Bob Bruce of Oregon Swimming won the U.S. Masters Swimming’s inaugural Open Water Service Award at the U.S. Aquatic Sports Convention in California today.

Bruce has been long honored by open water swimmers throughout Oregon and across the United States.

Bruce coaches in Bend, Oregon and serves as the Central Oregon Masters Aquatic’s head coach. He has over 40 years of experience coaching novice, age-group, high school, college and masters swimmers. He organizes the Oregon Open Water Series and the Cascade Lakes Swim Series, one of America’s Top 100 Open Water Swims.

Bruce served as the U.S. Masters Swimming head coach for the 9th and 10th FINA World Masters Championships in New Zealand (2002) and Italy (2004). He was named U.S. Masters Swimming 2003 Coach of the Year and has served as the Coaches Chairman.

He was typically humble when receiving the award from Lynn Hazlewood, “If you came to our presentation yesterday, I have to thank all our open water swimming teams for putting this all together. My Local Swim Committee has made open water swimming possible during this year with all the turmoil of sanctioning and insurance. Of course, I would not be involved in open water unless my team helped me. Thank you very much for everyone who helped us.”

Hazlewood explains, “The U.S. Masters Swimming Open Water Service Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to promoting and building excellence in U.S. Masters Swimming open water swimming.” Like Oregon Masters’ Bob Bruce, it is an award richly deserved.

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