admins ( @evmo and/or @loneswimmer) and we will submit it on your behalf.
This award is meant to hono(u)r individuals who have selflessly given their time and energy to advance, enrich, and support the sport of marathon swimming. It is meant to hono(u)r the individuals who demonstrate that no "solo swim" is truly solo - the crew members, kayakers, pilots, observers, race directors, volunteers, and administrators who facilitate the fulfillment of swimmers' dreams. It is meant to hono(u)r the individuals whose passion keeps the spirit of the sport alive and vibrant.
In your nominations, please also explain why the individual(s) deserve the nomination.
Finalists will be selected on the basis of community support, as measured by "Likes." So, if you agree with a nomination and want to "second" it, click the "Like" button on that nomination.
Nominations will remain open for approximately three weeks.
Previous years' finalists for the Service to Marathon Swimming Award are (winners indicated in blue font):
2013
- Allison Bayne and Rob Dumouchel (Central Coast, California, USA).
- Eri Utsunomiya (New York, USA).
- Phil White (Newport, Vermont, USA).
- Dover Beach crew (Dover, UK).
Last year's Call for Nominations threads is HERE.
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Comments
...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.
Stop me if you've heard this one...
A grasshopper walks into a bar...
https://elainekhowley.com/
(Don't forget to 'like' if you second this nomination.)
Milko
https://db.marathonswimmers.org/p/milko-van-gool/
Am I allowed a second nomination in this category?
Yes!
14. The swimmer or crew may not intentionally pollute the ocean with trash or debris (including but not limited to feed cups and gel packs) at any point before, during or after the swim, from dock to dock.
It's a well-deserved nomination, but Donal and I agree that we will continue our ongoing policy that we are not eligible for these awards, no matter what we do.
Many thanks to the nominator for their good intentions, though!
So I would like to nominate the British Long Distance Swimming Association aka the BLDSA!
I have never meet a more dedicated, passionate, and not to forget, slightly crazy group of swimming enthusiasts. Their tireless efforts to annually organise around 20+ events ranging form small introductory 1k river swims all the way up to 35K swims with nothing more then unpaid volunteers working under a "not for profit" is a huge testament to their dedication and spirit.
Other the last three years of participating in their events I have always found them to be the most amazing, welcoming and empowering experiences. I hope to do many more swims with them in the future and continue to see them fostering and assisting both the young up and coming champions and the not so young returning to the waters to give it a bash.
They have been handing out awards and encouragement to the long distance swimming community since 1956 and I definitely I think it is time they received an award in recognition of that service.
They are awesome! :-)
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I'd like to nominate Phil White for this award.
Phil is an energetic and passionate organizer of marathon (and shorter) swim events in the Northeast Kingdom region of Vermont. His swims take place in some of the most beautiful, clean lakes in the world.
In 2014, Phil's marathon swims included the 6 and 10 mile Kingdom Swims, the 15 mile Border-Buster swim, and the 25 mile Search for Memphre swim. The Border-Buster and Search for Memphre swims are unique in the swimming world, as they require the swimmers to cross the US-Canadian border while in the water.
Phil's swims are a gift to the marathon swimming community. He works tirelessly to provide safe swims that are beautiful and challenging. Phil's service to the marathon swimming community lies mainly in his love and commitment to the swimmers. No one is a stranger at Phil's swims. Swimmers of all abilities are made to feel welcome at his events. Phil's joy of the sport, the swimmers, and the lakes of the Northeast Kingdom is contagious.
Each year, Phil personally hosts a slew of swimmers at his personal residence, the "Clubhaus". In 2014, Phil encouraged several swimmers to exceed their expectations and swim longer distances than they had swum before. When the Search for Memphre had to be postponed in 2014 because of thunderstorms, he re-ran the event the next day. This is no small feat for a 25 mile swim that crosses the border into Canada. He then organized another Search for Memphre swim for a participant who could not stay for the second running of the event. Phil regularly goes out of his way to accommodate the needs of swimmers, while strictly adhering to established standards of swimming conduct and safety.
I first met Dan in July of last year and had the same exact experience as @Helbe describes. I was in San Diego for non-swimming reasons, but didn’t want to miss a chance to swim in the famous La Jolla cove. I put out a couple of feelers looking for someone to point me in the right direction. Not only did Dan show up to point me in the right direction, but he got in the water and gave me a wonderful swimming tour of the cove. It was exactly what I needed at the time. An enjoyable, relaxed ocean swim one month before a big (for me) swim – put in me in a perfect state of mind.
Dan instantly became interested in me and my swims. If he didn’t, I would never had even seen the photo that is now in our calendar for the month of January. (Too long of a story for a nomination.)
Just because Dan cares about swimming, he helped me find an excellent kayaker (Niles Furlong who kayaked for Chloe’s amazing swim) for MIMS this year.
Dan kayaked for two other of my marathon swims this year – Catalina and Anacapa. For Catalina, he was much more than a kayaker – he was my local guide. He took care of almost all of the local details, including finding a second kayaker when the someone canceled two days before the swim. He helped make the entire experience stress free.
In the spirit of full disclosure, Dan has become a friend – hard not to feel close someone who has watched directly over you for more than 20 hours of swimming and has been helpful in so many ways.
I could use help with the rest of this second to @Helbe’s nomination – I believe the following are true, but if someone else could help round this out, it would be appreciated:
• President of La Jolla Cove Swim Club.
• CCSF & SBCSA Observer.
• Kayaker, support crew on many swims - helping swimmers with their organization and coordination of their swims.
• Mentor and coach to several teenager Catalina relays and individual marathon swimmers.
As Gracie said, "labor of love". And I do love helping with swims and seeing people strive for and realize their swimmy dreams! It's an amazing experience to share!
:-)
no intro needed