Courtesy of Ned Denison, International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame.
Colin Hill has left his mark on many of the world’s most prestigious open water races and events from the Olympic 10K Marathon Swim in London to FINA professional marathon swimming circuit races.
Hill was selected as the 2021 recipient of the Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award, annually given by the International Swimming Hall of Fame to honor and recognize the contribution of individuals and groups making major contributions to marathon swimming and to serve as a perpetual memorial to Irving Davids and Captain Roger Wheeler. Its recipients are listed below.
Ned Denison, chairperson of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, interviewed Hill on a recent WOWSA Live episode. Hill described vision and work at the inaugural Great North Swim and Great East Swim and at the 2012 London Olympic Games in the Serpentine in London.
He talked about his responsibilities ini media relations for FINA, as the technical operations manager at the European Championships in Loch Lomond, and his recent work organizing and guiding lengthwise and cross-lake swims in Ullswater and Windermere.
Hill explains how he:
* drives to showcase the sport and its swimmers at their best
* promotes every FINA UltraMarathon Swim Series and FINA/CNSG Marathon Swim World Series around the world
* leverages the power of the BBC and British media that reports on the sport of open water swimming
* got heckled when he first proposed a mass participation swim, but Olympian Brendon Foster gave him initial encouragement
* enjoyed the support graciously provided by Keri-Anne Payne, David Davies, and Cassie Patten who all helped launch the first Great North Swim
* has watched the sport of open water swimming change beyond recognition
* organizes the sport for television
The International Swimming Hall of Fame has recognized the following Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award recipients:
1970: Joe Grossman
1971: Commander Gerald Forsberg, OBE, Master Mariner, FNI, Royal Navy (Retired)
1972: William Forrest “Buck” Dawson
1973: Willy Van Rysel
1974: Jerry Nason
1975: Audrey Scott and Ray Scott
1976: Traversée internationale du lac St-Jean
1977: Conrad Wennerberg
1978: Charles “Red” Silvia
1979: Dennis Matuch
1980-2001: Not awarded
2002: James Doty
2003: British Long Distance Swimming Association
2004: Roger Parsons and Val Parsons
2005: Lynn Blouin
2006: Dale Petranech
2007: Silvia Beatríz Dalotto
2008: Shelley Taylor-Smith
2009: Michael P. Read, MBE
2010: Christopher Guesdon
2011: Steven Muñatones
2012: Drury Gallagher
2013: Ned Denison
2014: Melissa Cunningham
2015: Dennis Miller
2016: David Yudovin
2017: Richard Broer
2018: Stéphane Lecat
2019: Sue Guesdon
2020: S.A. “Sid” Cassidy
2021: Colin Hill
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